Letter to Mother from Somewhere in France
Mrs Alice D. Cunningham
Hazenmore Sask Canada
13-4-18
782373
Some Where in France
Dear Mother:–
I am lying in a dug out with a good forty feet of earth over me, The ventilation is good and the D.O. warm enough so we are real comfortable.
We still carry sweaters jerkins great Coats and etc in our battle marching order.
I am in reserve now. today is foggy so there will not be as much activity as there has been the last few days,
I received three dandy boxes from you the last two days containing sugar, socks, veal loaf, (cippodilla) cookies, fudge, cake, The socks you knit me are surely nice they fit me just perfectly and are so fine and soft. not every boy gets the comfort out of his home knit socks that I do. but the mothers may be doing the best job of knitting they can at that.
Bob B.s spoak several times about the Canonea box you sent him and he goes around with the touque on and makes me think of a kid. I gave him a pair of dandy socks Annie sent me, then I gave Bob Mc the pair I got in a box from Miss Duncan, Toronto, I have all I can use beside from you folks of earlier dates that have never been washed. I never wear a pair of socks with a hole in or that have been darned so you can see that I have lots.
Miss D's box contained sugar loaf, a bar of maple sugar, a dozen soda biscuits, cookies and socks, imp. cheese, fruit drops, candy, dates, tin prepared coffee, 1 candle, 1 Hdchief, 1 pair home knit socks, chicklets, the box was as high as from the bottom of the sheet to the mark on the right side of sheet [6 inches] as wide as sheet is long [8 inches] and two inches longer than sheet, she knit me the sweater I wear without sleeves in it and it is well knit, I am proud of it to I like to take my coat off to show the boys my sweater, it is a lot like the outfit you sent me at Xmas scarf socks mitts toque all knit like each other. I am surely proud of my mother, and I like to tell the boys who knit them to show it.
I looked over my snaps this A.M. I have got two fine little nieces haven't I. I carried in a Litterary Digest and the S. Post you sent me, so I have some good reading. I all so carried in the two boxes so I got Bob Mc and Bob B, and we had a feed we got cocoa at the Y free you know the y is about 100 yds from here so we can run over and back in five minuits.
9-15 P.M.
Welll Mother I am in [word, possibly "supports," scribbled out in pencil] tonight ten of us are in a dandy super funk hole, ten nice bunks wire bunks with burlap over them, corrigated iron roof and sides built this shape 
door in end. of coarse it is not visible from the air and is enough under ground to be shrapnel proof I hope but haven't seen it tried yet.
I am afraid you don't beleave me when I tell you how lucky we are this year, to think I haven't had a casualty yet since have been S.B. why you must know we have been lucky,
And the conditions are surely good better each month I think since I have come,
Well good night Mother dear I will have to read a Chapter and go to bed, Tomorrow will be the Sabith day again and I hope the sunshines warm and clear, your loving son
Laurie
14-4-18 2 P.M.
Well Mother It is a cloudy day but our F.H. is warm and comfortable I just lay down to sleep when word come that I could send out a letter, so I wanted to get this away,
I have been reading and talking with the boys all the day, I was out to all the other sections funk holes to, to see the boys and give them a pair of clean socks each,
I heated my water to shave in a little tin with candle grease and a bit of sock for wick in another tin, I had a real good shave,
Old Heinie must be loosing a lot of men by what we here these days, but that is all that will win the war we must inflict casualties on him to bring it to a close the way we want it to finish well bye bye Mother dear as ever your loving son
Laurie.