Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Title
Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine
Description
Writes that she was glad to finally get a letter from him and that his second trip was safely done and now only 28 more to go. Continues with news of visitor and other activities. Writes that daughter Frances has had a number of cards with savings stamps for her birthday and of plans for birthday cake and party. Mentions she is sending him a birthday parcel and giving him encouragement over his fears and talks of prayer and faith. Continues with domestic matters and other news of friend who has not done first trip on Halifax. Comments on difference of opinion he has had with his pilot.
Creator
Date
1942-04-11
Temporal Coverage
Language
Format
Six page handwriotten letter
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
EValentineUMValentineJRM420411
Transcription
No 8 Saturday April 11th (memorable date!)
My darling husband, I was so thankful to get your letter No. 6 of the 9th, as there had been none for 2 days. I had invented all sorts of reasons & explanations for myself, but none that quite put my mind at rest. Thank goodness that the second trip is safely done, now there are only 28 more! Vera has just left, after lunch. She arrived about 10 pm, as her train was 1 ½ hours late, & we sat talking & having supper till nearly midnight. Today we had a large late breakfast & an early lunch so that she could catch her train, so that it seems we have done nothing but eat! She is looking very well
[page break]
2.
& cheerful – she says it is a bit inconvenient having a baby now, but she & Norman are very pleased about it. Incidentally she said Norman remarked that he'd rather sleep with you than any other man as you don't snore or come in late or show any other unpleasant habits!
Frances has had quite a number of cards for her birthday, from Grandma, Muriel & Robert, Ann (with 1/- in saving stamps) and Bish (who calls himself her Godpop!) with 2/6 saving stamp. Her only present was concocted of cotton reels painted bright colours & put inside a transparent celluloid wool holder, but this was a great success. She is going to have her own birthday cake for tea! Tomorrow Mary Simmonds is bringing young David to tea, so perhaps that will be fun for her.
[page break]
3.
I am sending off your birthday parcel today, by registered post. If it arrives early you may as well open it because there's one thing in it you say you want.
Your letter made me rather sad, Johnny dear. I had hoped that we had more or less laid your “bogey” for you, but it seems more active than ever. However that's no reason for giving up hope & wallowing in it – rather the reverse. The same applies to praying surely. It's no good deciding when you get into bed that you won't pray because you're sure to sin afterwards, but rather to pray all the more to help you to conquer it. Please darling don't give in so easily. Keep on praying, turn your mind resolutely to more savoury subjects. You know that grand advice of Paul's “Whatsoever
[page break]
4.
things are true, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there by any virtue & if there be any praise [underlined] think on these things”. [/underlined] It has always been one of my favourite mottoes. You say your approach to Christianity would be facilitated if you could overcome your temptation first. Surely that's the wrong way round. Christ said he didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance & that's one of the most fundamental things about Christianity. It is just in things like that that Christ can help if you'll let him. Darling it rather spoils my expectation of eternal life if you are not to be there, so please please don't give up so easily! By the way why not try getting up out of bed when the fatal train of thought starts & breaking it forcibly like that? I don't know but it might help.
[page break]
5.
I'm sorry to write such a long lecture, but I do care so much for your happiness & peace of mind, & would do anything in the world if I could help you.
It looks as though Florence is going to desert me. She has written excusing herself for another week & says vaguely that she doesn't think she'll be able to take on so much again & her relations don't want her to & so on, so it looks as tho' I've had it. I must try to get someone else but I haven't much hope. As for the paint in the bathroom Ba & I are going to repaint it at the next opportunity, & also the nursery paint.
[page break]
6.
The seeds are not through yet, but it hasn't been too hot so there's no cause for alarm for another week at least..
Norman hasn't done his first trip even yet. Apparently those Halifaxes aren't all jam, they take a lot of lifting off & putting down. You are probably well off where you are. Sorry to hear you have differences of opinion with your pilot. I can imagine that there's considerable nervous strain & tension, still it's very important that you should understand each other in an emergency.
Do you remember Marnie & Binn Chase who came to dinner here long ages ago, architects both? We've heard via India that they are having & have had a baby too. Must return to work now.
All my love & good wishes to you my darling, Ursula
My darling husband, I was so thankful to get your letter No. 6 of the 9th, as there had been none for 2 days. I had invented all sorts of reasons & explanations for myself, but none that quite put my mind at rest. Thank goodness that the second trip is safely done, now there are only 28 more! Vera has just left, after lunch. She arrived about 10 pm, as her train was 1 ½ hours late, & we sat talking & having supper till nearly midnight. Today we had a large late breakfast & an early lunch so that she could catch her train, so that it seems we have done nothing but eat! She is looking very well
[page break]
2.
& cheerful – she says it is a bit inconvenient having a baby now, but she & Norman are very pleased about it. Incidentally she said Norman remarked that he'd rather sleep with you than any other man as you don't snore or come in late or show any other unpleasant habits!
Frances has had quite a number of cards for her birthday, from Grandma, Muriel & Robert, Ann (with 1/- in saving stamps) and Bish (who calls himself her Godpop!) with 2/6 saving stamp. Her only present was concocted of cotton reels painted bright colours & put inside a transparent celluloid wool holder, but this was a great success. She is going to have her own birthday cake for tea! Tomorrow Mary Simmonds is bringing young David to tea, so perhaps that will be fun for her.
[page break]
3.
I am sending off your birthday parcel today, by registered post. If it arrives early you may as well open it because there's one thing in it you say you want.
Your letter made me rather sad, Johnny dear. I had hoped that we had more or less laid your “bogey” for you, but it seems more active than ever. However that's no reason for giving up hope & wallowing in it – rather the reverse. The same applies to praying surely. It's no good deciding when you get into bed that you won't pray because you're sure to sin afterwards, but rather to pray all the more to help you to conquer it. Please darling don't give in so easily. Keep on praying, turn your mind resolutely to more savoury subjects. You know that grand advice of Paul's “Whatsoever
[page break]
4.
things are true, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there by any virtue & if there be any praise [underlined] think on these things”. [/underlined] It has always been one of my favourite mottoes. You say your approach to Christianity would be facilitated if you could overcome your temptation first. Surely that's the wrong way round. Christ said he didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance & that's one of the most fundamental things about Christianity. It is just in things like that that Christ can help if you'll let him. Darling it rather spoils my expectation of eternal life if you are not to be there, so please please don't give up so easily! By the way why not try getting up out of bed when the fatal train of thought starts & breaking it forcibly like that? I don't know but it might help.
[page break]
5.
I'm sorry to write such a long lecture, but I do care so much for your happiness & peace of mind, & would do anything in the world if I could help you.
It looks as though Florence is going to desert me. She has written excusing herself for another week & says vaguely that she doesn't think she'll be able to take on so much again & her relations don't want her to & so on, so it looks as tho' I've had it. I must try to get someone else but I haven't much hope. As for the paint in the bathroom Ba & I are going to repaint it at the next opportunity, & also the nursery paint.
[page break]
6.
The seeds are not through yet, but it hasn't been too hot so there's no cause for alarm for another week at least..
Norman hasn't done his first trip even yet. Apparently those Halifaxes aren't all jam, they take a lot of lifting off & putting down. You are probably well off where you are. Sorry to hear you have differences of opinion with your pilot. I can imagine that there's considerable nervous strain & tension, still it's very important that you should understand each other in an emergency.
Do you remember Marnie & Binn Chase who came to dinner here long ages ago, architects both? We've heard via India that they are having & have had a baby too. Must return to work now.
All my love & good wishes to you my darling, Ursula
Collection
Citation
Ursula Valentine, “Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 25, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/19865.
Item Relations
This item has no relations.