Shards

(My fate discussed and decided in three letters and a telegram. A cast of related characters is at Personal History.)

* I call Mim ‘The Baby Patrol’ for she was clearly on the lookout for infants for Frances. While at that time providing care for war-orphaned infants, Frances had a history of temporary fosters of male infants going back to the 1920s. The majority of these were given up at the onset of childhood. Mim was apparently staff at a Home for orphaned infants of men serving overseas.

550 K.(ensington) Close
Wednesday night,
2 . 2 . 1944

In bed, so please forgive pencil.

      My dear Mrs. Penry. I have just heard from Phyllis H. Richards(1) & hasten to write at once so that I can get the letter off in the morning. A baby boy was born this morning, (a bit soon & he decided to arrive in the ambulance & could not be taken at St. Mary Abbots Hospital where a bed was reserved for a later date - & he is away in the Mile-End London County Council Hospital which was the only one with a vacant bed!!). But from what I hear, he comes from adventurous parents, so he is beginning his career in the recognized way! His father & mother are both of good family but his father is Polish (a very well-known painter in France & Poland & here) & his mother partly French (I think) with her University degrees both in France & England. She was in the W.A.A.F.s(2) doing camouflage work when she met this man. It was a very deep love affair apparently and they are sure that they must have created a genius in their "l'heure exquise". They have been living together but he has got a wife & a child - & they have evidently decided that he must go back to his wife - & that they must give their little fellow to someone else to bring up as their own. The girl was married to rather a hopeless man I understand who left her sometime ago. Mrs. H. Richards says she thinks the little boy ought to be a most interesting person, but I am not sure you would want a child with un-English blood.
      If you feel you would like me to do something in the matter will you be an angel and wire me as soon as you get this, as the mother and Baby have to be moved in 10 days(3) - & I must let them know if we are going to take the babe at the Home - & I will go & see them as soon as she is allowed visitors (probably Monday). Phyllis says the babe is said to be a perfectly formed little thing - & it certainly is a love-baby from very cultured gentlefolk - but it is not English. We will take him & They will pay for him at the Home until you have him - If you want him. Otherwise we will not take him, as he has really no right to occupy one of our cots as his father is not overseas(4). So please dear, tell me how you feel about him. All one can say is that he appears to be a strong healthy little boy - with parents wildly in love with each other, who evidently didn't stop to think that their genius would have to batter his own tiny way through the world. The blood tests etc. will all be carried out as soon as I hear from you - & I will go and see him and his Mummy. But if you think it better to wait - I'll just let them know, and we will go on seeking a brother for our darling David(5). His little snap smiles in my room, and I am dying to see him again. I know he will have bloomed like a big happy sunflower. Bless him. They were so delighted with the snaps - & Phyl was sending them a set to David's other mother. I am getting the smiling one enlarged.
      Forgive more - I am much better - I do hope Hawkwith(6) will soon be better & out of the hospital.
      With much love dear,
      Mim

1. Phyllis H. Richards appears to have been administrative staff at the Mile End London County Council Hospital.
2. Womens' Auxiliary Air Force.
3. Hospital regulations - beds were at a premium.
4. The Home’s regulations.
5. David was evidently another prospect.
6. Probably a mutual acquaintance.

A DARLING BABY STRONG AND HEALTHY WRITING TODAY LOVE - MIM

The second letter is also three pages. It is inscribed on five sides of light blue, unlined, 8"x5", standard weight stationery. A first section, dated later by Frances ‘February 9, 1944,’ is in blue ink. The remainder, written the following day, is in pencil.

      My dear. I am sending you a wire as I want you to know that Baby is a dear little chap. I had a long talk to his Mother, who is very attractive & vivacious - I liked her. Babe has been weaned from this point but he has a very red "behind" as Sister says that all their babes have to go on is National Dried Milk - they cannot procure anything else. But she says it will very soon be put straight with careful feeding.
      I have been waiting to have a talk to Phyllis H.R. who was away till last night. She feels Baby must stay with us for several weeks (probably 2 months) if we are to "get him going" - so don't know what you will feel about having him straight away. He has such a darling little head and face. Of course I dote on Them tiny too!

________

      Thursday morn. Have just had your wire & have telephoned Phyllis. Baby was coming to us on Friday but Phyl now says she would prefer him to go straight to you on Saturday & she is going to do all the telephoning and arranging. All I can do is to send you my dear love and many heart-hops that this may begin another very happy period for you. It is so very obvious that Baby is a real love-babe. His father had been to see 'her' in hospital and taken her flowers - and I told her that she mus t realize that she could not be told where the baby was going or have any contacts - but she wondered if you could include the name 'Francis' in his names?! Isn't that an extraordinary coincidence?(1)
      My dear, if you would like me to meet Nurse(2) & take her to the Hospital I could try and arrange it. Oh NO - I can't, as I have promised to meet someone from Oxford that day at Paddington(3) (I knew there was something to prevent it - & I have just remembered!) So sorry. Anyway I'll ring Phyl this afternoon & see what she has arranged.
      Forgive this pencilled scrap. My head is working very slowly today after rather a sleepless night! I will write again.
      Very lovingly,
      Mim

1. The request was honored.
2. ‘Nurse’ was likely in Frances’ employ.
3. Main London station for the Midlands and Eastern railway lines.

Third and last letter from Mim, written probably next day, in blue ink, on one side of dark blue, 7"x4 1/2", light weight stationery.

      Wire just come!
      My Dear. I am so glad. I feel in my bones that this is going to be happy. I will see him on Monday & write to you then. In my mind I am calling him Timothy - or Nicholas. I wonder what his real name will be! I am almost as excited as you are to see him. Blessings and love,
      Mim.'