Hotel De France & Grand Hotel
Route du Mont-Cenis
Chambery (Savoie)
December 24, 1917

Dear Marjorie:
I suppose that you will wonder where I am when you look at the heading of this letter. I will try to explain although the explanation may be long. I am on leave to Rome with Ned Hune, Al Bryant, and two old McDonald fellows, Dunsmore and Hatch you may know them. We all started from Paris last night about eight o'clock, but when we stopped at a place called Dijou about half way between Paris and the Italian frontier stepped into the buffet at the station. When I returned the train "etail parti" - is that right I took another train and after having made several changes have made my way into the Alps as far as Chambery the capital of Savoy and here my engine's stalled till 6:30 p.m. tonight after which I proceed to Mondane the frontier town where I report for passports and hope to meet the rest of the fellows. This town here that I am in now is just about 800 feet above sea-level but has mountains around it. The scenery is beautiful. There is some snow on the ground so it is quite cool - will be glad when I reach the warm Mediterranean. I have had a great time speaking French but am not having much trouble in making myself understood. The battery is out at rest now. We are out of Belgium for some time thank goodness. I expect that we will go back to our old part of the line on the Ridge. I saw Cliff Force and the rest of the boys a week or so ago. They are fine and dandy. I suppose your work is very hard but cheer up Christmas is a good milestone passed. I am sorry Marjorie if I was ever the cause of you having a dreadful heartache. I surely did not know it at the time. I did not know that I ever was the "one star in your heaven" as you put it. Now don't think I am laughing at you for saying that. I am doing nothing of the kind. Have you a star in that heaven now Marjorie? Well you need not answer that question unless you care to. I thank you for saying that I was ever one. I do not know whether I was ever worthy of being one. Well I fear that I must close as I want to look around this town before dark. Will write later telling how I got to Rome if I get there.

Yours as ever, Gordon