To this Mr. Gibbs offered the following reply:—
Deer Sir,—i thought being a friend of mr Hobson you was a gentleman as wouldn't mind paying a bit extra for something special like this pork which these pigs was by Barnsley Champion III i cant charge less. i dont know who your specialist is but he dont know much about pork the bests the safest. please send ballance and remain
Yours obedient,
Henry Gibbs.
We were still in March and pork had not yet been decontrolled, so I returned the bill again with this brief but incisive note:—
My dear Mr. Gibbs,—I have never met your friend from Barnsley, but am surprised that you haven't come across my specialist, whose address is the Local Food Control Office at Harbury. Would you like to meet him? He is very interested in pigs, also in milk and other things in which you specialise expensively, so you would have lots to talk about, no doubt.
Yours sincerely,
Arthur K. Wilkinson.
The receipt in full, which reached me in reply, was very satisfactory. The pork was delicious.
Country Postman. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, I seem to have lost your postcard; but it only said Muriel thanked you for the parcel, and so did John, and they were both very well and the children are happy and she'll give your message to Margery. That'll be your other daughter, I'm thinkin'?"