Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 12 - Part 8 of 16

5/

The bush fires sounded very
menacing again this year with
a ton of damage & big loss of life.
Those juicy peaches you spoke of
made my mouth water, I love
'em both fresh & stewed. I've
had more than enough of the
tinned variety I can tell you
but I never go for anything tinned
if the fresh variety is about.
If you dish me up anything out
of a tin, it will constitute grounds
for divorce. What they can't put
into a tin nowadays and the
best of the flavor is all lost. As
for dehydrated spuds & meat,
the names we have for those
delicacies are the acme of
obscenity. Onward with the
vegetable garden, it sounds like

6/

the Garden of Eden to this famished
soul.
I'm glad you have given
up the idea of the Shirley Temple
effect on the lad's pate. From
your accounts of his homely cast
of countenance, it wouldn't seem
to fit. If it had been natural
like yours it would have been
swell. Still I'd much rather he
had personality than good looks.
I didn't think you would
enthuse over the snap of me, but
I suppose the lack of many things
is beginning to tell its tale and
when that joyous day comes along
I think I shall look presentable
once again. The first thing that
struck me when I got it was the
th resemblance to young John. Odd

7/

that you did not comment on it.
I'm really not very thin except
in the face. You now have found
out the reason why the Diggers
have hatchet faces. It's for want
of a good feed. However I feel
that my weight is rather artificially
maintained. Due more to lack
of exercise and eating of starchy
and fattening stuff like bread
& chocolate. The principle
of 'fattening without filling."
Well, it won't be so long now
until my your honorable
dwelling is graced by my presence
so your romantic, motherly and
housewifely inclinations will
be put to the test. One thing
against which I'm holding my
own is the skin troubles. The

8/

bald patches have disappeared
and the rash although ever
present is under control. The
Mycorsol proved very efficient
in reducing the irritation but
no better than Iodex, my
old favorite. A visit to the
beach a couple of times a week
is very beneficial, the chance
to get out of sweaty clothes and
soak up the strong sunshine
is a great boon and keeps the
muscles a bit firm and the
famous torso a bit tanned.
I'm now looking forward to
getting your next batch of snaps
both of you and the bairn
but particularly of you for
in the earlier ones, you took a
very back seat and I do long

9/

to see you how are weathering war's
tempests. It looks as though
you will have to draw up a pram
pushing roster when I come down
for I just love strutting along
taking a kiddy and when its my
own son, I'll be very lordly.
I don't want to deprive Bill of
his jaunt though. The little
darlint has brought a lot of joy
to many people hasn't he?
Marvellous creatures, babies!
The business about the suite was
a blow, I suppose you were set
back quite apace. In my opinion,
it would be a bad business to
get one of those Austerity affairs
unless its absolutely necessary. Your
frank description of it affronted
what fastidiousness I have left

10/

and £49 for such an abortion.
To be quite candid, I don't think
we could afford such a sum for
that unless you've won Tatts in
my absence. After reading what
you say, I'm all against it, sweet,
but being out of touch with things,
I hardly felt justified in casting
a definite vote so will have to
throw the decision back on you.
I will say, that, unless you have
good grounds for believing you can
get a place, it seems folly to
buy such an article at such a
price.
Well ten pages is about all I
can cram into the envelope so
will toddle now. Keep smiling
sport and kiss R. B from Daddy.
With all my love Micky (Shooty)  

tmHill

AIR MAIL
AUSTRALIAN
MILITARY FORCES
PASSED BY CENSOR
2543 

tmHill

27.1.44

Mrs. M. Billings
548 Barker's Road
East Hawthorn
Victoria

VX38483 Sgt. M Billings
Dist. Accounts Office
New Guinea 30.1.44

Darling Kay,
Most pleasing, for
after reporting the arrival of your
two letters, that of 21st blew in
later so three in two days was a
fine bag. I hope you have fared
as well too, for our mutual
mail results were pitiful for
awhile. The news from you too
was brighter all round with
Mum stopped grizzling and young
Richard back to robust health
and fired with the ambition to
get around a bit. I bet you're
not averse to him hoeing into
the exercise if it makes him go
off to sleep nice and early.

2/

By this, you will have my sage words
concerning your furniture project,
which I hope interests you. The
latest proposition sounds a bit
more attractive but sounds very.
tentative what with labor shortage,
etc. Your meaning, darling though
is not quite clear for you conclude
by saying 'hope you approve of
what I've done'. So how about
letting me in on just what you
have done. As regards the prospects
of getting anything decent in that
time, it seems to be a matter of
hard choice between austerity
junk or a Kathleen [[Mavourneen?]]
luxury type. Just for future
reference and as a guide in
budgeting, you might cudgel the
brains contained in that curly nut

3/

of yours and roughly work out the
cost of furnishing and fitting out
a house to suit our requirements.
Then divide the list into two,
one for primary necessities and
the others for things we will
require but are not urgent.
It would be scrumptuous if
we could cotton on to a furnished
flat but after reading & hearing of
appalling d shortages, forgive me
if my tone is rather sceptical
or have you a trump up your
sleeve? Sure I'd like to meet
your friends, the Holmes', sound
like very nice people. The promised
co-operation by different folks in
keeping a weather eye on Richard
while we step out will be very
welcome for we shall want to