Halifax

Feb. 19th 1916

Dear Ollie:-

I am going to write you a few lines to pass away the time for the boys are all away.  Jack and Kelly are on guard and Angus went away this afternoon and didn’t come home to supper and it is rough and cold outside so guess I won’t go downtown.  When I came over here I didn’t plan to write so I am using YMCA paper.  Well I was lucky I was on guard Thursday night and it was a dandy warm night but it didn’t matter much to me for I was inside.  I was on hospital guard all I had to do was to watch three patients and not let them go off the ward.  I just sat in a chair by the stove but it was kind of a sleepy job.

It is cold as the Devil out tonight and snowing some too.  I pity Kelly; he is on guard down at the Kings Warf.  You know we have a lot more guarding to do now we have the 64th too.  Do you know they are going tomorrow, or that is the talk now?  So we have the Gun Warf, Kings Warf, Hospital, Exhibition Grounds and Armories.  It takes about 80 min. everyday so we don’t have long between guards.  About every five days.  I guess all of us Presbyterians will go to Dartmouth to church tomorrow.  You know we have turned Presbyterian for the church is only about twenty rods from Armories and we don’t believe in going very far from home.  The band is going with us so guess I will go.  They want all of us to go for they think it might help recruiting.   I guess they are going to start out sometime next week.  Don’t know just when but I guess by the talk the first.  Guess likely we will get off by the talk now but don’t know for sure.  They are going to give them six days and if we have good luck we will get more.  But I guess we will have to come back for I doubt if we get anybody at all.  But am going to try damn hard. 

Do you suppose there is anybody in Harts Woods that would join?  I don’t imagine there is but I think I will go in and see them if I come home.  We might get one.  Well guess I will have to saw off for I don’t know anything more to write for I have written everything I know and lots that I don’t know.  So will say good bye for this time.

Major