In a dugout
Thurs. Dec 7th 1916

My dearest Mother

Once more I find the opportunity to send you a few scratchings. This time in a dugout in which we boast both a table and a chimney and having the latter we are enabled to have a good wood fire burning all the time, with a minimum of smoke in the "parlour" to aggravate the eyes.

I received Pa's weekly last night and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It really was a "peach". I also received one from Abbot - well it was the extreme of limits for having gone passed the laugh at "stage" his supposed scraps are now nothing but an irritation. I'm half a mind to tell him so. Bye the way Min, will you see Mathias's and tell them to correct my address to the slip I handed to Doris or give up sending them. I'm dead sick of complaints about it. Seeing interest in the whole thing is flagging it better by half be given up.

Will Allen please type me out the words of "A Perfect day"?

Let me know of Percy from time to time. Eh!

Now I must quit and get supper but let me add I agree with Pa's idea over Xmas and at 6.30pm, if you send me the words we'll sing, "It came upon the midnight".

Now bye-bye

Ever your loving boy

Jack.

What are you doing about Stan's schooling after Xmas?