Letter to Horace from Somewhere in France

#782373
S.W. in F.
9-20-17[sic]

Dear Horace:–

I just fixed a registered letter for you it may not be thru as quick as this letter but if not it will be along in next mail,        It is an Auto strop razor, you will need to let thick lather dry on the strop a half dozen times and rub it in to the strop before it will be in in good shape there is one blade I guess but had better get some new ones right away, this is a birthday present that has done its work for some poor lad that may be dead or may be alive, I bot it off another lad that is good at salvaging the causalities of the battle field. it is a relic of the European war anyway,  I am sending to Mother under separate cover a hun spoon that I salvaged from a hiney haversack in a dug out one day when I had nothing to do after we chased hiney out of the position.

Well Horace we are getting to be pretty old men an't we, but I hope we live to see manys the birthday yet we are only as old as we feel well in that case I am about ten. but the most of the boys think I should be any way 22 It seems to insult any of the 20 yr old boys that I might have seen a bit more of life than they, I often wonder if it is because they think I am not any older or what.

This is the kind of an evening that at home we would expect a bit of frost but not over here They have issued use a blanket now so I undress pull off every thing but shirt I suppose they will soon issue use underwear and sweaters then about Xmas sheep skins. So we will winter like clock work. The bank plays a few yds way. We have the music every day of the very best kind our two bands will take some thing to beat. I am on fire picket tonight that means I am confined to camp eria,

Well good bye old boy may this be the happiest year of your life so far and may many more such follow

as ever Laurie