17th January 1917
My
dearest Mildred,
I
know it has been an age since I last wrote you. Hesitance has stayed my hand. I
feared your rejection should I write to you again. I know we did not part on kind words and I
wish to take back all the evil that spilled from my mouth that day.
I
did not mean it when I said that I wanted you to die of gangrenous and septic
wounds. I was deeply hurt when I found you kissing my brother. You know that
his wife is very poorly and he is a weak man, prone to indiscretions. He is
easily swayed by the soft words of young ladies. I know in my heart that your
actions were not malicious, but please do not use him to boost your self-worth
and to make me jealous.
My
father also wrote to me to say that you have become distressingly independent
since I have been away. He says that the people that you have been associating
with are not the most desirable of sort. Apparently some of them might be
communists. Now, I am not one to say who you can cannot consort with but, I
think it might be a bit much to consort with the type of people who would have
us lay down our guns and surrender to the Bosch. These people would have us
stripped of all our rights and be slaves in our own homes. I know they are your
friends, but please be careful about who you are seen with. The MP’s are not
discriminating in who they arrest for unsavoury activities.
I
am sorry; I did not mean to write to you and to preach at you the whole while.
I worry that, without me there, trouble will come knocking at your door and
take you away from me. Life is hard, here in the trenches, and you are the
shining light that calls me home. You are my beacon. You guide me away from
despair and show me that there is hope waiting for me.
Thoughts
of you keep me sane, my dearest Mildred. Wait for me, my sweet one, for I will
be home soon.
Yrs. in loving tenderness
Teddy
