Michael Billings Collection - Wallet 13 - Part 5 of 11

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take it easy and get your second wind although you may not need it.
A vast kiss and a hug for Richard and for you, little
mother, all the love there is in me,
Micky

2 23 44
AIR MAIL
Mrs. M. Billings
548 Barkers Road
East Hawthorn
Victoria

AUSTRALIAN 
MILITARY FORCES
PASSED BY CENSOR
2543

VX38483 Sgt. M. Billings
Dist Accounts Office
New Guinea. 25. 3. 44

Darling,
Greetings little woman,
and how you be, along the wee
picaninny chile? No more letters
since yours of the 18th but as
that only arrived two days ago, a
chap mustnt be too greedy. Being
Sunday tomorrow and a day of
rest decreed, perhaps the day will
spiced with one of your epistles.
Been most pleasing of late to
read of the complete recovery of
the laddie, another hurdle you
have surmounted in keeping the
first born well in the running
for a happy and healthy childhood.
Good too, that the weaning stage
is on the way out for if the
relaxation from that care is not
soon evident in your own self
there must be a fly in the

2/
ointment some place. Gee, I
laughed at his capers at church,
the old girls Christian forbearance
must have been taxed when he
knocked his Stetson askew. How
flattered I was to be mistaken
for the rev father by him, afraid
I'm hardly the type found in the
pulpit though. What a rip
roaring rascal you've got, how I
love the little blighter.
Too bad, Sweet, your
house search has been fruitfulless
but darling, don't let it take so
much out of you or you will be
a wreck. I know how it must
dampen your spirits to happen on
so many setbacks but with
things so bad, you'll have to
be as full of patience as old Job.
Leave it rest until you hear
from your uncle and maybe
your delvings will be over. Hope

3/
so but, if you crash there, a spell
from the chase will freshen you
up.
Dearie me, what a sad
doleful picture of your face &
form you haunt me with, tch!
tch! That such havoc could
have been wrought on that fair
countenance. Still I agree that
events have not been very conducive
to the preservation of your pristine
glory. Sort of "cause and effect"
result. I expect and that when Richard
can stand on his own feet, your
house has become a reality and
the old man is with you to
love you and appreciate you and
all these things you pursue,
maybe you will feel and look
a sight more sprightly. The fresh
air you're getting is not doing
you the good it should for it's
full of dashing hither full of.

4/
hope and returning defeatedly after
another failure, concerned all
the time about the nipper.
Well as they say "Wouldn't it".
Could I recommend a dozen or
so scalp massages to restore the
glossy and life into your fading
tresses followed by a vigorous
rough and tumble, to be rounded
off by a delicious sparkling
interlude of action and passion.
What do you say. for I am yours
to command in any stunts of
restorative value to you. Eleven
months nearly completed, lass,
so its looming larger now, a
month, two months pass quickly
so keep your pecker up. I hear
that there is a good chance of
getting a break of six months
in the home town so if it's
dinkum, that will be swell.
Maybe the war will be on its 

5.
way out by then as well. Now
the camera does not lie and you
looked a pretty sweet bit of home-
work in the snaps, particularly
that most becoming study seated
on the patio rail. You're the
loveliest thing in my horizon
and beyond so just keep on
with the good work, Sweet,
you'll do me, mate. Let not
wifely cares muck you up
though, will crack it properly
soon but remember worry and
youth soon part company and
it would be a dreadful shame
for you to lose that youthful side.
Not much news from here
as usual. Sallied forth last
night to the pictures, which
turned out a good move. Saw
"First comes Courage" with
Merle Oberon and Brian Aherne.
The war slant was a bit on

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the nose but its hard to get
away from it. Still, we were
entertained by that, the News
and a Micky Mouse, what a
cap. Been very wet this week
and the mud is very thick.
Warming up again now, in fact,
its stinking hot tonight, never
did see such a dratted hole.
Tomorrow, to the beach for a
sun and salt cure from my tinea
which, like the poor is always
with us. Am trying to tee
up those fans but they are
a rarity in these parts. The
native women weave them, I
believe so have chatted a "boong"
who will try for them at his
village. A rare event, today.
A wedding here but getting
married here in wartime would
not be my pigeon. Looks all
right from a distance but