Sullivan letter diary, 27 October 1915-9 October 1917 / Eugene Sullivan - Page 57
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[Page 57]
(12th)
Sunday, 20th. February 1915 [16]
Dear Mother/.
The mumps epidemic has now abated and we haven't half as much work, as another eight men and a Corporal have been sent up from Liverpool. Our largest number in the Mumps Compound was forty and now there are only eighteen, but we also have a full complement in the ordinary hospital. The new arrivals from Liverpool are a very decent stamp of young men and one of them has his B.A. degree. The hospital has undergone a considerable straightening up and we now have proper beds and new bedsteads in the Wards in place of the former stretchers, which latter were extremely rickety. Several other badly needed improvements, more especially, about the kitchen, have been made.
A small pup roamed into our tent during the week and we have adopted it as a Mascot. We made it a suit out of the leg of a pair of khaki pants and also a little military cap and it looks very nice in full uniform.
I received your letter, also Life and the Lone Hand and a couple of Local and a Sydney paper all of which were very welcome. I also received a paper from Aunt Kate and would be glad if you would thank her for me. I have been quite overwhelmed by this great influx of literature and as a result have not had time to read more than a few stories from the Lone Hand and glance through the papers.
You need not bother sending any more Sydney papers except in special cases as I can procure them locally the trouble being to find the time to do so.
On account of the disturbances at Liverpool the Military are starting to depopulate the Camp and 500 men are being sent up here. We could very well do without them but, of course, we are not given a choice in the matter. Like their impertinence isn't it? I am enclosing a photo taken with my V.P.K. of myself on an old horse, a great pet, which hangs around the hospital. The bridle is a real work of Art but this horse is so quiet that one can ride it without any bridle at all. With love to all at home and next door.
Eugene.