Letter to Teddy from Witley South Camp
Witley south camp
23-1-17
Dear Teddy:–
Well old boy I received your welcome letter about the 15th and you seemed to be having quite a time to get thru with the flax did you hit it lucky or did it get snowed on before you got it threshed, It was great the price you got. I guess it brot you all that we figured it might in the spring when we talked about you getting 7 or 8 hundred dollars out of the crop.
Just write and tell me how you got along did any money come in that was owed by any one or will I have to come back to clean up those few little accounts that were out.
I wish you had the roads that we have here this winter for your Auto you would do some traveling I guess
24th 8 P.M.
Well old boy another day is gone and I was put over in the Sergeants mess to wash dishes just before dinner so I got two great feeds one at noon and one at supper tomorrow I am Hut orderly on C11 hut about two from me we are C 13 I have to sweep put on fire get the coal open the windows for 10 minuits after lights out at night to let all the smoke out
There is several huts quarantined with Mumps by the way I got a letter from Elmer tonight he has the mumps Bob Banks will have put in 9 weeks in quarantine since he come over here when he gets out now.
I am as happy as a kid tonight I wish Mother could have seen me out rustling kindling tonight I was visiting Kitchen doors and Bar store room doors and all over on the run but at last I had to go out into the woods and get branches of trees because to mony boys had visited these places before me
I don’t know whether it is because I don’t see things the way the other boys do or not but I seem to get more than my share of the easy or desireable fatigues that are going,
When we were called up to go on draft we turned in our extra pair of shoes so mine were getting worn out on the bottom and at noon Monday our m.g. boys got partly quarantined and that broak up the Detachment for awhile, so I put on my fatigue shoes and took the others to the shoe maker. and told the orderly Sergeant that I had no shoes so I did not do a thing from then untill today about 1 P.M. when the dishes began to come out after dinner, Well I did help our hut orderly this A.M. sweep about half of the floor and carry about 1 lb and a shillings worth of groceries for 300 yds this a.m. from Bar supply room to Serg. mess. and 28 loaves of bread in a gunny sack the same distance pretty near not quite so far.
This is a good week to be off duty to because this is the Batt duty week the boys are getting guards and pickets to do right along it is frosty today about 4 or 5 degrees of frost no more.
I will inclose to Mother Mrs McLeans letter that I enjoyed very much
Things are very quiet here so there is not very much to write about
I have an awfull abjection tonight I would like to buy some candy or cake or something good and think if I speak the truth I will say that I am to full now with out it an’t mean some times that we can’t regulate our capacity to suit our taste with me especially when I am working in Officers mess or Sergt’s mess They are feeding use fine in Batt tho no kick say Kid I got weighed today with fatigue shoes sweater tunic no belt and I weighed 147 lbs on correct scales so you know I am with out a doubt heavier than I ever was in my life before. and I think that from my close fellowship with God I am getting more Joy out of life than I ever got before Just think Ted being entirely in the hands of God knowing simply that he could see me up thru no mans land or any place in the world and bring me thru if it is his will and if it would not, think what it means to be ready to meet him face to face a a Saviour old sod because my hole life had not been devoted in his service. And yet Teddy I may be better fitted to go thru life as God would have me, with the worldly experiences that I have had
I am squandering quite a bit of time some of these days because I have not a cozy enough corner to study in, You know when a bunch of use are crowded around the stove the light an’t good enough to read by very long, and then it is to chilly to sit around where the light is good, You should see the rough houses that we have, I could make you laugh for week if I could talk to you telling you about some of them but I havent time to start to tell you by letter.
Fred Burns was put in the 124th this week so we are getting worse split all the time no one knows who will go next well good night my dearest little pall.
As ever your loving brother
Laurie
There should be a register for Mother in this same mail Just tell me for fun if it comes that way L