Letter to Mother from Witley South Camp

 11-1-17
Witley South Camp
Milford
Surrey
Eng.

Dear Mother:–

I have neglected writing for several days but have to get a few lines away tonight, I expected to receive my mail yesterday but it did not come in yet so I will have the pleasure of reading the letters yet that would be past if the mail had come. I don’t remember just when I wrote last but I can’t think that I have written any thing since sunday A.M.

Sunday P.M. I walked about 15 or 16 miles and had a good time, had supper at Gowers just before Church and was back there for a good visit after church again.

Will Gower and I walked over to Compton there is the Compton Art Gallery the Compton cemetary and chappel allso the Compton pottery industry This industry was a work of Mrs Watt the Art Gallery was the life paintings of Mr Watt and also two very good statues one of Tenneson and his big dog the other is a big man on a big horse representing energy and strength or something like that I forget so much of the things I see that it spoils it all I am going to go back to the Gallery again some Saturday, then I will tell you more of the pictures they are better all thru than any I saw in London they are mostly all taken from and written by inspiration of the passages of the bible, I went thru so quick that I could not discribe the pictures to you but the colorings are the grandest well, they just fill the longing I guess every one has for the time being for something grand, they are undiscribable that is all I can say about them, I could not buy a catalogue to send you on Sunday but will go on a week day and get one to send.

This Chapel is the greatest one of its kind in England it is small and to see it from the road back there on the hill side you would not be a bit interested but inside is where you see the arcitecture work and you wonder how man or woman could work out any such thing. It was a work of Mrs Watt all made in her pottery industry. The chapel made me think as I walked down the lane away from it and looked back, that it was a lot like the Christian life men don’t seem to be attracted to the Christian life by the outward appearance of a Christian man, but we have to get on the inside and try to live the life before we realy find how grand it is to live in close fellowship with God.

All week I have been on parade, the first since the last days of Nov. and I find I am a little soft. We had a night march on, last night about a nine mile one I guess, and my shoes are getting a little thin on the bottoms so I got tender on my right foot, so I did not go on parade today, but I am going to get a new pair of boots today if I can, I never had sore feet before so I am going to take care of mine if I can,

We had a good frost yesterday A.M. about the only one we have had since Xmas and last night was the finest night. The moon shone so clear and the stars bright, this A.M. when I got up it was raining hard, but now it has quit again.

I threw my first line bomb yesterday a.m. It was good fun to make such a racket and it was the kind of a bomb that you light by scratching a match scratcher over a “brock lighter” and you have 4 or 5 seconds to throw it from 25 to 40 yards any way as far as you can throw it with a straight arm. Ted will be trying it take a 1 ½ lb stone and put your hand away down by your left foot back of right leg then see how far he can throw it. it is good fun you can throw a lot more this way than you could, the ordinary way of throwing with out hurting or tiring the arm.

Well Mother it is 1.30 and no canadian mail yet, so it may be delayed for some unknown reason anyway if it is there will be all the more for next week, I received my Kodak from Elmer today, I should write him a letter before sunday and I will to I received his letter on Saturday last. Elmer said Ted that Ted had a new Auto well if he has I want you to out at every opportunity and enjoy every minute of it. I have been afraid that we would not get an Auto in time to have you enjoy it so just get buisy and make the most over every opportunity to get out and take pleasure out of it.

Take every little trial to God in prayer it will bless your life more and more each day and it will take away the worries of every day life, I don’t even close my eyes to pray manys the time I march right along or just set in front of the boys and pray they have no idea where pangs of contentment come from nor where my mind and heart are, bye bye,

Mother as ever your dearest boy
Laurie