Shorncliffe, England.
September 12^th/16.

Dear Mother and All,

I was truly thankful to receive at noon, letters from Miriam and Nerta, and your letter dated Aug 27^th. I will try to write Miriam to-night, as she is in Toronto, and will try to write Nerta at the end of the week. I also received the Observer for Aug 17, I think it was.

Glad you received cards and letters posted along the line. We just had to hand these out to people at the station, so were not sure you would get them. I hope you received letter posted in England, which I wrote on the boat. I jumped off at some station, and handed it to a little girl, asking her to post it up town.

It is rather funny I did not receive my fountain pen yet. If it has not come to hand, write Montreal. I left word at the London (Can.) post office to forward all my mail to Tillsonburg, as I thought you would take more pains about getting the address correct.

I mailed the watch and spoon Saturday, Reg. mail. The spoon is one of the regular service of the White Star Liner “Olympic,” which had slipped in with our hospital cutlery so I kept it for a souvenir. The Olympic was our boat. I will have it suitably engraved when I return, and keep it as a souvenir.

The boy who was in the hospital at Halifax, was likely one of six or eight, which we sent overboard from the ship’s hospital just before we sailed. You see it was the 26^th you read that, while we landed on the 30^th. I told you we would be kept in Halifax much longer than I really expected we would, so you would not worry. I hoped to have the cable in Tillsonburg about the time you would be expecting us to sail. I am afraid tho that the government here, would hold it up, the message I sent, should have been delivered to you on Monday September the 4^th. I took advantage of a week end rate, knowing that the govt. held them up anyway. I sent it on the 31^st of Aug. Your idea of having the Col. cable the Free Press, would hardly be a good one. You can say very little in a cable. I can cable very cheaply if you wish. I think it is a half-penny per word we get from here, but Dad would have to arrange an address, with the telegraph companies, “[Swade?], Tillsonburg” would be best. You see this counts as two words, while E.F. Davis, Tillsonburg, is four words, and just “Davis” will not do on account of C.E. Davis.

If you want me to cable once or twice a month, I can, but I don’t see much use as long as I am all right.

I am afraid you are going to read of the sinking of the Olympic some of these fine days. The Germans are after her in particular, as she carrys as high as 10,000 troops on some of her trips. When running thro the Mediterranean, the crew said that ten torpedoes had been fired at her.

I am glad the rings arrived, and hope they fitted and that the pearls are good. I did not see them, but did not like the ones they had in stock.

I surely was surprised to hear Miriam had gone (by now) but glad to know Nert will be with you for another year. Much as I wanted to see her go to University, I hardly saw how you could work it, alone.

Sorry the Red X would not do anything, and glad Dad and Victor S. sent some. We are using some of the money right now, to buy a bowl, cup and pie plate of granite for each man to eat off. Since leaving London (except on the boat, where we had heavy china) we have been eating from our mess tins. These are tins like a dinner pail but not so high. They are this shape, [sketch of flattened half circle] looking at the top, the bottom which is about four inches deep is for tea etc, the cover about an inch and a half deep, with a handle which folds in, we use for meat and potatoes, (and porridge at breakfast). A tray about ½” deep we use for pudding, jam, cheese or bacon. We have to wash these ourselves at only one tap for all, and cold at that. By the time you have eaten stewed mutton from them for a week, the get some greasy. In fact, I scour mine out with sand after mutton, to get it nearly clean.

Yes, we picked up Jones, who went to fill his bottle before reaching Halifax, but in those we sent over the side at Halifax, was one of our own boys, Stewart by name, with a serious abscess in the head. We have had no news from him, but there was little hope.

Now I will try to tell you what we have to eat. For breakfast, we always have porridge, with bread and margarine, a butter substitute, but just as good, as far as I can see. In addition to this we get bacon, canned salmon or beans. The bacon is very fine, but we only get it three times a week on account of the price, which (retail) is I understand 40¢ per lb. Never eggs, they are seven cents each. The porridge is pretty good but never sweet, they say a grocer will only sell 1 lb. of sugar to a person at once, I am not sure of this, nor do I know the price. The salmon is good, but no pepper or vinegar. Salt is the only thing we are supplied with, never milk, sugar, pepper etc. The beans have always been uneatable, and we raised such a kick, that they said they would not give them to us again.

At noon we get potatoes boiled and peeled now, altho they were not at first, they are good; bread and margarine; meat, boiled mutton (or rather stewed), stewed beef, or roast beef. The mutton is awful, uneatable most of the time, the stewed beef very fair, and the roast beef splendid. We had it Sunday and again to-day. For dessert, we have boiled rice with currants and sand, rotten, boiled eggs, rottener, or bread pudding, rottenest. These things are just boiled and filled full of nutmeg or cinnamon to kill the taste, not sweetened nor salted, not to my taste at least. For tea, we have cheese or bully (corned) beef, or jam, and bread etc. I do not get enough to eat for the work we do, but a man comes around with fried cakes, apples, plums, etc. which are very good, I eat a good deal of bar chocolate, and nearly every night come down to the “Y.” for a mug of hot chocolate and a couple of buns. Often instead of tea. Now to-night for instance I came down here about a quarter to five to write and will have something as soon as I finish this letter, then write till about 8.30, and do not have a meal at camp at all. Wednesdays and Saturdays I try to get away and have a real good meal, and buy anything else I may need.

Next Saturday, all being well and if I am not on any fatigue, I will go up to Canterbury for the afternoon and evening and see the Cathedral, etc, and make some pictures if possible. I don’t show my camera much tho, as I don’t know what the restrictions are.

I am going to buy some of that “canned heat” we can get it here with a little clip to fit the can and make it into a stove, then soups and beans, which will be nice to have warm. We can heat them in our mess tins. Emerson had some little stoves which would be fine if it were not for the size. I could not carry it.

Now I will tell you what I would like, if you can possibly send it, either honey or maple syrup, marmalade if you could send in a little can or jar. It would be hard to send tho I suppose. Also if you are making any jellied chicken and it would keep long enough I would sure like it. This is all I want in the eating line. Can you tell me, that jelly we used to get in Mitchell, I think you said Dr. Smith had them get it from England. I may be able to get it and think it would be very nourishing. I do not feel that I am well enough nourished.

I would also like one of those tiny kaki leather testaments, and a Prayer Book, about the same size and style if you can get it. I intended getting these, but forgot till it was too late. They must be very small. Also a tiny compass, one out of a charm would do, but it would often come in handy, to know where I am.

I was very much surprised to read in the Observer that Coomber had sold out, what is he going to do, and what will Dad do with the store?

I cannot tell you, what a comfort my pyjamas are. They are wonderfully warm, only one other boy in the tent has them and his are two-piece flannelette, and not very warm. The others do not entirely undress, and have to wear their great coats. We have board floors, and three blankets.

Now Dears, I must stop as I am getting hungry. Send this on to Miriam, as I will likely not write her nearly this much.

Lovingly,
Worth.

I am very well and as happy as possible when we are so far apart. I have not had even a cold, but many have.