Letter to Mother from France

10-2-18 

Dear Mother:– I am in France again This is a windy and misty Sunday but not cold at all.

We slept in a tent last night a dozen of use per tent. we had 30 blankets per tent so we slept as cosy as any thing,

The boys too a big extent were relating there experiences while on leave, and a lot of them were no credit to them, but still I can't condem them, they don't profess any thing, and We who do are not perfect so what can one say, but that it is to bad that the liquor can be bot which to a big extent prompts the evil that is done, and in the end is to blame for the sad hearts and broaken homes,

The sea was very rough, and I felt uncomfortable part of the voyage but did not get sick to the extent of feeding the fishes at any time, I beleave that I could get used to the sea with a little practice. I bot a big can of raspberries and some fruit biscuits and tea for supper the can was all that four of us could eat, of coarse we were issued supper beside, but a lot of the boys are broak so I gave them mine beside theres.

There is young women here in this Y.M.C.A. all so in a Salvation army hut near, but I will soon be in the country where a good English girl is never seen or any other kind. They never get farther up than the base at all. but any one knows that is far enough.        Stanley will be down to visit Fred Banks so you can have him over then, Don't let the boy worry you at all just let him come like I would and make him self right at home, let him stay as long as he will and I am sure he will enjoy him self, he will find you different than his mother I tell you mother that I have got to travel and meet a few pals yet before they can produce a mother like mine, so many women have not read any thing to expand there views out side the home, now if I wanted any information I always could find it at home but the most boys that I have met have to go to the other side of the house any way from there mother.

There is boys in my tent that have had three leaves they have been over here three years and are still staying with the game with out a scratch others have been wounded from once to five times they have the wounded stripe up.

I am sitting in my tent about 1.30 P.M. we had dinner and took up our position in other row of tents for the night.

There will be a service in the Y.M.C.A. at 6.30 so I will go. I wanted to go this a.m. but was waiting orders so could not leave tent.

I seem to be run out of something to say,

Later  12-2-18

I am sitting in a cellar a few paces back of front line. The weather has cleared up and the last two or three weeks has been drying up the trenches so they fine now. you could not beleave that you were carrying on now at all in comparison to when I was last in the front line the amount of mud there was then.

There was nine letters for me yesterday and four parcels. I took along the two small parcels from Annie and left the other to untill I go out of the line if I live and God is will that I should go back.

I never thot that I would use as many candles in life as I am using now, but the most unexpected things happen in life. I am sitting on my kit, with the paper on a slab of plate glass looking glass, there are some of the finest looking glasses in these mines of coarse we possibly don't see the best of them at all they may have been taken back to Heinie land before we took the ground.

We have no frost at all this weather of coarse it might come any time I suppose,  

bye bye for now your loving son Laurie

Well Mother dear, I received two letters this A.M. one of yours of Jan. 4th all so one from Laurie B. I surely enjoy the letters to and the snaps they are surely fine. Teddy looks a lot bigger than he did, has he grown much since I left. All so the $5.00 from Elmer and Alice well old Elmer surely is thotfull because I have neglected writing him awfully this last eight months. I hope Alice gets stronge quick now I don't like to think of her suffering so. I hope you never get sick and do try to not work to hard, The scene of today is the same as yesterday. It started to rain some out to day but has quit now.

I am afraid that I will have to come back to sell off the surplus colts yet, Horace made a good deal last spring with the two colts. I would just like to see the colts for a half day it would be a treat

14-2-18   2-20 P.M.

The weather is warm but cloudy today, We have sat and talked a while after dinner, I have dinner at one when one releaf comes off post we warmed up some hash and pork and beans tea for dinner we all so had biscuits marg. bread they mean to feed the soldiers I guess whether the civilians have a surplus or not,

I went back to sleep again this a.m. after sleeping all night until 5 a.m. I suppose I went to bed at 8 P.M. so you may know that I am getting lazy,

I am just getting down to the regular meals now and feeling my appetite all the time that is realy the best when I get out I eat candy and fruit between meals and that breaks my appetite to some extent. My co'y has been very lucky with no casualities so far. I hope we say that way the hole trip.

I got two more letters this A.M. that makes 13 since I came back one from you one from Kate Delbert and Allan, It is to bad about Kates eyes it must be terrible to have a pain in your head all the time,

I surely have something to be thankfull for that I am so strong and health,. I am going thru this winter just fine no cold not a sign of a cough and feel great all the time, I used to get a cold back at home each winter I think and some times the La Grippe,

A shell drops once in a while close enough to put a brick down into the celar. It is a blessing that Heinie don't know just where to put the shells I guess he feels the same about use.

Well bye bye Mother dear as ever your loving son Laurie