My Dearest Arfel:

I an wondering what you are doing to-night and how you are liking it all. You will be beginning to feel quite at home by now. I miss you like everything but Wing is looking after me splendidly. He doesn't follow my directions for meals any more but concocts little dishes on his own and the result is very satisfactory. He was very funny yesterday. Mrs Morton was here in the afternoon and as she didn't want tea I didn't make any. When Wing arrived he expressed surprise at no signs of the tea and I said we had just talked. After weighing it in his mind a while a light seemed to dawn and he said " O! no large income now - just talkee - no tea." I don't know where he got the idea for I hadn't said anything about it but I suppose he had been talking it over in Chinatown.

This item from the Free Press will probably interest you. The are a little premature. While I think of it Mrs Faulkner was asking for that power of attorney you promised. Polly is coming to sleep in the tent and awfully tickled at the idea. I was alone last night because I was busy all day and didn't bother to see Polly and I wasn't nervous but I nearly funked going out to the tent after I was undressed but I braved it and went to sleep at once. Polly is delightful though to sleep in the tent so you needn't worry about me. Wednesday morning. I didn't get my letter off after all but I'll write to-morrow to make up. Mr Ross and Mr Elder came with the mail and stayed till Polly came over. I was so glad to get your dear letter. Mr Ross & Mr Elder buried themselves in papers till I read it and they were much amused about your room and Mr Elder rather pleased for he said he wouldn't get even a bed. If we had known you could have taken lots more things from here. I have asked Mrs Ross over for the week end and we can see then what arrangements to make.

I had such nice letters from Mrs Monks and Miss Opie. Mrs Monks says her husband will likely join the 72nd too but she is like me and can't get reconciled to the idea of him in kilts as there isn't a bit of Scotch about either of them. Between us I think he will be a dear in kilts. As for you, you are always that anyway to me. Mrs Monks said her husband had been on a deer hunt and succeeded in getting one but it fell down a ravine 700 ft deep and he had to go after it and wasted so much time that he had to spend the night in the woods without food or even a drink and no extra clothing. However the deer dressed weighed about 100 lbs so he was fairly well pleased especially when he had breakfasted and been refreshed at the "Saints Rest".

It has been raining off and on since you left so we haven't got much done to the garden but it looks more like cleaning up now. The tomatoes are beautiful - I really don't know what to do with them all. I am sending your tennis racquet and your puttees and some towels - you can get more when you come to visit me. Also your father's letter which Mr Elder opened by mistake. It also had one from your mother for me. with heaps and heaps of love and kisses and hoping you are getting on alright.

Your lovingly
Alice