Saturday

July 15th 1916

Handkerchiefs not chieves

Mamma is sending socks -

My dear Bill -

Your letter to hand yesterday - Mamma and I were to town with the Ford and I got it - We are all very well - Mamma and I were very proud we got the "stick" and we hope you will continue getting "sticks" and bigger ones - It must have been a pleasant change from the routine. -

There is not much new here, only John has the (?) (?) - or some crazy fit which no one can account for. It does not bother me any - Yesterday was branding day at McLeans Lake - and I sent Dave up to see our calf. He saw him all right and had him branded "__" on right hip. He says he looks splendid as big as two of Parkes calves - great feeding up those (?) - Arthur Parke and Bob Tait were there branding & Old Phil was there (?) lazy old (?) - We do not hear anything about Bob Tait enlisting now. He certainly is here yet - and I do not think he is thinking of going - However he cannot be thinking much of his country! (?) of the branding of a few cows will keep him .

I saw C. H. Smith yesterday and he told me he had a letter from your "Brown" and Brown was sending very good accounts of yourself. Yes I will send you some tobacco soon - We had a letter from Mrs. McKeen yesterday. I will give you (?) it Williams new address

Driver W. G. McKeen No 51056
3rd Canadian Ammunition
Sub. park. B.E.F. France

If you go to France you will be able to (?) up against him -

Ashcroft is going on as usual - The first building to go up is the Chinese restaurant in the old place -

There is great fuss in town about old Higginbotham getting that English wom who has lived with them some years into the family way - She has (?) baby in Vancouver and they are all there - there is more spring to him than anybody thought. She was (?) up for a (?). (?) there I guess she imagined he was a soldier, and wished to provide the nation with a "war baby

I must stop and write Willima McKeen a line -

your Papa