Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 6 - Part 9 of 14

23. 2. 43
Darling Kay.
With the usual salutation, a start
is made on today's chronicle of a man and his
wife.  Firstly, my thanks for yours of the 19th to
hand today written on your return from Kath. 
& this postie only to be disappointed in your
expectation of a letter.  Dunno why there's been
such a gap as the longest time between my letters
has been two days.  I suppose its like here as
now and again a span of three days occurs
between arrivals and then two or three come
in together.  I hope you have a result like
that.  I must warn you that this letter promises
to be a sorry affair as I've had a hard day
and feel a bit frazzled and my customary
verbosity is suffering an eclipse.  The cause
of my fatigue is just a case of slogging, boring
work and you know the result of that on a
Sensitive, imaginative chap like me.  (Bum!)
Its great to learn that the
son and heir shows a development, maybe when
his teeth grow more, he'll start biting you as
well as kicking you. Cheerful thought.

2/
Your outings with your Brisbane cronies, Gwen and
Elaine should be productive of much gossip,
particularly o with Gwen on that absorbing
topic of pre-natal influences etc..  Its nice to
know you can get around a bit and I hope you
will feel up to it all the while until the
wee bairn makes his bow.  Stiff luck, pet,
about your 'suntan', you are fated never to be
a sunkissed goddess, it seems.  Stue, your mug
is brown and the cause is honorable and
well deserved and not the product of  indolent
repose on the beach.
By the way, I have jotted down
your instructions in the event of your departure
to the pearly gates but don't expect to dish out
the trinkets for a long while yet.  One name I
don't recollect seeing and in your list; Aunt Adas.
Did you overlook her or what have you.  If you
have expectations of wealth coming your way
at a future date, I think you would be well
advised to draw a will, bequeathing your cash,
goods and chattels specifically to those you
desire.  As far as my knowledge of the
legislation concerning this matter serves me,

3/
the estate of deceased a person not making a will, viz
an intestate, devolves solely to your next of kin,
in the your case your husband.  If there are
children it is divided equally between husband
and children.  I wouldn't swear to that but
you can chew on the matter but don't do anything
definite without letting me know.
Well old pal, that's all
the prattle I can muster today.  very
poor sort of a screed I well know.  But
the thoughts and words just fail to show
up so there you are.  Ta-ta, precious and
shall try to improve the Standard
tomorrow.  The depth of my love is not one
whit diminished however and you have it
all, lock stock and barrel.  Happy
dreams and God bless you.
Micky

Mrs. M. Billings    23. 2 43
548 Barkers Road
East Hawthorn
Victoria 

PR00610
Australian
War Memorial

26. 2. 43
Darling Kay,
A trifle guiltily I take up the pen
as the letter I intended to send yesterday had
to suffer eclipse.  However, my conscience is eased
by the knowledge that the lapse was due to
the exigencies of the service which form covers a
multitude of sins.  I was sent away on a job in
the morning and did not get back till nightfall.
Damn hard yakker it was too and I was aching
all over when we called up it a day not to
mention a goodly cluster of blisters on the lily white
dooks.  Today was a much easier day, praise be,
as I paid the dentist a visit this morning and
the bulk of the day's work was done when I
returned.  So that's that.
Since my last letters I have
had your letters No. 8 & 9 for which I say nice
things to you, bundle.  Also the parcel has duly
been delivered so thats very good too.  I'm gratified
that the mail is being kind to you too.  It is
beaut to hear you progress sweetly towards the
climax of your exertions and efforts and I'm all agog
to hear of the progress of young Richard and
the effects thereon upon poor Kathie.  My words
you have made his wardrobe assume

2/    
generous proportions in a very short time.  You
are taking a marvelous interest in everything
connected with the little chap and you need not
tell me how much you're looking forward to his
premiere and how thrilled you'll be when
the tiny warm atom is lying in your arms.
I am fully sensible, sweet, of the ordeal you
have to go through and shan't dream of asking
you to repeat it for a long time again.  Too
frequent pregnancies take a heavy toll of a
woman both physically and mentally and you're
far too precious to me to take any risks with.
We will have a child a little more than a
year after our marriage and that's making
very good headway in the building up of a
family.  We shall have to be prudent in our
sexual relations so that our desires in regard
to children can be met.  You really shouldn't
set so much store on the grim forecasts of the
horrors that will stalk you when your confinement
begins or you'll finish up quaking with fright
which really won't help either of you.  Certainly
you'll have a few bad moments as you've had up
to now but don't get a distorted picture or it
will be a lot worse than it really is.

3/
No one is hoping more than me that I shall
be able to get along to give what help I can
but I think it foolish for either of us to count
too much on it.  The rumors I referred to the
other day persist and there may be fire where
there's smoke.  Of course, if we are still here,
its a good bet I shall be kicking around at
the right time but you know how it is in
this outfit, snug one day and on the road
the next, bound for god knows where. One
can but hope and pray that we get a break
at the right moment.
I had a letter from Mum
Yesterday too telling me of the happenings down
there and the dear old soul slipped in a
canteen order for a dollar.  I'm never very
certain that she can afford to go to sending me
money but you know what she is like.  Anyhow
it's very acceptable and quite unashamedly I
admit I shall blow it on beer and tobacco.
Too right I notice a difference in my finances
now, no more the days when I airily sent
to Melbourne for another fiver.  Still, those
days were beyond price and I manage very
well now with the use of prudence. 

4/
Your letter of the 22nd gave the infant a
great build up, if you're such great cronies
now, how do you reckon you'll be when he
can be seen as well as felt, to say nothing
of heard.  Now that letter reads just like you
at your best and I don't think you ever
Said a truer word when you opined he'd
be a healthy young Aussie.  Why not, his
ma is a robust, strong type, the best
we produce and its pennies to pounds,
you'll take the whole business in your 
stride and show the critics just how good 
you really are.
Well. Mummy, I seem to
have been up a few trees but I hope
this reads intelligibly to you.  With that
pious wish, I shall prepare to go
down on the back to go dreamin of
thee.  Cheerio, sport and need I say
I love you terrifically and when
I see you will kiss you and bite your
ear.  Ta-Ta
Micky

PROO610
Australian
War Memorial

Mrs M. Billings
548 Barkers Road
East Hawthorn
Victoria