France
Feb 5/1917

Dear Mother;-
The moon is nice and bright to night he is shining in the window, onto the stove I am sitting close to the stove because it is this froid ce soir.

The little girl is studying here catechism. She is always at it. Mason and I looked it over the other day and it is the Bible in story form. The mere is cooking the old gents suppers. She is very good to us, just finished giving us each a cup of coffee. We get a cup night and morning.

The little girl made a fire in our room a few minutes ago. The room is warm for us when we go to bed. The fire doesn't last till we get up but we should worry once we are asleep, and in the morning we haven't time to think about the cold. It's up, get breakfast, waqsh and fall in. We are on parade from 8 to 12:30, then fall out for dinner, one hour and then we are on parade till 4. Pm. The mother here has just been asking how long since we left Canada and how long we have been in the trenches. I told her then she wanted to know when the war was going to finish. I said Mars, Avril, Mai, Juin, Julliet, Aout, Septembre and finish Octobre, then she started Non, Non, Non, a la guerre finish Avril 2. They seem to think U.S's action will finish the war very quickly. Maybe it will, you never can tell. Do you hope so? I showed the people here some snaps I have, among them, your picture, Dad, Cliff and Keith in the car and Aunt Carrie, Hannie and Aggie, you, Dad and Keith at Current River O, they said beaucoup swoneh?
To-night when I was sewing my scout ribbon on my sleeve, wishing you were here to make a good job of it, the little girl told me I would soon be a General- not if I know it.

The other night the old gent came home with a little too much cognac in him. He was very talkative and his talk was on war as it always is. He certainly hates the Germans. He is a veteran of the French Prussian war has a couple of medals won in it and has also served five years in Africa.

Wes has been up these past few nights writing letters. He hasn't extra good billets so he comes up here where there is a fire, and a chair and tables. I haven't been out any night since coming here so I haven't seen Hennie only an parade. Wes Tells me though that his billets are nothing extra. I got your parcel of Jan 5 and also Florence's. Say but peanut butter goes down great. Everybody seems to like it. I got 9 letters the other night too, so I'm busy writing. Well I'll have to finish now.
With love,
Gordon.