Cor. River & Rose Sts. Winnipeg

Oct. 7th 1917.

Dear John

Before me I have two of four letters and one Whiz Bang (as you call it) Field Service Post Card, one letter dated Sept 7th and the other Sept 15th both those letters were received Oct 4th then your Service card received Oct 6th you see your letters and cards are not very regular either but better a good deal than ours get to you. It is too bad John you do not get my letters or parcels, every letter I open of yours I am hoping to hear you say that you have received some parcels but never anything to eat. Well Yesterday Saturday Oct 6th I sent you two boxes, our box of chocolates which grandpa Cooker bought for you then another with a cake and chocolate fudge, these boxes are numbered 4 and 5. I hope you get your birth day cake and the box that Edith Stutter put her cakes in. Did you ever get the box Edith sent you a long time ago in England. it is strange you have got every box that Cake’s have sent you and not near all I have sent you. I don’t see what I can do more than I have done, are they addressed alright?

I will send you your scissors this week I cannot imagine what you want them for, also, some shaving cream and some insect powder, one pair of socks and three handkertchiefs, and I guess it is about time we were getting off the Christmas boxes. The other day I wanted to get some stockings knit for Thomas & Donald down to Eatons but they could not knit any as they were so busy knitting socks for their boys who were over in France for Christmas, it is wonderful how well they look after their boys.

I had a letter from Luella, guess I will enclose it in this, she said Rhodes had been very ill, but still in England.

I am enclosing a Bank Money order for $10.00 hope that will suit you alright, if not let me know. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving day we are having Turkey and Pumpkin Pie You think you have very little to write about but that may be so, what you do write is certainly very interesting your letters are read by everyone here I read them first than father and grandpa is here now and he remembers every thing to write and tells it over to any one who may come in.

Linwood Gunn is in Ninette Sanitarium I asked Miss Gunn, if she would rather he were at the front, she could hardly say.

Their certainly has been some awful fighting going on lately and the Allies have won to a very great extent but people here are saying now that we never would have won if the United States had not gone in but no one seems to think for a moment but what the victory will be ours now. I have just been reading your letters over and reading where you said send lots of parcels, well John I guess I can’t do any more than I have done in that line I have sent you two boxes a week for a long time past You do not mention any of the boys that are with you, are there any Canadian boys’ and any that come from Winnipeg? Do you hear for Eddie now? I don’t since Effie went away I have not heard of any about Ewart Morgan for quite a while but the past he was expected to go over to France again right away.

Helen Gay has gone over to London again to nurse, she has quite a time getting permition, and getting her passport and so on but she managed after a long time.

Miss Gunn and I are meeting our Camp Fire girls for the first time Tuesday evening, I am sure I am going to give mine up, I cannot do it justice this year I know I cannot.

You will soon be receiving a pair of socks from Helen, they are the first she ever knit. They are interesting she knit part of them while she was here and she would knit and read out loud to Bob at the same time.

I am going to have her over here again pretty soon to tea.

Carlyle and Thomas are at your old job painting. They are over at those houses on Bushnell St. Just now on Saturdays only of course.

Of course you have heard that Mrs Cake has her Fire place fixed and she’s so proud of it. I must go up and see it.

Any little thing that you happen to think about when you are writing, just put it down we are glad to hear any thing. Do you see any of our Canadian papers if not don’t you want the Free Press sent to you. I hope you get the Life, if you do not their is no use in me sending it to you.

I am going to bed now.

Sometimes I wonder how I would feel to see you walk in and be at home once more, but this war has to end first. We can hardly realize what things would be like to be normal once again. No one is happy here, the burden of this war is resting on every one.

I cannot begin to tell you how welcome your letters are John.

Good-night John.

Your loving mother.

E. Beath.

[Editor’s note of Dec. 2023: Updated to correct transcription/jpg cross-posting error between this letter and letter of Nov. 7, 1917.]