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Mrs Charlotte Shaw
31/8/33
13 Birmingham St Southampton
Yesterday was a DAY. At 1.45pm. water, driven by the smallest ram ever installed anywhere, began to flow into my cottage at Clouds Hill. The pipes are a hundred yards long: the ram was turned on at 10a.m. without public ceremony: it worked steadily for hour after hour: and at 1.45, as I have said the water arrived at its destination. The single, oldest and only inhabitant of Clouds Hill took off his R.A.F. cap with a simple gesture (to avoid knocking it against the roof-beam) and collected the first pint in a pint mug. It arrived in four minutes, and the S.O. and O. inhabitant the drank it. The taste was of red lead and galvanised iron: but the quality was wet, indubitably: and they say that in four weeks the taste will be unalloyed water. I hope so: for otherwise my drinking water will come from the spring by bucket!
If a pint in four minutes seems to you little, reflect that it works all day and all night at that rate. It is copious; excessive. Indeed I have laid down a spill-pipe, which will feed the kitchen of my neighbour, Mrs. Knowles, with my surplus. Both of us are henceforward endowed with running water. We feel so rich and happy.
Please tell G.B.S. of my house-wetting. It is an achievement, to have made so small a ram. The parent spring only give half a gallon a minute: so a quarter of pint per minute is an excellent product. Nice things, rams.
Lawrence of Arabia writes to Mrs George Bernard Shaw about the installation of his Ram