Thank you for your letter on David's reports.  I would have answered long ere this had I not been so terribly busy with various matters.  I was not too surprised to hear that he had done well in his certificates exam because you had more or less prepared us for the result he achieved, but we are nevertheless very glad it is over and grateful to you for getting him to the exam so well trained.  

His reports for last half were as you rightly say - familiar and I seem to have read them now a few times!!  I think we may say that he has run fairly true to form all the way through his life at Eton, that is to say insofar as his reports are concerned.  He seems to have been consistent in all subjects and particularly so in his untidiness!  We were of course delighted that he coxed the VIII, not so much from my point of view because it was the VIII but because he achieved what he set out to do.  We went to Henley to see the race and much enjoyed the day.

We must now of course begin to take his future seriously.  I do not for one moment expect him to pass the Navy exam next Jan and have no real hopes for him doing so since I became more or less familiar with the standard required and that I ferreted out over a year ago.  The competition is I gather very severe and the total of entries considerable.  However it will do him no harm to have a shot at it.  He knows well enough that he has got to make up his mind about his future and is I think turning it well over in his mind, but what a hopeless problem for any boy of his age today!!  He is in my opinion at the very worst age for a boy to have to think about his future, that is to say with things as they are.  The Navy is only certain if he passes the special entry and the other two services are not I think giving regular commissions until after the war.  Any other profession or way of making his daily bread is barred by his liability for service and that will in my opinion remain the state of affairs for some years since those with longer service are sure to be released first and much of the policing work after the war will have to be done by the present 18s to 21s.  Perhaps by the end of next half we shall be able to see more clearly what the future holds but at the present I confess I cannot see daylight - the future is so uncertain from every point of view, that is to say the parts which will affect David most.  Like so many at the end of the last war, he will be a about 24 or 25 before life is likely to approach normal again and at that age the gap between the end of his academic life and his age is too big to allow any boy taking up his studies where he left off.  Apart from the fact that the life he will have lived in the meantime will have given him other interests, he would in any case hardly have any inclination to begin again.

He gives us no cause for worry, is useful, has plenty of sound ideas and a mind of his own.  I feel that he will make a success of his life if only we can get him started in the right groove - and find it!

I shall I think come over to Eton to two or three days towards the end of November and have a talk with you about him.  I must make up my mind how long he is going to stay at Eton.  He has been farming part of the holidays with John Lees at Lytchet Minster and is now down in Wales helping with chickens, goats and gardenIng generally.

While typing this the news of Italy's surrender has just come in so perhaps the future is a little clearer than when I sat down to write to you.  I think there will be plenty of jobs clearing up the mess when the war is over and if we can get David into one that will carry on for life that would I think be the best line to take at present - possibly Colonial Office or something like that.  We talked about becoming an engineer and if he could master that the openings will be legion but your hopes of a technical career are pretty much like mine - not very high!

Yours sincerely

Some time ago I suggested running over to Eton this half to have a talk about the David's future.  Unfortunately I have been down with the flu' this last two weeks and am still not allowed out and shall not be until next week.  It is therefore certain that I shall not get to you this half.

I am not yet clear how this mining ballot is going to affect David.  He strikes me as not possessing the bulk and strength for heavy work of that character but so far I suppose that you know no more about the types they will want than I do.

I am not basing high hopes on the Navy exam, in fact none at all.  If he had the maximum of luck in his papers I feel that he would neutralise it by his untidy work which seems to get more so as time goes on.  I think next half will disclose his future rather more clearly than this but it looks as if I shall have to take him away from Eton at the end of next term unless there is any good reason to keep him on.  You will of course want to know your vacancies for the summer half so if David can stay on I must take my chance.  All being well I will run over after his Navy exam and see what the situation is then.

I was glad to see the House do so well in the Field and am sorry I was not there instead of in bed.  I hope you haven't had a lot of trouble with this flu epidemic.

Yours sincerely