Grindelwald Thursday. Dearest Mother. I was much cheered, when I came in drenched this morning at 10 o'clock, to find a letter from you. I thought of you on your birthday and sent you many many good wishes in the spirit. The novel! how thrilling! I hope it won't be quite published and the first edition sold out before I return!
Our tale is a sad one. We went up to a hut for the new Finsteraarhorn arête yesterday morning, in very shaky weather. It shook down, rained all the afternoon and at 6 AM this morning began to snow. By 8 when we left there were 3 inches of new snow, so we raced back to Grindelwald. It has stopped raining, but the glass doesn't go up and anyway there is nothing to be done on the high snows for a few days; so we are going back to Rosenlaui tomorrow - where you might as well address letters. It's very provoking, when one feels one might do really good climbs! We hope to do a new Engelhörner peak and we have not yet quite abandoned all hopes of one of the high arêtes. I would like to have one of them to my name! It is a silly ambition, isn't it! Still one does like to have the credit one really deserves. I have telephoned to the Monkswells that I am returning and they are jubilant. The Hon. Robert is there now too. Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude