France
July 2nd 1918

Dear Mother­ -

I received your welcome letter the other day, dated 2-6-18, and so glad to know that you are all well at home. I'm getting along fine as ever, and with us it's not too bad a war at all just now. 1'm doing nothing in particular, beyond rising bright and early and doing parade. Although it gets rather dull at times, it's a pretty safe job, eh? and beats trench warfare. This is rather a pretty little spot we are staying at just now. The gardens and grain crops look fine, and the apple and other fruit trees are beginning to look promising. But I guess the promising part is all we'll get of them. By the time they are ripe I suppose we will be getting down to business again. I guess some old French madame won't be sorry either, as I guess they find it no joke to have troops sticking around, and I guess they get pretty fed up with them. No more than we are, though. My it'll be good to get back where they talk a civilized language once again. It might as well be Chinese, for all I know of it; and they have those out here, you know, and are a pretty tough looking bunch. But like the Douks,- "Me no fightee" - but do work where they are pretty safe, and I guess are not very regimented. They wear straw hats and cotton pants, with the seat of them generally behind the knees. But I guess they can get away with a lot of work, all right. So can we, when it's necessary. But I don't go looking for it, you know, as there is no need to. Well Mother dear, I often wonder how you get along. I suppose you will all be so busy that you won't know it. I had a laugh at the accident you wrote of, Mother, although it was a serious one, from the calf's point of view. I guess it saw no joke in it at all, poor little thing. I guess there is more than one done that. Well I was glad that Marjie is getting her camera to work again. I'll soon be looking for some pictures again, eh? Winnie sent me one of Hughs last week, and he looks altogether different to the other I had of them; but it's a good one. He is out here again. I think they are all getting along fine over there. I wonder how you are getting along with the chicks now. Not all drowned with the rain yet, are they? Maybe you are getting some better weather now. It's fine out here, but sometimes rather cold for this month. Well, I'll have to close now, hoping this finds you all well. Love to all from your aff Son,

Frank