Sandal House
Sandal. Wakefield
Monday. Mar 19.'17

Dearest Heart:

To-day has been the very nicest day imaginable. Aunt Edie took me to York to show me all the beauties of that old city. I must confess that I didn't know what a wonderful place it was till Aunt Edie gave me a lot of literature about it so I would appreciate it more.

Well we went and I was charmed with the old walls and the gates or bars cut in it, and the old Minster quite took my breath away - I hadn't imagined anything so vast and awe inspiring. It has such wide spaces and isn't filled up with monuments like Westminster - it is very beautiful and peaceful and grand. I wish you had been here to see it too. Then we went to see the Hall of the Merchant Adventurers of York - a curious old place with it weighing scales and money boxes, and away down stairs a little chapel, the existence of which could be hidden by a trap door, and here the Puritans used to worship in the time of Cromwell. It is used now only once a year for a special service and the parson for the occasion is paid half a crown per annum. We were very interested. Then we took a long walk on the walls - you can go nearly round the city and it was a beautiful walk with these bars here and there and the lovely view of towers and castles. There seems to be hundreds of churches, in the small space inside the walls, all trying to look as beautiful as the Minster in their smaller way.

It was a splendid day altogether and very good of Aunt Edie to show me around - we were from eleven in the morning till eight at night so it was no small outing for an elderly lady. She has been so very kind - do write to her and tell her how you appreciate it - that is if you do!

Isn't the news from the front just beautiful. The advances past the [?] and the Somme and the good news from Baghdad: it looks as if we might join up with the Russians very soon and make things pretty hot for all those people in the east. I imagine you fuming and fretting to be at it again but don't hurry your knee too much dearie - there will be lots of war left still even if you are laid up for a month. Goodnight dearie heart - I am very tired and sleepy. All my love and kisses to my darling. Your little pal, Alice Leighton.