Letter written by EMC to her mother Eliza Collier, 25 March.
Edith Collier, Author
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5 Leinatin [sic[ sq
March 25th.
Dear mother
Your last letters were all about Harry leaving. Dolly was with him to see him off on Jan 19th he ought to be here sometime next month. What I cant make out is why you sent the cable so much later I am waiting for the next mail to see if Harry did really leave on Jan. 19th It seems to be about 8 weeks between each mail, it is awful the number of ships sunk every day now.
I had 2 or 3 letters from Reg last week, they have just had a fire at his billets & all his things had got burnt a nice parcel (socks etc) Mrs Hardy had sent him & one of Dolly’s.
I got 3 parcels from Dolly to Reg so I sent them 3 or 4 days between, so he will get those now, also I got for Reg a parcel from Jannings [sic] Wanganui.
Mrs H. was round here yesterday & she is giving me a pair of socks for Reg, she is always knitting them & sending them to friends.
Things seem to be getting a move on at France now so I might write again A camisole for me has just come but no name but I think it is from you for my 23rd birthday I suppose thank you very much, it is very pretty. I was very surprised to hear about Olive Russell engagement well I am glad she isn’t getting married & I hope Minnie doesn’t get married, talking about marrying reminds me that Mrs Treadwell was here a week or so ago, she asked me the ever interesting topic to some people are you engaged Edith. She has gone away but is going to let me know when she comes back. I amuse her I think, I don’t care as long as I amuse people I always do feel a curious kind of being when I am with other people.
My Irish friends sent me a lot of shamrock last week never enjoyed myself anywere [sic] like Ireland. I wish they could get some settlement about Home Rule.
A friend of mine Miss Reidy in Ireland has just had a very bad accident – she fell down the stairs in the dark, it is hard luck her mother & father are both very old, so it will be very hard on her. I see you think I am at the N.Z. canteen I thought I told you months ago how it was I didn’t go. I went down & was to have gone along with a Mrs Higgie or something when I got there she seemed as if she didn’t want me after saying why don’t you go, - told me they had plenty of help. I drew back as there is always plenty to help at a soldiers canteen, but they wanted help very badly from women war workers at nights as I go there. These are mostly widows who have been hit by the war & have to work as the pension wont educate the children, different lots work day & night. I help with the alnight [sic] lot.
The Gov provide food & the Y.W.C.A. give it to them some of these women are about 50 or more. Thousands of women whose husbands were lawyers & so forth who have got to turn to.
Every corner in London is & now that Russia settled, they might help now
Muriel Harrison must had an awful time getting out, her mother had just got a letter from her written from the Cape. I believe she had to wait 7 weeks out of Plymouth before they started.
Of course I don’t know what boat Harry is coming by, but Hal was telling me that the 21st contingent is expected this week, but that is only a rumour.
Hal was to have gone to France but his lot got the mumps thank goodness & they have to wait.
Such a lot of N.Z. men are getting married over here I don’t like the look of some of the girls still men seem to like the style.
Some of them get married after they have been drinking I just heard of a man who went to Wales got drunk a girl married him to get his pension I suppose as she has been very smart fixing up money affairs. The N.Z. Gov ought to put their foot down as why should the Gov support the scum of this country.
Of course lots of men have known the girls before turned into a munication [sic] shop. Were [sic] I go is an immense Engineering College, but is now into war material near the Albert Hall so I am a Y.W.C.A. worker.
Art work I am doing posters finished lettering
Well I seem to have written a very long letter & I want to write more.
With love to all,
From loving daughter
Edith
I hope you people are not expecting a fashionable entertaining daughter. I’ll give you a picture just about the same in fashion
I’ll stop
Please give my love to grandma.
Over->
You were saying I hope telling you all this wont make you into a man hater Edith. Well hardly when I have a good father & 5 jolly descent [sic] brothers & all the men relations over here seem to be very nice.
5 Leinatin [sic[ sq
March 25th.
Dear mother
Your last letters were all about Harry leaving. Dolly was with him to see him off on Jan 19th he ought to be here sometime next month. What I cant make out is why you sent the cable so much later I am waiting for the next mail to see if Harry did really leave on Jan. 19th It seems to be about 8 weeks between each mail, it is awful the number of ships sunk every day now.
I had 2 or 3 letters from Reg last week, they have just had a fire at his billets & all his things had got burnt a nice parcel (socks etc) Mrs Hardy had sent him & one of Dolly’s.
I got 3 parcels from Dolly to Reg so I sent them 3 or 4 days between, so he will get those now, also I got for Reg a parcel from Jannings [sic] Wanganui.
Mrs H. was round here yesterday & she is giving me a pair of socks for Reg, she is always knitting them & sending them to friends.
Things seem to be getting a move on at France now so I might write again A camisole for me has just come but no name but I think it is from you for my 23rd birthday I suppose thank you very much, it is very pretty. I was very surprised to hear about Olive Russell engagement well I am glad she isn’t getting married & I hope Minnie doesn’t get married, talking about marrying reminds me that Mrs Treadwell was here a week or so ago, she asked me the ever interesting topic to some people are you engaged Edith. She has gone away but is going to let me know when she comes back. I amuse her I think, I don’t care as long as I amuse people I always do feel a curious kind of being when I am with other people.
My Irish friends sent me a lot of shamrock last week never enjoyed myself anywere [sic] like Ireland. I wish they could get some settlement about Home Rule.
A friend of mine Miss Reidy in Ireland has just had a very bad accident – she fell down the stairs in the dark, it is hard luck her mother & father are both very old, so it will be very hard on her. I see you think I am at the N.Z. canteen I thought I told you months ago how it was I didn’t go. I went down & was to have gone along with a Mrs Higgie or something when I got there she seemed as if she didn’t want me after saying why don’t you go, - told me they had plenty of help. I drew back as there is always plenty to help at a soldiers canteen, but they wanted help very badly from women war workers at nights as I go there. These are mostly widows who have been hit by the war & have to work as the pension wont educate the children, different lots work day & night. I help with the alnight [sic] lot.
The Gov provide food & the Y.W.C.A. give it to them some of these women are about 50 or more. Thousands of women whose husbands were lawyers & so forth who have got to turn to.
Every corner in London is & now that Russia settled, they might help now
Muriel Harrison must had an awful time getting out, her mother had just got a letter from her written from the Cape. I believe she had to wait 7 weeks out of Plymouth before they started.
Of course I don’t know what boat Harry is coming by, but Hal was telling me that the 21st contingent is expected this week, but that is only a rumour.
Hal was to have gone to France but his lot got the mumps thank goodness & they have to wait.
Such a lot of N.Z. men are getting married over here I don’t like the look of some of the girls still men seem to like the style.
Some of them get married after they have been drinking I just heard of a man who went to Wales got drunk a girl married him to get his pension I suppose as she has been very smart fixing up money affairs. The N.Z. Gov ought to put their foot down as why should the Gov support the scum of this country.
Of course lots of men have known the girls before turned into a munication [sic] shop. Were [sic] I go is an immense Engineering College, but is now into war material near the Albert Hall so I am a Y.W.C.A. worker.
Art work I am doing posters finished lettering
Well I seem to have written a very long letter & I want to write more.
With love to all,
From loving daughter
Edith
I hope you people are not expecting a fashionable entertaining daughter. I’ll give you a picture just about the same in fashion
I’ll stop
Please give my love to grandma.
Over->
You were saying I hope telling you all this wont make you into a man hater Edith. Well hardly when I have a good father & 5 jolly descent [sic] brothers & all the men relations over here seem to be very nice.
This record represents an archive item and has related works.
Measurements
182 x 231mm
Description
Letter written by EMC to her mother Eliza Collier, 25 March. Written double sided on three sheets of unlined paper - two divided into four pages and one divided into two pages. Second sheet of paper is missing.
Credit Line
Collection of The Edith Collier Trust, in the permanent care of the Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua Whanganui.
Collection Type
Archives
Loans
Loans
Collection
Acquisition Date
Circa 1985
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Accession Number:
A2015/1/319