France

Oct 5 . 1917

Dearest Mother:

Havent much to tell you this time, just the ordinary routine of everyday work for the last two weeks or so, so cannot tell you much of interest.

Not that I haven't learned anything of interest in that time but as I explained before I cannot tell everything I would like to but will save it up for some day.

I hope you are keeping better and feeling stronger each day. I was feeling badly after I heard you were sick until Agnes wrote me and told me how you were getting along.

Had a letter from Aunt Agnes this week. They were staying at Kilmalcolm for a short while with Connie and her baby as it was sick. Aunt Agnes writes often and very nice letters too and sometimes fun parcels.

Joe is still in the tanks and from his last letter hadnt seen anything of the forward area yet. He is very impatient about the delay over it all and although I can sit in this German dugout and think how foolish it is to be impatient over such a matter yet teaches me that human nature is pretty much the same all over.

I do wish Bill would get a responsible job though and get this patriotic idea of working on farms etc for nothing out of his head. If it comes to the point where it is necessary the government will order it, do not be deceived on that point. Appeals to patriotism are made to people with time and money on their hands. Bill, if he keeps on, will find lots of the former and none of the latter some day.

Marion will be interested to know that my little friend Nellie Austen was married last August. I hope this information will be sufficient for her to look elsewhere for her kidding remarks.

Last letter it was the Nurse, before that the twins, then Marie Algie. Oh Marion what will you do now.

This morning I did my washing one pair of white socks (Winnifred Jackson's) they are not quite as white as when I got them, but after washing them they now refuse to stick to the wall at which I throw them on retiring each night.

Could you please send me a tin of LamBuk and a small bottle of H2O2 in your next parcel. The parcel Agnes sent has not arrived yet but expect it any day now. Our rations consist pretty much of Bully Pork and Beans tea and bread these days and as I lost my pay shooting crap would appreciate that parcel.

Have you got the silk blouses yet. I can imagine Eudora telling her friends it came from Paris (don't you know) I do hope she gets one she likes.

Well Mother must bring this to aclose for this time, but just wish you could see us all here just now. A Nice big Fritzy dugout with about 5 compartments in it. Mine has a little table and a bed in it. My coat and another blanket for a mattress. We have a fire going over which the rest of my washing dries. In the next compartment a poker game is in progress, and we've just had our rum issue, some existence.

Your loving son
John