Tores Tuesday. – A little piece of home…
Sometimes you find an object that looks so ordinary, so common, but that really touches you. This is such an object.
On the outside it is as common an object as can be, an Oxford edition of “The Holy Bible”, the small leather bound pocket version. There are just so many old bibles around, and most people will not throw them out or destroy them, so there is hardly any collectors market for modern bibles.
But, to one soldier it must have been the most cherished thing he had, as it was sent to him by his wife and contains a little bit of home, and when you are very far away, a piece of home can be the most valuable thing in the world.
It was sent to Cyril Start from his wife Elsie (born Binmore) in February 1918. He was then serving in Egypt. They married in 1916, and I do not know when he went to war, but at least in February 1918 he was in Egypt.
Inside she has written: “To my darling hubby from his little wifie, with best wishes”, a lovely dedication. Also, on the last page she has written the adress:
Cyril Start
29. Vincent Crescent
Brompton
Chesterfield
Derbyshire
The house still stands and has a garden, make a mental note of that…
In different ink and a different hand, is written, probably by him:
Pte C Start
No 106281
1st G. B. (Garrison battalion) Sherwood Forresters
Egypt
But, the really beautiful thing about this little bible, what really sets it apart from all the other pocket bibles, is that she pressed lots of plants and flowers and put them in there. Lots and lots of them!
She, totally and truly sent him a little piece of home, a little bit of the garden she wanted him to return to. What a beautiful thing to do!
Cyril survived the war, he died in 1966. Elsie died before him. But, this little thing, showing their love while separated by a cruel war, has survived, and is moving to the point that I feel a lump in my throat whenever I look at it.