Prison letter from Louisa Garrett Anderson Page 1

Prison letter from Louisa Garrett Anderson to Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. Written from Holloway Prison. Tuesday 26 March. Written in ink on an official prison letter form, with prison regulations on the back. The printed section ('Dear �� I am now in this Prison, and am in ���.. health. If I behave well, I shall be allowed to write another letter about ����... and to receive a reply, but no reply is allowed to this. Signature���.') is crossed out. Lower down, LGA has filled in her 'Register No.': '15497'. Transcript:
'Two women looked out from prison bars,
one saw fog and the other stars - '
Dearest Mother,
I was given a letter from you last night - written on Sat. I have not had the other because I have refused to have them opened. I am afraid that you are feeling tired and sad. It distresses me dreadfully. Try, my dearest, not to be - at least not on my account. I am quite well, and am counting the days, the minutes almost until I leave. If all goes well, I shall almost certainly be discharged on Tuesday Apr 9th, and I will try and catch the 10 oc train to Aldeburgh if you wd like me to come down there. We must not be unhappy now. This is really a very big experience. It is tragic and terrible but profoundly interesting. I never knew so clearly before why I was a suffragist. It is so nice to feel that more than half my sentence is over. Each day is a day to the good. Do please dearest try and not feel sad about me. I counted the cost before I came and I am thankful and glad to be here. Last night when I got your sad little note I felt it unbearable not to be able to come to you but life wd be unendurable here unless we were cheerful. We play games in our exercise time. I made top score at Tip and Run this afternoon in two innings - a wonderful feat for me!
Mrs Pankhurst is in this block of the prison. She is at her very best here and she is rather specially sweet and good to me. It makes all the difference to have her here. This is one of the best blocks, I believe, at any rate it is sunny and bright, and we have most considerate treatment from all the officers. This brings you a very great deal of love. You are always in my thoughts. Please give messages to A and Ivy and Aaa.
Yrs always my dearest, LGA.
PS -Two sweet little boxes of flowers have been brought to me from you but I have not been allowed to keep them. It must be so delicious in the country now. The feeling of the Spring comes to us here.

Scan of front side