79 - Prellbock, 9 September 1915

Prellbock, 9 September 1915

[Thursday]

Dear family,

I received mother’s and Else’s letter of the 1^st, father’s letter of the 2^nd and mother’s letter of the 5^th with photographs etc. Then I also got parcels no. 306, 309, 310, 312, 313. Many thanks for eveything.

I relay to Hanne my fullest appreciation of the Küchen, and request more.

Firt Else’s letter, which brought me great joy. Your hour-schedule, which I find very intersting, I find very practical, more so because if you schedule a half hour each day for writing letters, writing just one letter gives you joy for weeks. But I find playing the piano for one hour a day very commendable.

I think Else feels herself back at the guesthouse with this schedule [Did she work there previously?]

Furthermore I noticed that Else has changed a little since she got engaged. I can fully imagine that Helene does not want to go for a walk with those two. I wouldn’t do that myself either, even if I they try to tempt me by promising me the sofa all to myself for the whole afternoon.  

There’s not much to reply to in father’s letter. I’ll write to Paul in the next few days, to thank him for all his work, and also to tell him that in future I won’t be photographing so many strangers anymore. Then he doesn’t need to print such a mass of photos. The men here are all véry happy with their photographs, so it sure is worth all the effort.

The weather was pretty bad here too, but it has cleared up now.

And there’s even less in mother’s letter. I’m sure her trip through town has done her well, but really she should have taken father by the arm. If father does not want to go on holidays for sdome time, then you two should go for a 2-hour walk at least, every day. Longer if possible of course.

And have a coffee somewhere, the landlord also needs to earn something. What would father say if people cancel all their orders for ice, because of the war? You see I won’t be bullied around.

But it’s the least father can do. So 2-3 hours every day. You’ll see: once you start you can’t stop. And all that exercise would also be good for Stropp [the family dog].

Not much news from here. Tommy still behaves well, because mother likes to hear that.

By the way they now reply when you call them. We call “Tommy” and they reply with “Fritz”, but also “Saupreusse” [Prussian swines] and the like. There are a few amongst them who speak very good German.

Last night the following conversation:

-Tommy!

-Hallo Fritz, haben Sie gut geschlafen? (Very gentleman-like of them to address us with "Sie” [= you, formal] where we barbarians just address them with “Du” [= you, informal] without even thinking about it)

-Thank you Tommy, very well. You speak excellent German, where did you learn that?

-I learned it in Germany.

-Where have you been in Germany?

-Cologne, Berlin and Oberammergau in Bavaria.

-Well Tommy, come overhere, then we’ll go to Cologne together to get a glass of beer.

-Yes, but then you’ll start to shoot! But the German beer is excellent.

I called two others over in English, and they got really close. They wanted to get some cigarettes. They would of course have gotten them, those little pointy ones [=bullets], if only I could have seen where those brothers were. I find that really impertinent.

That’s all I’ve got to write. Please send me some money quickly, but not registered. Hopefully I’m not getting too expensive for you. Tomorrow we’re going into rest in Douvrin. I don’t have any further wishes. Please keep on sending the parcels as before, then I won’t be in need of anything.

With many warm greetings

Your Fritz

PS: Offizierstellvertreter Scheffel will be visiting you on Sunday or Monday. 

The original letter: