F.q. Ward,
West Section
Middlesex War Hospital
Napsbury, St Allans.
July 13. '17.

My dear Lulu

I have just received three splendid letters from you. How good it is of you Lulu to write. Surely it must occupy a dreadful lot of your time when you are so busy with housework, cooking, teaching, & have to write often to Ainley & Carman as well! For me it is a great treat, but must be hard work for you. I believe you when you say you enjoy it of course, for I enjoy having a talk with you, even when it is only on paper & my left hand only crawls. Surely we shall know each other well - if only through correspondence! My only fear is that when you see me & know me as I am, you will find you have idealized me. But that can wait; I can enjoy the fact that we love to talk to one another now.

I am afraid I have no further news of my coming to Canada. I am still waiting with more or less patience to hear what they are going to do. My father wants me in Manchester if I have to stay in England, & of course that would be just what I would like. My sister writes that she is trying to "see people" about it. But to stay in idleness for month after month even with my dear people, when my work awaits me in Canada, & my heart draws me to you & Digby, would be unbearable. I hope, Lulu dear, you wont misunderstand me. If they can make my arm fit for military work in France again I would rather wait than be discharged, for I could never respect myself otherwise, & it would be delightful to be near Manchester. I am going to try to find out from the doctor what he thinks, & risk being told to mind my own business. I must end this uncertainty. I shall do all I can honourably to get to Digby, & to Saskatoon. Your hopefulness makes me more persistent.

It is wonderful, Lulu, how kind people are wherever I go. Friends seem to spring up everywhere. I will tell you of a very happy day I had since I wrote you last. I heard that about seven miles from here was a very fine example of what they call the Perpendicular type of architecture adapted to domestic purposes. It is a house called Hatfield, the 'seat' of the Marquis of Salisbury. Of course I didn't know a soul there, nor did the Australian I took - a fine fellow- as a companion.

We got leave & got there by train, & spent the morning looking over the fine church there. Then we began to look for dinner, when an elderly man & his wife came up to us in the street to enquire about an Australian, whom of course we did not know. After a little talk in which he told us about his two sons in France, he simply carried us off to dinner, & we spent a happy hour with his family there. The 'choke' in his voice as he spoke of one of the boys was hard to listen to.

Afterwards we were shown round the Hatford hall, the staircases, halls & rooms & paintings & tapestry being beautiful & brim full of historic interest. We were just coming away but half satisfied when a housekeeper caught sight of us leaving the grounds. After a little talk she took us back & showed us other parts we had not seen before. Rooms & beds which were furnished & used by the kings & queens like James I, the German Kaiser, Victoria, & even Cromwell (best of all, I think). Of course she told us of the cruel death of a nephew - a Canadian, of whom she seemed to have been very fond. It is hard here in England to see how nearly every heart is being wrung by this war.

We afterwards went back to St. Allans & called at a little shop with the writing over the window, "Teas provided". We were shown into a very neat homelike room by a sweet faced old lady, who made us some tea & cut some bread & butter & 'Lemon Cheese', chatting all the while, & seeing my slinged arm, carefully spreading the 'Lemon Cheese' on my buttered bread. It was no more like a 'Tea room' than my father's house is, & when we were about to pay she refused us in the gentlest manner, asking us to "Be my guests for today." It was so evident that she wanted to be nice to us, & enjoyed it so, that one could but please her. It closed a day in which we had met many truly Xtian hearts though no 'religious' word had been spoken, & in which we had seen many beautiful sights.

I wrote to Carman the other day, & shall try to see him in London where we shall do some sight-seeing.

I wonder, Lulu dear, what are the things you think of, of which I never dream! Never mind you will tell me sometime. If you were only here now, while I have nothing else to do but nurse my lazy arm, go sight seeing, & generally enjoy myself!

I am glad you liked the little spoon. It has the coat-of-arms of St. Allans, & the hart of Hert-fordshire. I got the jeweller to send it fore me as I was tired.

These views of Hatfield are not very good, but are the best I could get. This is July 5, two days after I started writing & I have heard nothing more of my destiny.

With very best love
Yours as ever
Tom.