Letter from Harry Massey to Barbara Massey

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Letter written by Harry Massey from the No. 6 Palestine company at the Bluffs to Barbara Massey.

This is a scanned version of the original image in Special Collections and Archives at Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt.



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Letter No. 7. Tuesday - 14 Apr.

Major J.H. Massey, 6, Palestinian Coy, The Buffs. M.E.F.

My sweetest darling -

I have a big letter to write to you - just having returned from my weekend - & also having found a letter from you waiting for me when I arrived back yesterday evening. But I do not feel too well, & think I have been bitten by sand flies & things - my head aches, & so do my legs & back & I am sweating too. However, I have a powder from the M.O. to take as suppressive treatment, when I go to bed - & so I am hoping to beat the thing & be alright again in the morning. I want to reply about lots of things in your letter - & so I will start on that & go on about my weekend afterwards.

You said that my letters had been making you feel v. sorry for me - but that you were selfish enough not to relish madly cheerful letters from me. Sweetheart - it is good to know that we can write just as we feel, in fact that is the one & only way to write. But I did not really intend to make you feel sorry for me, there is no need for it, except for one reason & one reason only - & that is the fact of my being away from you. Contributing factors are the weather, the flies, & the discomfort of my quarters, but really only in so far as they affect my capabilities of thinking about you or writing to you - & to a lesser degree, of being able to think at all, & read & generally keep my mind alive & interesting, in order to write to you. When I describe my discomforts, the things & people which get on my nerves, I think it is mainly in order to excuse any literary shortcomings. In any case, there is not the slightest possibility of my ever writing you a cheerful letter, until there is some news about me

Last edit 5 months ago by hannahb25
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2/ coming home- + then they really will be mosly cheerful And another thing darling- you must not be sorry for me when you think of me having no friends. In the first place I really + truly want to have my evenings to myself- to write + to read + to read + re read your letters. A lot of friends would be an embarrassment + a nuisance because I should have to sit + talk to them + go out with them + individually spend our money. And again I am even more intolerant than I ever was before + it would be difficult to find any. Ben I am very fond of + he is now quite one of the best friends I have ever had. But I now have such very strong ideas about our country + how it should be run. + there are very seldom shared by officers you know. I would not ever like to have Frank Macakie with me + especially not in this job because there are not the possibility or opportunity to explain our ideas our energy- + we should only be able to do a lot of talking + drink too much + get [?] off. No, with this job, I am happy enough as I am. But I would like a job with more possibilites + more outlet for my ideas + energiesbut I seem to be stuck. Except that I have one or two projects, about which I cannot tell you I'm afraid- + I propose to put up several reports + letters during the next week or two. And if the results are negative or discouraging- + if my next posting application is also negative- then I shall dive in headfirst + either make or break myself. I'm easy to be mysterious but I cannot possibly put down in a letter what I am thinking about But please do not worry, or think I may get into

Last edit about 1 year ago by LibrarianDiva
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3/ disgrace. My ideas have a strong military + patriotic background. + I shall hope to push on to some success. And Frank has won the M.C. - isnt that good? I saw it in General Orders Today. He most certainly deserves it. + I am v. pleased Darling, I am not taking the pants from your letter in order of importance - but just taking those things first which are more easy to write about in my slightly foggy brain, as it is tonight. You told me about your new woolen dressing gown, which sounds to me very sweet + pretty ; but you said that you were afraid I would not like the feel of it. being such a sensualist. I suppose I am really, as far as you are concerned. + I like to think that you are pleased that I am- + especially as you mention it in your leter. But that word is generally used in rather a critical + derogatory sense (Fowler supports me) + so I hope you do not use it in that way. Anyway, I'm sure you remember + know that I love you + am thrilled by you in all + every guise. Your silks + pretties are lovely + you know + I'm glad that you know that I react very strongly to them. But darling, think of your red wooly dressing gown- + your pink wooly trouseau pants- + your white and silk pants with elastic round the legs. You were gorgeous + lovely + desirable in them all, my darling - + you must please admit that I proved that I thought so And in cotton stockings too my darling one- "what happened to the girl in cotton stockings?" You were the exception to the rule. Had because you are

Last edit about 1 year ago by LibrarianDiva
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4/ very exceptional, my sweet + darling lovely one. I must say that I feel better, having written these three pages to you, but its nearly eleven [?] + I must take my powder + go to bed. Before I go, I must say that I am pleased that you now agree that I shall give up golf. Relaxation + fresh air we must + will have but it is quite obvious that you do not like golf + never will do + so that is that. Walking + gardening they are the things- + please don't scoff darling because walk + garden I will + we shall do those things together. And maybe a little tennis But whatever we do we must be together at the weekends + in the evenings. I'm sure you agree - but I do not anticipate - not want - a mere return to the old life (much as I should love it!) It is quite possible that I shall continue to dye + [?] + bleach + wing + beam. But if those, plus our home life, are our only interests in life, I am misjudging you + me = + all I am thinking nowadays is just a waste of time, which I just relapse into pre war complacency - + you must make up your mind, too. Goodnight, my own darling xxxx Harry Wednesday Apr 15th My aches + pains have more or less gone today, to be replaced by a severe cold in the head which is pretty stuffy + horrid but much better than going under with fever. Your letter told me much about your efforts to finf a new place to live + somebody to look after [?] during the time of the day when you would be away.

Last edit about 1 year ago by LibrarianDiva
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5/ But I have already had your cable to say you were going to Cambridge + have replied that I was not very pleased to hear that- + now I have had a p.c. from you to say you are going to try it there + perhaps go on to [?] later on. So things are pretty obscure for me But I am glad you are not in that part time munition job. It sounded rather hard + very dull + all for 22/6 a week + I feel that with doing that + looking after Marie + writing to me + looking after yourself, it would all have been a bit too much for you. Are there no creches or nursery schools in Beaconfield? - surely they would be the best answer- they look after babies + children so well + probably far better than any one person with whom you could leave them It seems to me that this part time employment is very badly arranged + organized- + very underpaid too. I wish I could write you some encouraging + helpful advice , instead of appearing to disapprove of all your plans to occupy your mind + self + to lead a useful life. But darling - the one thing is that I want you to lead as happy + contented + normal life as possible. + I cannot feel that you would be able to do this if you were away from Marie for 5-6 hours every day. You have told me how you worry + fret + I can well understand it- + under such conditions you would be having this every day. And nobody else can look after [?] as well as you can- I think he deserved to be looked after entirely by you And you were telling me about your poor Ma I feel very sorry for her, very sorry indeed, but I agree

Last edit about 1 year ago by LibrarianDiva
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