Qualicum Military Convalescent Hospital,
Qualicum Beach, B.C.
Oct. 4, 1917.

My dear Mother:

I received your very welcome letters. I was very glad to hear that you and Dorothy, had a pleasant visit to the North Coast. I also received Dorothy's views of the Causeway. They were also opened by Censor, which shows how carefully the mail is watched by the Government for information that may be of value to the enemy. Of course this inspection of the mail is absolutely necessary, as Germany's agents are in every part of the world.

I am now in pretty good health. The skin on my face and hands is now quite strong. I have been having massage treatment for the neck which has already relaxed nearly all the contraction of the skin there. The hair on the eyelids has been restored. The convalescent life at this place has completed that wonderful medical work which was begun in Rouen.

I will be leaving here in a few days to go before a Medical Board, held at Esquimalt (e silent, i as in "pine") outside Victoria. I do not know if I will get my discharge or not. My next letters should be addressed 703472 J. Init Victoria, B.C.

I do not know what to think about selling Craigcatten. If C. Mabin is causing trouble, it would be better to find out exactly where we stand before taking action, with regard to the title of the place.

I am glad to hear that Dorothy's beau is still in good health. If he survives this winter in the trenches he will be all right. I have an opinion that there will be an end to the war before we are many years older. The States are making prodigious preparations for a long drawn out campaign.

The cost of living has gone up sky-high, in Canada and States Flour cost more here than in England and dry good are 80% higher than before the war. Conscription is now in force but this will not much effect the country, except in the big towns. This is on account of the number of exemptions of those engaged in necessary work.

With regards to the papers which I promised to send Dorothy and you, I have not yet found any which would be of much interest to you. This is an isolated place where I am at present living, trains only passing three time a week so by the time that I would remail any papers from here to you they would be pretty ancient. However I may be in a position to subscribe to one or two good magazines before long.

There have been no developments yet with regard to that which I was saying of the re-educational work.

There is not so much entertaining here of returned men as in England.

When we reached Winnipeg from Quebec we were taken by some people to a show. We remained in that town about six hours. That was about the only incident in a six days, night-and-day, journey from Quebec to Vancouver.

I had a visitor to see me the other day, from a Vancouver Conv. Hospital. This man was burned at the same time as I at the front, but after we had passed through Rouen we were sent to different hospitals and as we had not met since that time, we were naturally interested in each other's progress. As he is a native of France, and has a brother a staff Officer in the French Army, he had some very interesting information about the effects of the war on the Republic. He is suffering from contraction of the skin on both hands but he is not much disfigured. The other man who was burned at the same time is receiving treatment in Toronto, Ont.

I have not been reading much lately except a few books of H.G. Wells. "The World Set Free" is a pretty good story. It contains many passages of true prophetic insight to the affairs of men. If you were to read this book I think you would enjoy it, I know Dorothy would like it.

The war seems at times to be very far away from here, but one is continually reminded of its reality by the number of cripples one meets daily in hospital. Is Alex. Robertson in the trenches now? Is George still engaged in munition work? When I was in Quebec I wrote a short letter to Miss Anderson, Antrim asking if she would give me her brother Norman's address and number. She never replied.

Do you know I would not mind if I were sent back to some "bomb-proof" work at some of the big bases in France, if I do not get my discharge? I would like to live for a time in one of those large French towns. I will not again be able to stand the racket in the line with the infantry.

Give my best to the Misses Beck and C. Graham. Tell John Stevenson that his black-thorn is much admired here.

By-the-way Mother please do not attempt to send me anything in the way of a parcel just now, as I may be moving around so much that it is liable to be lost.

Hoping to hear from you and Dorothy again soon. I sent a book of views of W. Canada to Dorothy some time ago. I do not believe she got it.

Your loving
Willie