23rd June 1916
Arthur has had his tooth fixed – Dollie is all concern for his welfare and wants to send him some fish; there is an air of confidence among the troops and rumours of peace ; alas there is also a rumour that all mail will be stopped soon for an unspecified time; a heavy thunderstorm in the afternoon has done little to clear the muggy air.
Arthur to Dollie
Billets! Friday even. 8.30
Thanks awfully for your letter of Tuesday. You dear, you mustn’t worry about my toothache. It was rotten whilst it lasted but since I went into D- & had it temporarily stopped, it hasn’t hurt. With care it will be all right. So you won’t worry any more will you, dear? You are a darling to fuss over me & try to get the fish. Thanks a heap. I do appreciate [it] awfully …
You ask about war news, dear: everyone is most absolutely confident that we “have the Hun whacked”. There are even weird & wonderful rumours of peace – “peace in 48 hours”, “peace in three weeks”, “peace by the end of July”, “by the middle of September” &c ad lib! Please God, may it come soon.
I can’t find out how true this rumour is little one about the stoppage of mails. But at the most I don’t think that they’ll be stopped for more than a week or ten days. Anyway, darling mine, you may be sure that, even if letters are stopped I’ll try to get a card through, day by day. If that is impossible, we must just try to bear it, darling mine, with all our fortitude & pray hard to God & Our Lady to help us.
There is not much news here, to-day, dear: we’ve had a very heavy thunderstorm this afternoon but the air is still rather heavy. I had a letter from Eugenie to-day: congratulating me! I’m sending it on to you, dear, as soon as I shall have answered it. You’ll be glad to hear that both the Primus and the mess tin are awfully useful! …