“What do you suppose made up my last Christmas mail? A bill from the stores, and a picture postcard from an old nurse. This year there’ll be a letter from you! I have theories about Christmas letters—especially Christmas letters to fellows abroad. Christmas is a time of special kindliness and love; people who are as a rule most reserved and dignified let themselves go, and show what is in their hearts. I’ve a fancy just for once to ‘pittend’ as the children say, and write a real Christmassy letter. A fellow in the regiment—Vincent—is just engaged. He met her when he went to S— for his last leave. Prom his descriptions you would imagine she was another Helen of Troy, but I’m told she’s quite an ordinary nice girl. The airs he gives himself! A fellow might never have been engaged before. After listening to him steadily for two hours on end the other night, I ventured one on my own account.
“‘I wonder,’ I said tentatively, ‘if any girl will ever care enough to be willing to be engaged to me?’
“He ruminated, and sucked his pipe: ‘Well,’ he said slowly, ‘you’re not such a bad old beast!’
“Rather beastly of me all the same to bore you with all this. Forgive me! As Vincent has appointed me his confidant I hear such a lot about the affair that I turned on to it without thinking... The wedding won’t come off for another year. When I’m engaged, I’ll be married sharp!
“Now here’s a subject for discussing in your next letter—Love and marriage! It’s a big bill, and—be discursive, please! You can’t possibly discuss such questions on one sheet. We know, of course, that you are never to many. You are doomed to dry-nurse Martin for life, whether he wants you or no. (Brutal! Sorry, dear!) Things being as they are at the moment, we may premise that I also am doomed to celibacy, but as onlookers see most of the game, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t wag our heads together over the follies of lovers, and expatiate on how much better we should have managed things ourselves.
“There’s no Cranford reason, I suppose, why a young female should not discuss these things with a person of the opposite sex? Even vowed to celibacy as you are, I expect there are moments when you have dreamed dreams, and seen as in a vision the not impossible He.
“Tell me about him, Katrine! I’ve a fancy to hear.
“Now the sort of girl I should choose... But this scrawl is too long already. That must keep for another day.
“Salaams!
“Jim Blair.”