Deal’s Hotel
East London
(Wednesday) 14 August 1912
my darling Sweetheart
I arrived here this morning & am filling in a few minutes before dinner. Where did I leave off in my last letter? I think it was King wasn’t it? I am almost certain it was & will resume the tale from that place.
I didn’t have my day off as I expected but didn’t complain as I got a nice order. I left there on Friday morning & on the station I met a man who was travelling on the same route as far as Cathcart. We became very friendly & at Blaney(?) where we changed we saw another chap who knew my newly found pal. The three of us therefore travelled together & didn’t we make things hum. If ever a man missed his vocation in life it was Highman. He really ought to have been on the halls. He mimiced every person of note who is on the music hall & he simply had us in a road of laughter all the journey. The other man Marcus is a very nice little chap & as he is full of fun you can imagine as best you can what a row there was. Of course me being of a serious nature, I tried to keep him in check to a certain extent. We lunched & dined together & made pals of all the train attendants. Consequently we were well looked after.
The scenery was magnificent & I quite enjoyed it. The hills are really terrific & it is a wonderful engineering feat to run a train over the mountains as they have done. Eventually I arrived at Queenstown about 7.30 after 10 hours travelling feeling dirty & filthy. When we got to the hotel the place was absolutely packed out & it was doubtful whether they could put us up unless two of us slept in one room. Highman didn’t mind, neither did I, so for one night we occupied the same room. In the morning I busied myself in making my samples ready for show & called on the two customers I had gone specially to Queen to see. They both told me to call on Tuesday. In the afternoon I helped Highman to find his bag which was lost. We hunted here & we hunted there & telegraphed & telephoned all over the place & we couldn’t trace it anywhere. At night we met Marcus who came along from Cathcart & went to the picture show. Apropos, in every picture show I have seen the thought always strikes me what pleasant Saturday afternoons I have spent in a picture palace in Market St. Did you by any chance ever go there. ‘nough said. Taken on the whole the show was fairly respectable although some of the audience did present empty chocolate boxes & violets & cigars to the two artists. After the show we all retired to the room behind the bar & some weird & wonderful tales were told. I got to bed at twelve & stopped in bet till dinner time on Sunday. (Highman spent Sunday looking for his bag). Sunday afternoon I stayed in the Commercial room sleeping & reading & just before tea went for a walk to the scene of some of the fighting during the war & saw a blockhouse. Do you know there is a reservoir capable of holding 80 million gallons of water for that small town of 1,000 inhabitants. Fancy almost as much as Manchester waterworks hold. Naturally in the dryest of summers there is always plenty of water for them. At night I went to church & got to bed by nine o’clock. Now I will go & dine & resume this epistle to my darling later.
On Monday I called on my two customers again & one fixed Tuesday at 2-0 o’clock & the other was away ill with bronchitis. There was nothing else to do except go & sit in the library & read old volumes of Punch. Highman found his bag on Monday morning at the Police station. I advised him to go there on Saturday but he wouldn’t. We saw him off on Monday night & then we got lost. There isn’t a light in the town at night. They haven’t got either gas or electricity & no shop is open after six. As there was no moon it was as dark as Erebus & no wonder we got lost. Eventually we found ourselves again & went to the Bioscope.
Tuesday morning we had a dust storm. Everywhere you went you got dust. In your eyes ears mouth on your food – in fact everywhere. My samples were a perfect picture. I called round to see my other customer who was sick & as he had not turned up at business I got his private address & went to beard him in his den. Of course I know it was cheeky but I couldn't afford to waste another day there as someone wanted me to come home. He received me nicely & consented to see a few special lines at 2.30. Of course I was late but only an hour and a half but he was rather annoyed & told me my samples were no blanky good. I agreed with him & said they were rotten. The maid brought afternoon tea in & he couldn’t do anything else but ask me to join him which I did. Our conversation was the funniest thing you ever heard. It will take too long to detail it now but I will tell you about it when I get home. After me fairly telling the tale he booked 100 pcs & I went on my way rejoicing & sat in my sample room & laughed. I retailed the joke to Marcus later & he called me the cheekiest fellow he had come across. I repudiated the idea & told him it "vas only bizness". I had just an hour & 20 minutes left to pack up & get my baggage to the station for the night train. I hustled into it & lost about 10 pounds in weight (more or less) but I finished it & got the trunks off to the station. I left by the 9.40 train & travelled with another chap & after conversing for an hour or so we turned in. I slept badly so had a cup of coffee this morning about six thirty & watched the sun rise. I never saw anything like it in my life. You have no idea of the grandeur & magnificence. I was awestruck & watched it for 40 minutes until we arrived here at 7.30. After a bath shave & complete change I felt fit. I laid my samples out & trotted round to see my customers & got a rotten reception. You have to swallow your pride & stand all kinds of nasty remarks & you dar’nt say anything except in one or two cases. Nevertheless I persevered & got promises from three men to see me. At night I wrote the three preceeding pages & went to the bioscope with another pal.
Yesterday I was busy all morning & up to four o’clock in the afternoon. Then I went to see Barbour the chap I met at King. He took me through the park & then on to the river. It is a charming little river & reminded me of Chester very much. We had dinner together & afterwards he took me home with him where I spent a most enjoyable evening inculcating suffrage into them. All six of the family were "antis" but I gave them food for thought I think.
Today I have been very busy & have another man coming in at five o’clock. I was determined I would get out of here by Saturday’s boat but it has been an awful rush. Tonight I shall be very busy packing & I have my home & business letters to write.
Now to your letter which I have already read six times. Do you know Dolly it seems to me from the tone of your letter there is something you want to tell me but you don’t want to worry me or something like that. Sweetheart you know quite well your troubles are mine. What is it dearest? This letter is the sweetest I have had from you & I really do wish you were with me. I had a dream last night & you were leaning over me & then you put your arms round me & I had such a pleasant hour. I would give almost anything to just have one kiss only. If it hadn’t been that I loved you so much I might have been tempted to go the pace with the other men but the knowledge that you would disapprove of it has kept me absolutely as straight as a die. I always ask myself when a man says "come on lets go so & so" whether you would like it & if you wouldn’t – well – theres an end to it. & vice versa. I can come to you & look you straight in the face & say everything is square & above board & really sweetheart it is all because I love you so much. Why you should be proud of me I know not. I am only an ordinary mortal & no different to anyone else.
Your holiday I suppose was interrupted by the election. It is a bally nuisance. You will try & get another week or so later wont you. I don’t just remember the exact particulars about the CHA job but always remember please darling that I want you next year on Saturday & Sunday. Am pleased to hear that your mother has been reappointed. That will relieve your mind to a certain extent.
The brooch joke is good. I am as certain in my own mind that your mother expects you to marry me & I am willing to bet you £100 to £1 that she will not express surprise when we tell her. Auntie has made a pretty shrewd guess as to the state of things hasn’t she. I will write your mother & ask her to send me a letter of introduction to Uncle Alfred. Shall I tell him anything? It is strange that you should disclose your innermost thoughts & I should do the same almost at the same time isn’t it. Sweetheart your married life shall be one long day of unalloyed happiness & I wish with all my heart that it will be soon. We both have our duty & neither of us would feel happy if those duties were thrown overboard. You have no idea how I am hustling things round. It has been one huge rush for the last fortnight but I was determined to clear out of here tomorrow otherwise I should have been stranded for a week. It is simply you that makes me hurry. E. London is a nice little place for a holiday & if you hadn’t been pulling my heart strings I certainly would have stayed next week. I have booked 45,000 yds here. Excellent result. 20,000 yds at Queen splendid! Now sweetheart no more till next week.
With my fondest love
Yours for all time
Harry
My cable address is "Harsmith" Capetown. Swanky! Wot! Had it registered as I am receiving a fair number from the firm, & there are two or three Smiths in Capetown.
Finished at 10.45 last night. Now I’m off to Durban 9.30 am & shall arrive there tomorrow afternoon. The sea is rough so expect a lively time. Heaps of love. Harry.