France
17/4/18.

Dear Mir.,

Yours of the 21^st is a regular book, and believe me, I was glad to get it. The parcels arrived O.K., as I told you before, and we enjoyed them very much, the last one is not finished yet. Please thank the girls for me, as I really haven’t time, I am just stealing a few minutes now — 11 A.M., to get this note off to you. We clear patients pretty rapidly and it means a good deal of work, so many coming and going. We don’t mind it a bit tho, as we have been mighty lucky. Two of our officers returned from the line last night, and one of them, just got away and that’s all. His Sgt. was killed, and a bullet went thro his gas mask case, which is carried around the neck. He never got a scratch tho. It is really miraculous how some come through.

Lately, we have slipped thro the moons pretty easily, but you never can tell when a bump is going to come.

Yes, Nert said she thought Bill was married, you can’t blame him tho. I certainly hope he did better than Pete appears to have done.

Whatever you do, don’t come over here, now remember that. When you are ready, I may not be around to say anything about it, but just put that under your hat, stay right where you are. I know more about it over here, than you will ever find out. That little girl with whom I was in Ireland, expected to return to Canada last December, if she did, she may look you up some time. Among other things I have lost her address, but she used to be at Wellesley on cases.

You are a lucky little stiff to slide thro things the way you do, even if Miss F. is “laying for you.”

Yes, Kim and “Lizzie” are lucky, but I don’t envy them it very much.

 There is some straffing to-day, the old hut is fairly shaking.

Yes, I know of the Southam’s, Gordon dealt with Norman Ellis. He was a young chap and was married while I was there. I believe he was killed over here. He took over the machine gun section, after Geo. Trickett left the command, but of course I was out of it before that. I think Gordon S., eventually came over with the artillery.

Well Kid, it is now nearly 8 P.M. and I will try to get this finished.

Irene is surely close enough to you, and if that is where Kenneth has his office, I don’t think much of his location. Someone wrote that he was interested in the Orthopedic up on Bloor, I think it is.

The Mater told me that Mar. had come over to Blighty to get married. I don’t think Much of the idea tho. I thought she had a little more of the grey matter. You never mention the Martin girls. Do you never see them now?

Dad sent me a map of the Southern advance, to-day, in his letter, I wonder if he thinks I don’t know there is a war on over here. Believe me, if he had listened to the bombardment I did all night, and to-day, he would think it was not all in South, either. Cheer up tho, the old British Bull Dog, has a few teeth left yet.

No, I am getting no Optical work at all, just book work in the Steward’s dept., and There is just enough too. It is midnight some nights when I get thro, but we should worry.

I am glad you are taking in some of the shows, see all you can now

I did not know that Reade and Annie were in Wellesley, altho Cousin Lexie said they had had a great deal of sickness. I hope they are better now.

It is certainly rotten, that now you girls are where you are, that I can’t be with you two or three times a month, as I could have, at any other time.

Yes, I know how Jack got home, won’t tell you just now, but I don’t blame him. He had been over here, and after that, I don’t blame anyone for making it.

Cousin Lexie told me about “Ralph Connor” being there. She was able to get in and hear him.

Heaps of Love My Dear and it may be a while before I can write you again.

Your loving brother,
Worth.