Aida's Letter to Darling One: Family Life and Children's Faith

Date: 1942-02-17
Sender: Aida
Recipient: Darling One (Daddy)
Location: Rosemary Cottage, Granville Terrace, Bude Haven, Cornwall
Original scan: 1942-02-17-aida-to-darling-one-family-life-childrens-faith.pdf




---

Summary

Aida writes to her 'Darling One' (Daddy) from Bude Haven, Cornwall, detailing family health issues including her own earache and eye infection, and Penna's cough and earache. She discusses Gillian's intellectual and religious development, including her questions about miracles, Jesus, and even Hitler, and praises Mr. Halliday's influence. Aida also mentions household supplies like soap, financial matters, and plans for Gillian's birthday party. The letter includes a postscript from the following day, updating on Penna's health and confirming a parcel has been sent. A child's drawing and message from Gillian to 'Daddy' are also included, dated Feb 1942.

---

Transcription

Rosemary Cottage,
Granville Terrace,
Bude Haven,
Cornwall.

Feb 17 - 1942.

My own Darling One
Your lovely letter just came - and I've
just posted you some pussy willows - snowdrops
& soap - (have a reserve of about 6 Wright
Coal-tar tablets which I got ages ago for you -)
otherwise I was quite out of soap - But I
don't think we will lack - only must not waste.
Did I congratulate you on Bryan? I must
write to Daisy & Adam too?
Thank you for medical advice - I felt wretched
yesterday - nose & split head ache - No
purulent phlegm all the time - but slept
well till 4 a.m. then woke with earache &
this a.m. my left eye is all bunged up &
now is bloodshot & full of tears all the time
but earache gone & I feel much better than I
have for 10 days - Miss Lloyd is kindly taking
Gillian to school this week - better weather
too cold I think for her to go out so early
- but her dear little mind just longs for
fellowship in her studies - But she amused
me yesterday telling me Miss Chamberlin had
her own arms.
Penna woke yesterday with earache but no
temperature so I rang up D.H. who said

take her temp 3 times a day - let him know if
it goes up - otherwise treat as I did Gillian. He
says Gillian's deafness will be gone in about
a month -
This disjointed letter - have had at least a
dozen interruptions so far since I began !!
Glad you & family are out -
The children are growing up - as I opened
your letter Penna demanded something so
I gave her one of the enclosures - she
held it up & read "With love from Daddy"
you'll have to write to her soon -
Have not been able to go out & look for
present for Gillian - I'm sure I'll find
something she'll like if I can only get out
soon - I promised her a party on
Saturday - and we'll have it if Penna & I are
well enough - if not we'll put it off till
28th but we will have a very special
Birthday tea on Sunday - I've got
some special eats -
So glad you have got a special prayer
book - Her religious development is
quite unique - Theologically she has gone

rather backwards - Has known personally
the indwell Xst for a long time - has shewn
in her Sunday school & evening read up is
meet the historical Xst - Oh of course
she had God the father & Creator nearly 2 yrs
ago in the little book you gave her -
in other words she already has found satisfactory
forms for her. Very real religious
& knows with a very true intuition as well as
experience what Jesus is like - yet she
has heard very few of the stories &
teaching of Jesus - It is all most refreshing
For instance she read of Simon's wife's mother
& her being healed - Mother she said "Did
that really happen? and would he come to
we and heal we like that if I was ill?"
then she said "But I say unto you love
your enemies - this puzzled her tremendously
"But how can you? that can you love
Hitler?"
Thank God for Mr Halliday and all the
hundred questions I hurled at him and
would not be satisfied till I had at a
rate some indication where I might find
the truth - I find no failure in the Gospel
as interpreted & we by Mr Halliday even in
this crisis - the trouble is - well what I

Paul expressed in his cry "Oh wretched man"
that I am etc - the good I see I do not -
so my universe grew great I dreamed
of it a greater "God" - but so great
was that God that he is beyond understanding -
"This is my God - I preach & I deny him -
I am not all a loss to answer Gillian's
questions - but in answering them I will
condemn myself let alone the Church &
the average Xstian - Still Gillian seems
quite capable of taking into her own hands
any priesthood the family may need - In
her the "inner light" shines brightly - so I
feel quite confident about her as she
will get truly to the heart of things and
does not need any dimmer light.
I did read that K.G. article - most amusing -
[unclear: in Digital/detail]
Will deliver school of when next I go out.
Later my eye is simply streaming - I have
just sent Joan & Furness for a lotion - I
remember you got something from him which
you said was very good. I'll send something
in the box of it so that you can read the
formula -
Last week Joan did not make pastry

as none of us felt up to eat pastry so
now I have an extra card ration. I'll
send this to you to make pastry for
[unclear: Grummett] if she comes to see you - I
must try and remember to send you
a slice or two of Xmas Cake to help too -
How interesting about the Kings dog? Was it any
of those in the Princess drawing book?
Money all right so far as I can see - Yes
I remember I can draw up to £25 from
Barclays if necessary - my Chemist bill
will be heavy this month - but even they
won't be too bad - Did I tell you I got
[unclear: Gracehip] syrup & the Children's [unclear]?
you ask if I have blank cheques of Cambridge
Banks - I was going to say "no" of [unclear: Camerat]
but thought I'd look through my drawer to be
sure & there at the bottom an envelope
labelled Blank Cheques Cambridge in your
handwriting with 3 cheques for each bank -
You do take care of us my beloved one -
Daisy your cold isn't quite well yet - but
I guess like ours it is wont - I wonder
whether - glad you can cycle in the love again.
I thought of your fire watch - and while awake
with my ear gone you a little extra thought
I note April 11 of Bude date & AP 13 for firewatch

I understand the difficulty of planning
for summer holidays -
I shall ring up tonight and hope to
have a chat with you -
By the way the miracles - When Gillian's
age I used to say to myself "I wonder
what really happened" - and entered into
arguments at College about them but as
the belief in them in no way affected
my acceptance of Jesus as my Lord - that
being entirely based on his Character
miracles were rather beside the point
and rather a hindrance than a help
Gillian so far has scarcely met with
the idea of the miraculous - I do not
think it is necessary to her faith either
but after all there is the whole pretty
fairy world and Father Xmas etc - there is
no reason why her Child mind should
not enjoy them a bit - I cannot remember
as a Child ever believing in fairies etc - but
I enjoyed the idea of them - One thought
which used to come into my mind was
"Supposing my doll came alive - and the

feeling quite sure this could not happen
yet I could never quite squash the
hope that it might -
Feb 18. It was lovely to talk with you last night
We had a good night - tho' I had to
nurse Penna from when you telephoned till 10pm
when I gave her a second dose of empirin
(the first had been given at 7pm) Penna coughed
a lot this morning - so I suppose she is
going through all the symptoms as we others
have done - She still has no temperature &
no earache this morning - My eye much better
& the other not infected. I think the lotion
Mr Furness sent me was very good but I'll
get the Optrex Ltd of the eye clears up
this a.m. - There is no pain in it.
Do now I'll post your parcel -
Penna asked this morning "Did Daddy like
his pussy willow?" I didn't know she knew
we had sent you any -
All my love - my own Darling one
Aida.

---

People mentioned

- Aida
- Darling One
- Daddy
- Gillian
- Penna
- Miss Lloyd
- Miss Chamberlin
- Bryan
- Daisy
- Adam
- Mr Halliday
- Joan
- Furness
- Simon's wife's mother
- Jesus
- God
- Creator
- Hitler
- Paul

---

Topics

- family health
- children's education
- religious development
- household supplies
- financial matters
- wartime daily life
- letter writing
- miracles
- Bude

---

Uncertain words / phrases

- [unclear: Grummett]
- [unclear: Gracehip]
- [unclear: ?]
- [unclear: Camerat]
- [unclear: in Digital/detail]

---

Archivist notes

- The letter is written on multiple pages, with a postscript dated February 18th, 1942. Pages 8-10 contain children's drawings and a handwritten message from Gillian to 'Daddy,' confirming the recipient's role and the family context. The mention of 'fire watch' on page 5 is a direct reference to wartime duties. The address is clearly visible at the top of the first page.

---

Processing stats

- Input tokens: 3142
- Output tokens: 2633
- Total tokens: 10945
- Estimated cost: $0.001026