27/12/1916 HMB
My dearest Father
I sent you and Mother a very hurried scrappy letter for Christmas, but this is a better effort, now I have a little breathing space. Thank you ever so much for your lovely and most magnificent Christmas present. I shall send most of it back to be put into War Loan Stock.
I hope “he” enjoyed his Christmas with Lib. I was intensely amused to hear that he was to be shown off to the neighbours!! I hope he was good and didn’t stalk Lib and Teddy’s chickens.
It was very sad that the turkey missed fire. Miss Moberg turned up without it, she was very sad at not having received it, but these things will happen especially in wartime. Luckily a benevolent Govt provided us with one. We have just got a new lieut. Who manages our mess and he has a very high opinion of the nurses and does us awfully well. He is an excellent manager and we are much more comfortable in his hands than with the old one who didn’t like us much and thought anything would do. However he’s gone and the new and agreeable one reigns in is stead and gave us a turkey for Christmas day.
What I am awfully sorry about is your being landed with the beggar. I hope he won’t be an awful nuisance to you. Miss M says she left orders that he was to be sent to you. I hope you enjoyed the Tothill shoot. I itched to be there: I do so long for my country pursuits.
I hope Granny is better: it was bad luck her having a cold at Christmas time.
On re-reading your last letter from the club I gather that the turkey is lost but I’m afraid I can’t read every word!! Do let me know if it does not turn up and I will ask Miss Moberg to write for news of it. Of course it wasn’t your fault: I’m only sorry to have given you so much trouble for nothing. We had a very busy day on Christmas day: several of us were awfully busy getting things ready for our plays last night and preparing for the men’s Christmas party.
I must stop now as I want to write to Mother too.
With very many thanks and best love
From your loving daughter Dorothy
P.S. Please will you deduct £1.0.3. from my allowance and send it to Bessie: she did some Christmas shopping for me.
About Alford 