Though written on different dates, these entries were all in one letter.
Evelyn to Fred [Calgary]
Apr. 12/17
My Dear One,-
I won't write much tonight, but I must talk to you a little. I was thinking to-day that you are really more in my thoughts while you are away than when you are at home. This is our wedding-day the twelfth, and tomorrow will be too - Friday. I have been planning your homecoming, and how we'll live when you get home. You are so very, very dear to me. ...
Mrs. Coutts said that evap. [evaporated milk] has gone up within the last two weeks - Pears [soap] from 2 for 25¢ to 2 for 35¢, Sunlight from 5¢ each to 4 for 25¢, Criscoe from 35¢ to 50¢. How are people going to live? ...
I won't write any more tonight - this is rather sketchy, I know, but it carries a lot of love from your wife.
Friday Apr. 13
Dearest One in the World,-
I wonder where you are tonight, my dear one. I am selfishly glad that you are somewhere in England - not somewhere in France. The papers seem full of news of victory, but full of news of sadness too. I'll be so glad, so glad when I get a letter from my sweetheart, though I know I can't have one for a couple weeks yet. I hope you will think to send to the R.C.I. as soon as you have an address. I have just been thinking that there will be letters there almost as soon as you reach there, and that will make it seem like home, won't it dear one?
The boys - Percy Scott and Art Lilly, came in tonight to go over some of the work. It's all right for me to have them, isn't it dear? Of course I have to be careful, but I hardly see how there is any wrong - there is no wrong of course - but lack of convention in it. ... Did you know that Jack Eaton had been killed?
I went up to the dressmaker's tonight, and will have my suit tomorrow. I've figured up that the dress, with the coat will cost me about thirty dollars. It is pretty, and I think you'd like it if you were here to see it. And I think I really needed it. If one must go on about one's daily tasks, one must have something to eat and to wear. And I have something to love - the dearest best gift in the world, my sweetheart, friend and husband.
Goodnight. . . . it's six weeks since you left.
Apr. 14/17
Dearest:-
I'll just scribble a little and post this before I go home. It's Saturday morning - or nearly noon. Mr. Nicoloson showed me a cheque from the C.N.R. this morning, but told me just now that it is not going to be distributed. It doesn't make so very much difference, but it would have provided for that $250 insurance. However, I am going to ask for enough of $50 monthly trust funds to pay it, unless I haven't spent what is in the bank on C.P.R. ... I think I had better get it though, for the reports from the Western front seem so good that it will send it up, I'm thinking.
It's a nice bright day. Laura & Elmer are going to "meal" with us, as they are all packed up. Laura has to do the work, so that's easy for me, isn't it?
... to-day the Broads got word that Ted was killed. We do not dare look very far into the future, but I try to trust that all will be well.
Your loving girl.
Fred to Evelyn Bramshott
4th May 1917
My dear wife,-
The vagaries of the mail service are hard to follow. Letters of a later date often arrive ahead of those written first. On my return last evening to camp I found awaiting me your letter of Apr. 9th along with one from Pat. Today brought a short letter from Art and yours of Mar. 25th. Your letters are like oases in a desert.
Yesterday I slept in pretty late - had breakfast about 10 o'clock consisting of porridge without sugar (sugar is no longer allowed with porridge) a roll, butter, haddock, a small sausage, marmalade & coffee. Then I did a bit of running about to get ready for leaving London, had a small lunch of cocoa & 2 poached eggs on toast, and went to the matinee to hear the first performance of the Carl Rosa Opera company, in English, at the Garrick theatre. Yesterday the offering was Tales of Hoffman I went in the "gods" for 1s. 2d. and had a seat from which I could both see and hear very well. There was an all-star cast and as far as I can judge it was excellently played. I enjoyed the music thoroughly, but I had never before heard this opera and was rather disappointed in the plot. I should like to have heard the same company in some of their other operas eg. Faust, Madame Butterfly etc. Oh my darling, some day we must enjoy these things together. Life is not half living apart.
I came out of the theatre about 5 and strolled up to the Circus [Piccadilly] looking in Swan & Edgar's windows to see if there was something I might get for you. While standing there, L/cpl Hutton of 191st from Macleod slapped me on the shoulder and confessed he was bent on a similar mission. I found a collarette - (Is that what you call it?) - that took my fancy and so we went in. Finally we both bought the same kind of thing, and he very kindly helped me pack mine for mailing as he had formerly been a dry good's clerk himself. I do hope it pleases you and that the color will harmonize with your dresses. I was afraid it was too large, but the salesgirl assured me it would not be. I thought the collar and cuffs looked very pretty when displayed on the salesgirl. I sent them by registered mail so they should arrive safely.
I wish you were here dearie, you would let me know what size of glove you take. If I had known I would have bought you a pair or two. Gloves are still cheaper here than in Canada I think.
By the time we had got our parcels off it was 6 o'clock. We hurried into a restaurant, had tea & poached eggs on toast and then had 15 min. to reach Waterloo station in time for the last regular train for Liphook, (the Bramshott camp station) True, there was a special train for the soldiers leaving Waterloo station at 10.30 but that would arrive here at midnight with a 2 mile walk afterwards and I didn't relish the idea.
It was a beautiful evening and I enjoyed the ride (1 1/2 hours) very much. Vegetation had advanced a good deal since we left, and the fields now are quite green. There are very few flowers out yet nor are the leaves out but surely another week or two will bring them.
Arrived at Liphook at 8 - I went into an eating place for soldiers where I got a ham sandwich and 2 glasses of good milk for 8d. It was getting dark when I arrived back at camp. - only to learn that a mobilization order was out and everyone had to draw his Webb equipment - (You know we discard all the leather equipment in England), - and get ready for leave at a moment's notice. This kept us busy until about 11 o'clock. After that I slept the sleep of the just until reveille at 5.00. We had a muster parade at 5.30 and then were told to be ready for a route march with full equipment after breakfast.
... As I still fell a little weak after my grippe, the serj. maj. told me not to go on the route march but to report sick. So I got some tonic pills from the M.O. and stayed in my hut. I slept about 2 hours this morning and 3 this afternoon, & feel much better this evening.
Patterson again reverted to a private in order to go to France ahead of his time - only to be quarantined on the following day for mumps. - He has now been in quarantine for 2 months and he is chafing under it.
I find I can get pictures developed here without danger so will do so at the first opportunity. I have just found the developed film I took in Canada, with a few of the prints I am enclosing them. ... I am also enclosing some little flowers - (are they daisies?) that I picked at Dryburgh Abbey. I hope they don't wither. In their brightness and sweetness they remind me of you. You are in very truth the flower of my life.
Must close now for tonight. Goodnight and pleasant dreams to my sweet love.
Sat evening, May 5th.
... We haven't done much today. All who were on the route march yesterday returned tired and hot and dusty. Yesterday was the hottest day of the year unless perhaps today beat it. So they were allowed to sleep in this morning until 6.30! After breakfast we started to polish the brass on our Webb equipment. When I tell you there are 72 pieces of brass in a set you will understand why it took all morning. As a matter of fact my job extended even to the afternoon. But it looks good now. We had only an hour's parade today for the purpose of dividing us into classes for training. One of the orderly room serjeants - who used to be a stenographer at Lougheed & Bennetts - told me I was chosen as one of 6 to go to an N.C.O.'s school at Hertford, but I haven't heard anything official yet.
Last evening I strolled into the Y.M.C.A. tent across the road. Several officer's wives were helping. They take turns in coming, and some of them make very good waiters. The Y is greatly patronized. It puts on a good concert once or twice a week - provides a reading & writing room, - sells eatables etc & conducts services every Sunday evening - and occasionally during the week.
Our church parade is at 8.30 tomorrow morning. I think I'll go on it and to the Y.M.C.A. service at night. I suppose at this hour you are just leaving the office for the day. How I wish I were able to spend the afternoon with you. You were right in saying we'll make better use of our Sat. afternoons when I get back. We'll work less and play more.
Goodnight sweetheart
Sun. evening [May 6]
I'm in the "Y" tent now waiting for the evening service. If I were to tell you the truth I would say there was another reason for coming over here early - to get out of the way. Of late there have been small fires raging in the vicinity and yesterday's high wind has evidently made some of them dangerous. North of the camp, dense clouds of smoke have been visible all day. About an hour ago a party of 100 men with 2 or 3 serjeants set out to fight the fire and just before I came over here another party was called for. It was rather amusing to see how scarce everybody tried to make himself. I had no compunctions about skipping out because I expect to have a heavy week and there are plenty of serjeants who haven't done a thing for 2 or 3 weeks.
... We had a short service but the sermon was very good. The hymns were "Onward Christian Soldiers," "Rock of Ages" and "Abide with Me." We have an A1 band and the singing was very good. After church service I spent an hour with Charlie Taylor in his tent. He was greatly cut up at learning of Everett's death and is going to write Mr Fallis of whom he thinks a great deal. I don't know whether to write to him or not. It's so hard to say what one would like to say. ... I wasn't sure until yesterday it was Everett and was hoping against hope it was not. Poor Mrs. Fallis! I don't know that she feels it more keenly than he but somehow she seems less able to bear it. At any rate they both have the supreme consolation of knowing that through all Everett remained pure and true to his manhood and his God - and that's a good deal in the army, especially for a boy as young as he.
When the wind fell a little this afternoon I went with 3 other of the boys for a walk to Haslemere - about 3 mi. away. It would be a lovely walk a little later when the trees and flowers are out. Even today I enjoyed it. Of course the road was fairly active with soldiers. Sunday is their only day off, and they get out of camp as fast as they can. Haslemere is cosily situated in a pretty little valley, with a couple fine country seats just visible through the trees on the hillside. ...
I found out today that Serjts. Armstrong, Choate and myself and 6 corporals - of whom Fred Nease is one, are to take the school at Hertford - reporting there on the 12th - next Friday. I understand the course is 6 weeks. It is an Imperial school so we shall probably have to work pretty hard. Another welcome bit of news today appeared in Battalion orders - that henceforth we may send letters postage free to Canada or the continent. Until now this privilege was extended only to soldiers in France.
I haven't written any letters except to you and one to mother & one to Mother O., but last night I sent off several cards. Oh I changed my mind dearie and sent that little volume of The Lay of the Last Minstrel to Aunt Sarah instead of to you. I remembered how fond she is of everything Scotch, and that you said once you didn't care much for Scott's poetry so I thought you wouldn't mind. I know Aunt Sarah will appreciate it so much.
I wonder what kind of day it has been in Calgary and what you have been doing. It is such a comfort to know that people are good to you. Apparently you think more of the Wrights than you used to - and of Lena also. I am glad of this, for Lena's faults are largely the exaggeration of her virtues. She is really very kind hearted and one of the best intentioned people in the world. Of course the Coutts are tried and proven friends.
I see wheat has been going to dizzy heights lately. ... I also see the C.P.R. stock has been dropping a bit and is now about 167 1/2. I think it would be wise if you have a bit of money to buy some as long as it is in the fifties.
Later
There was a really good service - mostly song. Each week the "Y" brings down 3 or 4 artists from London. Tonight there were a cellist and soprano soloist, - both very good. While the soloist was singing I was thinking of you dearie. - Among other numbers she sang A Perfect Day How really perfect the days will be when we are together again. ...
Goodnight my darling.
Fred.
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