Cooper, Ethel – October 1916
1.10.16
My dear Emmie,
The weeks slip by somehow. I have practised a bit, had a lesson from Telemarque, helped Frau Jaeger move house for the third time in these two years, and slept there for a night, as new cook, an excellent but very excitable Bavarian, went rather mad. I have never seen such a display of nerves, temper and language. I increased my knowledge of the German gutter language in a very unexpected and undesired way!…
Mr Doughty sent me a lot of home papers a few days ago… – all full of good news. But they have made me more homesick than ever – I would give anything I have to be in London…
The winter season in the playhouse has begun, and I am going two or three nights a week…
8.10.16
My dear Emmie.
I am busy dress-making this week… I have had the bourse dyed dark blue and also an old dressing gown, and borrowed a little hand-machine, and made a house-dress out of them – it looks quite nice – at any rate from the Leipzig standpoint of 1916!
We dye, mend and patch our old things now in a way that I don’t think would occur to even the poorest Australian labourer’s wife
15.10.16
My dear Emmie,
Fancy what arrived yesterday! Your Christmas present, after ten months on the way from America! You can imagine how pleased I am. I have your letter saying that I am to buy clothes with it, but if you don’t mind I will buy food for the winter – tinned things…
Appearances have ceased to matter now – I am at this minute in a cut-down and much-taken-in from of Frau Jaeger’s…
22.10.16
My dear Emmie,
This week has been filled with all sorts of invitation. Geese are ready for killing! And each of our six country women bought a goose, and asked me to the feast – these was goose-stew for lunch, goose pate for afternoon tea, roast goose for dinner… Frl Sander is consumed with envy of me – she bought a large piece of smoked whale, and she says it is just beastly but nourishing…
29.10.16
My dear Emmie,
… Most unexpectedly, three pupils appeared this week – I was amazed at the people wanting lessons from the enemy in these times, but I was quite pleased.
On Wednesday I am going to Frau Jaeger for a few days. Her violent-tempered cook is leaving them and she is going to manage with one maid – a new one, who will not come to next week, so I shall sleep there for a few days; it will be a pleasant change…
