Item 02: Arthur Henson Smith letters, 8 January 1917-19 August 1919 - Page 4
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[Page 4]
France 8-1-17
My dear Pater
Only yesterday I was complaining in a letter to the Mater that I had no word of you for some time & today your letter of 14th Nov comes to hand. No doubt your last letter to me went down in the 'Arabic', so accounting for the space between your letters. However, I take back all I said in the Mater's letter & thank you muchly for this breezy letter which is quite cheery & interesting. I enjoy your letters immensely.
You don't mean to tell me that I went to such disrespectful extent that I addressed my austere parent as Sam Smith Esq & referred to you in the body of my letter as "old Bird". Surely that was very remiss of me. But honest old chap Ive been away so long now that I'm almost forgetting that you are my Pater & I am beginning to look on you as an elder brother. Soon I'll have to watch myself lest I start a letter to you "dear Sam". Please forgive the rudeness in that offending letter under my promise to strive to be more circumspect in my future screeds to you.
Thank you for messages from Mr Garrard, Steven Clarke & others.
You mention an incident whilst you were at your hotel at Swan Hill. You noticed, looking out of the window, a car about to start for Balranald in which was a young fellow reading the paper. You say the incident took you back a couple of years to the trip I made in that direction. Its