Cooper, Ethel – June 1916
4.6.16
My dear Emmie,
We were thunderstruck on Friday morning by the news of the sea-fight of Horn’s Riff [Jutland] – I don’t believe the German official reports – not for a minute – and I know that they have lost much more heavily than they acknowledge… But from the Admiralty report we have lost heavily in ships…
Sandor came back last Monday, looking SO well, and simply off his head at being back again. He and Emil Telmanyi have had unbelievable luck.
I think I told you that they had altogether passed in M25,000 for the Red Cross, and finally the regiment passed in an appeal to the Ministry to have them relieved from service so as to be able to co on with the concert work for the Red Cross purposes!…
11.6.16
My dear Emmie,
Troubles never come singly, but we are having too many of them just now – the Irish Rebellion and the Skager Rak [Jutland] battle were enough without losing Lord Kitchener three days later. We have been as depressed this week as if we had lost a personal friend…
Sandor … is out to supper tonight, and I am just back from a jolly day and evening – the Jaegers drove me out to the golf links… Prince Henry XXXVI of Reuss was there, but no other Germans, and one could talk English without being insulted, and we had strong tea and toast, and it was altogether most homelike…
It is SO cold – I have had fires everyone for the last few days, and it rains and hails and thunders by turns…
18.6.16
My dear Emmie,
I am getting rather worried about money – I have had none since Jeannie sent me £20 in December… Certain things like rent and taxes CAN’T be economised, and living is SO expensive… There are rows and fights and arrests in the market every day, for the people are furious at discovering that potatoes were sent away to Switzerland last month. The famous organisation has failed lamentably as soon as it had to be applied not to military but to social questions…
25.6.16
My dear Emmie,
…Since Sandor has been away, I have been helping a pupil of his, and this week we were asked to support there. Among the guests was the director of the Playhouse, and when we said goodbye, he produced a pass for the theatre which admits two people to any performance at any time… The luxuries of life are getting cheat, but the necessities are very difficult to obtain. One or twice in the week we take a tram as far as it goes and them walk out for four or five miles – there in the villages you can often get a supper of eggs and cheese in a little inn and this week we even found some sausage – the first I had seen for months…
