doctor'll come along with his pinchers all ready to take your tooth out in
the trenches? You'll more like 'ave to do it yourself with a corkscrew.
I'll lend you one willin'." But Jim said he wouldn't trouble her just at
present, he was feelin' a little easier.

She didn't cook us nothin' to eat. "My fingers itch to turn you out
beyutiful dishes as your mouths 'ud water to come to a second time," she
said, "but it 'ud be a crule kindness, knowin' you'll be fendin' for
yourselves in a 'ole in the ground in three weeks' time. Better learn 'ow
to do it now. There's a bit o' meat, and you can dig up any vegetables you
fancy in the garden. I'll rake the fire out so as you shall learn 'ow to
light a fire for yourselves; and I'll put the saucepans out of your way; it
ain't likely you'll 'ave saucepans over there."

We was never nearer starvin' than we was at Mrs. Larkins's. She said it
made her heart bleed to see us, but we should be grateful to 'er one day
for teachin' us 'ow to cook our vittels for ourselves or go without 'em.

One of Jim's buttons come loose on his tunic and he asked Mrs. Larkins if
she would be so kind as to sew it on for him. "Nothin' would please me
better than to sew 'em all on, they're mostly 'angin' by a thread," she
said; "but do you expect to find a woman in the trenches all 'andy to sew
on your buttons? You'll 'ave to sew 'em on yourself, and the sooner you
learn 'ow to do it the better."

We was accustomed to 'ave our washin' done for us in our other billets, but
when the second Sunday come at Mrs. Larkins's and there wasn't no sign of a
clean shirt we felt obliged to mention it to 'er. "'Ere's a bit o' soap and
a bucket," she said, "and you knows where the well is."