Letter to Mother
6-12-16
Dear Mother:–
I will just write a few lines on the back of this letter. I should have written before but have put it of to late for the mail goes out tonight.
We were put out digging a trench behind the hut on the Parade ground, we each had one entrenching tool and a few picks and shovels but I went to work to dig myself in with the tool, first I had to go thru 2 inch of frost then roots and stones and sand. I dug a hole about 2 ½ by six, it did not take so very long. I am going to get Elmer to come up and take my picture if I can before I go so you will see what my stuff looks like I will have the tool in my hand it is easy to carry and very light but serviceable. The sun is shining nice to day and the frost is going out of the ground we are just as comfortable here as we were at Whitley they have fixed the roofing so the huts don’t leak like they did when we hit here. I think that out Batt feeds as good as any and maby better Mitchel and I have 9 blankets and straw ticks we sleep together and warm as toast.
I got Teds letter yesterday, I hope he gets weather so he can get his flax threshed it will be to bad if any grain is left out this winter.
We just finished dinner they feed us a lot of mutton these times and it is as tender as chicken we sure do fill up on it potatoes and gravey cabbage. Bread no margarine for dinner
The draft pulled out yesterday so we will be drafted again when the measels is over.
Mother about the m.g. work it an’t any worse than any other the shell are thick every where over there But I may never have any thing to do with the m.g. again, Any way as the m.g. teams are shot up they call in the inf. as they nead them whether they are trained or not. You know when you make an advance you might get hit a long way back and still you might get up and work thru a good many advances. From all I have heard I could not choose between m.g. bombing or straight rifle work it will only be God’s will which I will try and carry out any, all thru If God had no place for me here, I would soon be some place he did want me,
Remember how Josephs brothers sold him to the merchant men who took him down to Egypt. Well it was a mysterious way of bringing about Gods will but see how later on it shows that the brothers were only carrying out Gods will.
Every chapter I read makes me see more and more how all supreme Gods power is I makes me depend more and more on his guidence
I am still eating cookies, I gave the boys each half of one and Mitchel and I are eating the rest I am eating about 80% of them they surely are good.
I like Myrtles letter I answered it, I can’t help being friends of those girls and I guess there is no reason why I shouldn’t be. but I explained that I had no idea of flirting with her, but that I thot it was possible for boys and girls to enjoy correspondence and be friends without any deceitfulness at all, this flirting is one thing I will never carry on with any girl again. It is no good I hate it now.
Do you remember how you used to go around with use when we first went west. those were good old days. And that trip we had out from the hut in the night thru the hills and the sleep in the ranch boys beds, we had dinner at Renells and then went on home, Ted and I slept under the wagon in Herbert I remember as well as if it was yesterday And just think how much beter every thing would have turned out if use boy had only trusted in God In stead of our own abilitiest for our prosperity I know I never thot of such a thing as trusting God like I would do now and God promises are that his children will prosper I would not take a chance on worldly prosperity for one minuit again and know that I could make $10.00 to every one I ever made, but look at the different ambitions I would have for my money.
I have only received the one box of fudge and one box of cookies don’t send big boxes just a taste is all I want Mother. I don’t want enough to interfear with my meals but just a taste. I eat to much most of the time and it an’t good for me at all but I am fat as I ever was in my life and my body is in the best of shape, if ever a man was in shape for hardship, I think I am if there is any ahead, I haven’t a cough at all I ballon is just going over now. I wonder what good they are.
Don’t send a bunch of pictures by registered mail just keep them and put one in at a time or when ever you think of it, have Alice print one off of Fathers gravestone, I would like to have it.
I am glad Clive did not enlist. I don’t mind going there my self but I don’t want the boys to go thru if there is any way out of it at all.
I wish you had the toilet set that got broken up at my place last winter, but I should not have bot that because I had no place for it.
Mother you do not need to ever worry about my socks hurting my feet for I can march or do any thing if there is big holes in my socks or not for I have been cozy enough to try it. They gave me 3 new pair of socks the other day, an other Balloon is just gone over lower and looks lots bigger, The socks they give me are not all wool but they are good I like them any way. The new issue of shoes are good just like we got the first issue in Canada better than the second ones we got.
We don’t have to work this P.M. the other hut have to work they have been in 14 days now and expect to get out tomorrow,
The last of the men of the batt. are up for musketry the next 10 days, then they will shoot there coarse and maby we will get away to the Front together about the first of the year, which will be lots quick enough, just suppose we get out of here Jan 1st it will take use about two weeks to get shaped around at the base and, then I suppose it will take use a cupple more weeks to get acquanted with our new officers, then we have Feb, and Mar getting warmer every day and then the good old summer time, we will live thru it all right if God is willing we have every chance going in fresh right the first of the year.
There is a few clouds stroling around the moon tonight so I guess it will not freeze tonight.
Well Mother I will have to quit for tonight and get ready for supper.
As ever your loving and dearest boy Laurie
Written on backs of letter from Myrtle, q.v.