Letter to Mother from Somewhere in France

Somewhere in France
16-2-18 

Dear Mother:–

I received two boxes from you one from Laurie B. one from Annie one Kate, Otto, so I am well fixed for parcels for two months that makes seven in a week, about 19 in the last two months. I have an other one coming from a little girl in Manitoba. I will show you her picture some day maby I have one,

The balaclava cap was fine just come when I need it. I had none for the last month,

 I am sitting in the sun in the ruins of old buildings shells come around occasionaly but never hit us. I got a letter from Gertrude Forbs the other day she is at home the three girls run the farm alone, they have thirty head of stock, How can I get out of writing to so many people Mother I don't know I don't try to make friends at all,

Say Mother Mrs Deason thot that I never grow any beard because I shaved each A.M. before I came down stairs we surely laughed at her when she said you never have anything to shave, you haven't since you came here.

She would take my arm when we were going any where and called me her Stan they could not do enough for me, it seemed but I surely enjoyed the visit Lilly is quite nice but she don't read enough to suit me, she is nice and bright good looking but say those english girls can walk. I can't keep up to them hardly. There was a girl I liked down there a Miss Phillips she was about as big as I am and about 130 lbs, 19 dark, her mother has been dead for some years she is quite boy ish but I always fall for that kind of girl I don't know why. her and I had some races and jumped some stone fence etc. She got up to give a piece at the home talent she broak down about the middle and after about a second pause she stuck her hand into a pocket in her skirt and got the piece corrected herself and went on. I thot I would bust then I was ashamed of my self. She surely was gritty. She had only about three days to get it up in so she was not to blame,

18-2-18

An other dandy clear day, I have been sitting in the same place as yesterday reading some of the papers you sent me. And I was just thinging if you could see the stunts the boys pull of here among the ruins you would surely laugh, we have some of the commicallest boys among use that you could amagine.

I was out on a work party each of the last two nights it was surely good to be alive such nice and clear moon light. There was just a slight frost each night but we sleep warm in the cellars, I have an extra ground sheet, that I carried out of the line, but the next change will be warmer, soon the trees will be green, then the good old summer.

I am enclosing the account of Pte. Rose or Copl. Rose death and life, I thot you maby would not recognize him to be the minister that I had mentioned several times last summer in my letters if you think back, you will be able to place him. He was killed the trip I went over the top. To bad he felt he could do more good in one year in the civitian life than in 20 yrs in the army.

The other minister Reedman has not returned yet from his wound. He was a stretcher bearer.

Rose was a single man but Reedman was married

Bye bye once more. L.

19-2-18

Dear Mother, I can only say hello from rest billets and that I am thankfull to have come thru an other trip in the front line

The boys say it was the best all round trip we have ever had so you can just see that the weather is ideal all thru, and the trenches in most part dry, and clean again.

Bye bye as ever
Laurie