Letter to Mother
#782373
9-13-17
Dear Mother:–
We never got those pictures taken before we left Witley and Leeper died of wounds since the poor boy, so many of those boys I have talked with and do all I could to get to change, and they are steping over the line to face God as a judge after all. A good many have gone now that I have lived with and aproached on the subject.
Bob Banks and I went out to a village last night and had a feed of eggs tomatoes fruit fresh milk to drink and it was the first time we ever discussed christianity, he says a man in the army can do five times more by living the christian life than he can by any thing he might say
We mentioned a minister that drills each day between him and Bob McKeith well he wont for one minuit say that he has no christianity but he says he is actually crazy or not all there, This man is very well educated has preached 5 years. Our meetings are broaken up there is only the man mentioned above and my self left. two killed one a bomb proff one away sick and I don’t know where the rest are out of the other batt’s.
Why Mother we have as good ball games and foot ball games here afternoons as I suppose are held any where all most in the world There is surely good men to be picked from among thousands, You would never think there was a war on at all to be here in rest billets life is just like any other life.
Any time we have nothing to do we can get together and starte an argument on Graingrower T. Eaton, conscription, the war the U.S.A. why we have the greatest old times you could imagine. in trenches maby just out of hearing distance from hiney when things are quiet Bursts of machine gun fire going a few feet away from you if they take you by surprise sound like a bunch of birds flying fast the air on there wings, other times they whistle.
Fast shrapnel sounds like a square nail we used to make sing as kids by throwing held a certain way Clive will explain this.
Sergt Robt. J. Anderson is our m.gun sergt. he knows most about me if any thing happens.
My how the time does fly life at home never went faster and Mother don’t think of me as putting up with great hardships at all, life an’t like it was a home, but if I had not come I might not have been enjoying life near as well or full as I am here.
Well goodnight Mother dear as ever your loving son Laurie
Read a few verses the 18th of Romans – 14 – Flowers picked on battle field. L.
14th 11 A.M.
It is sprinkling today some got a lay off.
You havent said if you received the pictures I got off the Bristol trip I hope you did because I liked them, I had them registered so you would surely get them.
The boys had a great time picking pears they are a little green but I eat one a day they seem all right but to many would be bad I think
Well bye bye give my love to all at home your loving son
Laurie