“The Lady Authoress,
“Sending garments, etc.,
“To MESSINA,
“London.”
Another was poor; but had a pair of old ear-rings valued about £2, which she offered to send me for sale if I would apply the money in buying clothes. Some of the parcels contained several hundred things—often newly bought and beautiful—many were accompanied by complete lists of the contents.
Another letter came from a Home, and was signed by a row of Nurses on the Staff, each sending a contribution. A charming lady sent an odd shoe, and explained that the fellow shoe was in the parcel she had sent off the day before! A man sent a coat, and the next day followed the waistcoat which he had just found!
One more practical gentleman sent twenty-four pairs of beautiful new white blankets, done up in sacking; another thoughtful person sent six dozen new hair-brushes.
Numbers of people came to talk to me, shake hands with me, interview me, until I had to beg my friends to say I was engaged and invisible.
A lady brought a parcel and almost refused to leave it without seeing me personally and handing me her half-crown. As she was one of a number, the servant refused, whereupon she insisted on writing a letter, and sat down to slowly compile four sheets for my benefit, while the parlourmaid, who had been dragged from the packing, stood beside her. Luckily, she left the parcel and the two-and-sixpence.
Letters came from the grandest homes, from castles and courts, from vicarages and schools, and from some of the very poorest dwellings, carpenters’ wives and mill hands. They came from remote villages and towns I had never heard of, and many consignments arrived from abroad, the senders having written to large London emporiums and ordered blankets or shirts to be sent for the refugees.
Probably one-third came anonymously, a third more asked for acknowledgment, while others sent money to buy clothes, or for me to use at my discretion.
“Please prepay the carriage, dear friends.” Innocent enough words—but oh, the result of them almost swamped me—nearly nine hundred postal orders, mostly for sixpence, was the result. They came in letters, they came pinned to garments, they turned up anywhere and everywhere, and also stamps; just three, or six, or nine, or a dozen odd stamps, to help to pay carriage or buy clothes.
Roughly, I received about twelve hundred epistles, followed, after it was all over, by several hundred more begging letters from England and Italy. Many of these specified exactly what the writer would like to have: “A green dress, and my waist is 28 inches,” or “A pair of grey flannel trousers, and my height is 5ft. 10in.”