Letter to Mother from Somewhere in France
#782373
Some where in France
8-2-17[sic]
[margin note: “7-5-17 Every thing O.K. Laurie” – must have meant “8-5-17”]
Dear Mother:–
We have had a little damp weather the last two days so I have held down a nice hut. we got paid yesterday, so, the money flew around pretty plentifull last night every one getting a feed. I had a feed of chocolate that was good. The paper gave use good news this a.m. you will have the same at home
They have got figured down untill they have found that the average soldiers fighting time amounts to 4% of his time in france so we can easily stand that. I sent you a letter this a.m. this one may not get away for some days yet.
6 P.M. I just read your verses that came in your letter of June 9th and to well I realize what it cost you to write them but it helps me to know that you could write them realizing all that they take in. I have given them to several of the boys to read. they all liked them. we are going to have little meeting tonight for a few minuits, I had a talk to a few of the boys tonight before leaving the hut. We had a good little discussion that helped use all.
I had a letter from Annie last night she is improving fine, I am glad. I wish she would go more to the word of God in her daily life it surely shows up. when you take Gods word for simple instruction in daily life, I find that the big important thing in life is the plum pure example on all four sides in ward and out ward and all ways remembering that (which is not of faith is sin)
Well good night Mother dear as ever your loving boy Laurie
[margin] The 20th century war fair is just like a modern house every thing you need is looked after. L.
[margin] I have never been short of a drink yet.
8-4-17[sic]
Well Mother I did not get this letter away today but will try to get it off tomorrow. I received four letters tonight. It is about 7 P.M. and the sun is going down nice so in an other day or so we will have no mud left at all, but it rained quite a bit in the last three days so it was slipery but the mud don’t stick bad.
I am sitting in the door of my dugout again we like our nice little home, every place we stop a night we like to stay. I received a parcel from Annie tonight with two pair of nice socks one pair you knit the other pair Mrs Stewart I think also some candles. I had two many socks then so I gave away two pair that I had worn some and kept the knew ones I have five pair now.
Don’t send any more socks than I told you about. Things are so different with me this year than last I used to have about 6 handkerchiefs in the wash rack each week well now I haven’t had a cold in my head in France not a bit I get up cold lots of times and run out in a rain my shirt sleevs no cap and wash about 200 yds from hut come back my hair is so short all the time that I can wash my head as easy as my face because I get my clipped all off, every two weeks. I found 6 crumbs to day that makes a total of 11 in my army life. I fell in the mud coming in from washing the other A.M. about 6.30 my sleeves were roled up above my elbow and I did not have my puttees on I got my towel soap box and self all covered in about ¾ inch of soft greasy mud and the water just went off so I had to scrape my cloths and wipe off the mud from my arm and hands after I came to the dug out I washed my towel so I have almost forgotten the acident
Good night Laurie