A.A. Laporte Payne letter 18 February 1917

B.E.F.
France

Feb 18. 1917

Dearest,

So many thanks for your delightful letter and the delicious cake, which arrived quite safely. I enjoyed both especially your letter of the 12th. I am so glad to hear that you are better and that the rheumatism is not very troublesome.

So you are going to work on the land. It is very brave of you but don’t make your hands hard and your shoulders round. I should be very angry with you if you did that.

If my letters prevent you doing your work properly I must cease writing mustn’t I? Or at least write formal ones as I used to do. Let me know what you think.

I am sorry to hear that Mrs. Cross is losing her voice or rather was. I hope she is better now. Everyone at H.Q. as got a bad cold at present except me. I suppose it is my turn next.

Next time you write address the envelope 175 Brigade R.F.A. Army Field Artillery, B.E.F., France. That excites your curiosity doesn’t it! But I can’t tell you any more that that by letter.

So you still follow your intellectual pursuits. I am very glad to hear it. I have had no time to read lately. I am sure I shall lose the power to read shortly. Have you read “Mr Britling sees it through” by H.G. Wells. I have a copy which I am going to read sometimes in spare moments. Even if you do read a lot of such things as you are reading it is not necessary for your stockings to get bluer. Blue stockingness is an attitude which I don’t think you will fall into – at least I hope not, I am sure you won’t.

I dreamt about you last night and such a nice dream too I hope the opposites don’t come true as you say there are exceptions I hope to every rule. What an age it seems since I saw you last I am getting quite impatient & irritable because of its length – and I have no hope yet of getting away yet unfortunately.

I am always thinking of something I want to tell you but I can’t write. I must keep a book of notes and go over them when I see you or I am sure to forget when I do see you in the excitement of the moment.

I have got to have lunch early to day as I have to make a long expedition so I must hurry up if I want to send this by to-day’s post.

We shall be on the move again shortly so there is a lot of preparation to be got through. I hate moves.
With all my love & kisses. Ever yours Archie.