Stan and Grace

G. H. N. Thursday night      My Own Darling, I received your letter a few hours ago, so I am replying tonight and posting it by first post in the morning , so you may receive this letter by Saturday afternoon.   I will write again at the week-end so that if you do receive this Saturday there will be post for you on Monday morning. By the way, how long does it take my letters to reach you now, do you get them any quicker? Darling, I am very sorry if my previous letter sounded as if you still had severe competition from Miss Nightingale.   You have not, really.   I suppose that its when I have been in this place a good many weeks I get settled in the hospital routine and then Miss Nightingale does come and give me a slight reminder, but Darling, it is very occasionally and I suppose your letter arrived at one of these moments. You know, Dear, deep down I do really love you and if this Nightingale complex (as you choose to call it) comes upon me it quickly passes, but my love

Usual address     Wednesday lunchtime     My Darling, I thought if I sat down and answered your letter straight away, you would get a reply in the morning, just as you got back from Grimethorpe.   I hope you had a pleasant couple of days.   I sincerely wish I had been there with you. The news that I still had pretty severe competition from Florence Nightingale was rather a blow to me.   After our last meeting I was quite convinced that even if you had not forgotten her altogether you did not think of her so much!   I suppose it was rather presumptuous of me to think I could kick her out of your make-up in such a short space of time as eight months! However, the situation is one which can be talked about much better than written of, so I’ll try to say no more on the subject until I see you.   The main reason I made the suggestion was, however, that I thought that if I was to go overseas it was the best way of showing my true feelings towards you.   Still, as I have just writte

  G. H. N. Monday         My Darling, I did not receive your letter till late Saturday night.   I had been expecting one from you all week and when one did not arrive by tea-time Sat. I gave up hope altogether.   It was a pleasant surprise when I was told there was a letter for me. The news inside the letter was a still greater surprise.   I did not expect it so soon.   I suppose you will think that I ought to know by now whether I want to get engaged or not.   I suppose I ought to really but even yet at times I am not quite sure.   I am being honest with you Darling.   It is only right that I should be.   I am glad that you have given me time to think about it.   I really am a dreadful person, I don’t know whatever you must think of me. I should be on night duty in time for your next leave.    It sounds a bit “fishy” to me, but I think I have gathered what you mean by it being a very important one .   I sincerely hope that it is not.* I was pleased to hear about the marked

The Nurses Home General Hosp Nottingham Tuesday         Dearest Stan, I suppose that you will be settling down in Norfolk.   In your next letter I hope to have a long account of your journey and of how life is lived in Norfolk.   Are you in the wilds again or are you in town? It is a pity you had to move this week as I hope to go home next.   I would have liked my day-off Tuesday or Wednesday but as I have a lecture Tuesday evening I am afraid it is out of the question. I am going to try and get half day Wednesday, day off Thursday but that may also be improbable as we start “taking in” on Wednesday for a week.   I think that I have explained before that it means admitting to our ward all the female surgical emergencies for that week.   If Sister will not let me have Thursday I shall have to wait till the week-end of the following week. It seems ages since I was home last, so I am looking forward to going.   I only wish you could manage it too. Everyone is feeling ver

 Note: Stan has now been re-posted again – this time to Norfolk. The Nurses Home General Hospital Nottingham Friday, 10.30 a.m.     Dearest Stan, Although I am not writing this in class, I find that my lecture book comes in quite handy (as you can see). To-day, everything is upside down.   The hospital is holding a “Bring and Buy” sale in aid of some more linen for the new wards.   If these hospitals were run under some national scheme there would be no need for such things.   Our recreation room is full of different stalls and our lounge is a cafe – such is life. I had a move last Wednesday to Ward 2A which is a women’s surgical ward.   Laughton and Bunny are on the same ward.   I don’t suppose I shall go on night duty yet for a while.    I shall go home for my day off.   I cannot get Sunday off but might get a Saturday.   Now far away from home is Norfolk and could you get for 48 hours? I went to the flicks last night to see “Bed-Time Story”.   It was a bit silly in