1 April
1 April
1 April 1920
My precious little mate
April Fool's Day and only 27 days before I start for home - I think you & Wing might begin taking one bead off the counting frame each day now. Did you learn to count on a frame? and so on? I did. I remember how blue the blue beads were now. Your Monday letter came last night. It will not be at all difficult to supplement the well supply with a good colonial tank and a great tub for rain water - barrel I mean. The more I think of it the more I am in favour of a small place that we can live EASILY in - with our own eggs & chicks & fruit & veg & nothing to worry us about money. [. . .]
An awful thing happened here yesterday. Just a week ago a young woman was seen wandering about under the trees at Cap Martin crying - all day. Nobody spoke to her. At dusk a little boy heard her crying for help. She was in the sea about 15 ft. from land. By the time he told somebody it was dark & she had disappeared. Her purse & jacket were on the beach. She had a return ticket to Nice - five francs & a handkerchief in it - that was all. Yesterday morning the sea washed her up just opposite the Villa. She came rolling rolling in with each wave & they waited till she was tumbled on the beach. All her clothes were gone except her corset. Her arms & feet were gone and her hair was bound round & round her head & face - dark brown hair. She doesn't belong to a soul. No one claims her. I expect theyll shovel her under today. Poor soul. [To J. M. Murry in Collected Letters]