Letter to Mother from Somewhere in France

782373
Somewhere in France
11-3-18

Dear Mother:–

I have my shoes off and am lying on my bunk. Stretton who sleeps beside me just come in with a tin of cocoa and gave me some it was surely good, I just got done studying my bible lesson I am taking a coarse got up and sent out by the Y,M,C,A, the life of Christ, Mostly all in the new Testament.

I got five letters last night from Haz, and they were surely welcome, I got the two shin plasters. and the maps were fine. The Digest came there is some good articals in those papers,

I went down to the Y tonight and read for a while in a Maclures Mag.

I got a letter from Harvey Anderson tonight 16 weeks in bed and he don't when he will be able to move, his leg festered and broak out so it is in bad shape the poor boy he will never see France again

Say Clive does seem to have hard luck I can't account for how it happens that way but any way he is lucky to be in civilization.

The weather is great now, the grain is about five or six inches high the most advanced other of it is not sowed I guess because we see lots of teams plowing.

13-3-18

I only got as far as the date last night when something happened that I had to quit.

We had a good short march yesterday evening. The evening was just as warm as a June evening at home, I stood out side after supper and watched the Heinie flares going up, and the all most continual flashes of light along the horizon from different big guns that drop an occasional shell over onto Heinie for miles along the front, I have got so used to this life now that I don't mind the moving around at all. off coarse I like some camp sights a lot better than others

I have never dressed but one wound yet, that was far from the battle front to, an accident on parade, so you can see that I have my actual experience to get yet,

Elmer and Wilfred were lucky to be able to spend there leave together, I am glad that Wilfred is having luck over here, he has never been wounded has he.

I met a nice man in our co'y the last while he was a school teacher in civilian life in England and Canada. he had a brother that was a regular comrade and he died of wounds some time ago all so another was killed and now he is going up to see what his lot may be. he is a good christian man very quiet but surely feels the loose of the one brother so much, his mother is dead and he tells me of how much love abided in his home.

I mentioned some time ago Johnie McCloud or corporal McCloud he has since gone to England to take out a commision he is an all around boy.

I have not been neglecting my spiritual life I have always studied the bible each day and give a certain portion of time to meditation and prayer, I may not have accomplished much in the way of helping others. but if they deliberatily choose to not go to church services or read any thing good why I can in no way have any talk with them on religion, I never miss a chance to confess my Christian faith, either in letter or conversation, and certainly give my christian experience all praise for every good quality I possess. I seek the comeradeship and acquantance of every christian man I can find.

I have heard some great sermons since I have been in France and may live to here lots more, but say think of what a great releaf it would be if this war could end this year.

Well Mother I beleave I will send this letter tomorrow, It rained a little this A.M. so we did not go on parade to the ranges untill about 10 I suppose then we had a bogus over the top this P.M. it was good play war if it never comes again in reality,

I thoought I might be on a work party tonight some of the boys went but I will not be on untill tomorrow night now,

I came down here to the Y about an hour ago and read some good things in papers that are sent to the Y's, I will get back to the hut about 9 and clean up a little for the A.M. then go to bed, I have only found one crumb on me since I came back from leave the 11 of Feb. so don't worry about them bothering me at all.

Well bye bye Mother dear as ever

your loving son
Laurie

15-3-18

Every thing O.K.

L.D.C.