Letter to Mother

782373
To Mrs Alice D. Cunningham
Hazenmore Sask Canada
23-4-18

Dear Mother:–

It seems as tho I don't get around to writing enough to suit my own concience. but the truth of the matter is that I have to have some kind of a comfortable place to write in or else a warm day, today was ideal I call it but I felt awfully sleepy,

We had a short move last night and an other tonight, I am in a good deep dug out my bed is made the candle is going a lot of us are writing others are talking, the Y is close so we all got some paper but could get no envelopes,

I saw a canadian paper of March 23 they tell of the second day of the Heine offensive, well a month has past and I am still unhurt. and appreciating the very best of health, and enjoying the cheeriest of thoughts, having lots to eat, no work to do at all out side of while we move, The shell fire don't bother me any worse than last year I have slept thru four big bombardments in one night just in a funk hole and of coarse I heard some of the shells but I got a good lot of sleep, so you can see that the old sperit of indifference to my fate domineers to the extent that shell fire does not bother me. I did not mean to get this spot on the paper but I bumbled a crumb.

< class="indented"p> There is one quite rough boy Tom Smith here, he and I have some pretty serious talks about home and life and etc. today we were sitting in the sun talking and he said I never was so dirty in my life if my mother knew how lousie I am it would break her heart, well I said I guess it would do the same to mine but still I had to crack a smile, it an't so bad, I have not had a bath since the second of april and have just had my shoes off to sleep once since the fourth, but say I am only to tickled to put up with this when it is necessary, I like to know that we are at the elert and etc. you can think a lot out of this that I can't write.

The boy next to me gave an awful jump for a rat ran across the bed and he says he will not get much sleep tonight because he is scared of rates, Well the only time a rat has bothered me was one night one stood on my pillow and sniffed at my ear, I woke up and moved, it beat it, that was away back last summer on vi.

23rd  5.45 P.M.

Well Mother we had a good short work party this A.M. then we got pay this P.M. and about day after tomorrow I expect to get a bath which I will dubbly enjoy,

Our parcels came in last night I got three one from Kate, Annie, Vanguard Auxiliary so I have eaten more good things today than per usual. I got one pair of socks but I had lots before so I will give them to Bob McKeith.

I got one of the boys away to the hospital today just a boy 18 yrs he was running down more all the time. so he needed a trip out to get built up again.

24th

Still in the dug out, I was about a half mile away for water today and that was all the exercise I got but have a march tonight just short so it will do me good,

I have spent the day since 7.30 outside of the meal times in reading, one of the boys got a bunch of Young Peoples Weekly I think so he passed them on to me,

I got my hair clipped short again today so I will get it washed good tomorrow.

I had a big can of apples for breakfast. I shared it with two other boys.

Corporal Bysouth grabbed a rat with his right hand last night and it bit his left, so he had to come to me to get fixed up last night.

A young breed boy has just come along and is showing me a snap he got and letter  from a cousin, lots of the boys need some one that they can tell there trubbles to. so I try to show all the sympathy to them that I can.

26th

I have lost a day somewhere it seems as tho it should be the 25th, I am in rest billets and surely like the change.

we have a change of food you know when out what we have in the advanced positions, Pete and the two Bobs are still on the job tell Mrs Campbell that will you if she has a phone.

Well bye bye Mother dear as ever your loving son
Laurie

I just got a new pair of pants today at the clothing parade.

L.