I hope the Zepps haven’t worried you at all: they have had a happy weekend in poor old England..

4^th April 1916

My Dearest Mother

How is life with you. I hope that the Zepps haven’t worried you at all: they have had a happy weekend in poor old England. It is a jolly good thing that they picked one off, but it is not enough.

On Sunday morning I was sitting in my workroom tearing my hair over statistics of treatments when I heard a familiar voice behind me and there was Colonel Sandall! He does look fit and full of beans!! I showed him round and he was quite interested. He saw Tim in her little ward with all the ops. Then he asked us out to tea: we couldn’t go out to dinner as I was on relief duty in the medical ward. We went round to the Hotel de la Poste ( I chaffed him for staying at the blood hotel with all the brass hats) and called for him.

Then we went off for tea and after tea Tim returned to her duties and I went for a walk with him. We strolled about Rouen for a while and then I had to go back and s I said goodbye to him: he was to go up yesterday. It was awfully jolly to seeing him and having news of everyone at home. Do tell Mrs Sandall that one of the staff said to me afterwards: “what a handsome man that Colonel was who came to see you !” I was awfully tickled – the poor man missed Tommy by about 12 hours he said.

Last Tuesday the Sister took Tim and I out for a picnic: we went in the ambulance about a third of the way to Grival and got out in the Foret Verte. We picked up those little wild daffodils till we had a big Riviera flower basket; you know one of those flat tray baskets, it was absolutely crammed and one could hardly tell that we’d been there. It was a well cleared piece of forest and just carpeted with them, acres and acres of them.

I hope by now you’ve got your little present and are finding it useful for Treasury notes. Is it true that they’ve started smaller notes (for smaller sums I mean). We even have 50 cent notes here and they are a fearful nuisance.

It was very hot on Sunday and quite warm yesterday, but to-day is very cold again and raw. It is such a funny place : one day it is so hot one can go and picnic in the woods and the next day one is wrapped up in overcoats mufflers and gloves! Tim was absolutely delighted with her gloves and so grateful to you for having bothered with them.

I must dry up now as there is no news.

Best love to you all

Your loving Dorothy.