Baghdad Feb 24 Belloved Mother. Thank you so much for the account of the funeral. It must have been very beautiful. What a good thing that Elsa stayed with you - she writes such a wonderful letter about you. Margaret Phipps is a heart of gold. But you know, you are quite right; in a way it is better to go through it alone.
Do you remember some very delightful photographs I did of Hugo in a boat on Scagmore? You have them, haven't you? If not, the films are in the film draw in my book room, dated on their envelope. It was the time you had bronchitis.

I do think that your relations to one another were the most perfect that one can imagine between Mother and son. They were the greatest thing perhaps in his life for they were there the whole of his life. But I am so glad he married, aren't you, and was so happy. I know, I think Frances, when the heroic bearing of strain is over, will miss his companionship more than she now guesses perhaps. At first you feel as if it were all so near and then gradually the sense of loss and emptiness grows. Sylvia said when we were travelling together that she could not bear to travel alone because she was always wanting to say something to Anthony about it and I quite understood.

The post goes early and I must send my letters to the office so goodbye darling. Your very loving daughter Gertrude