France August 7, 1917

Dear Bee,

Just received your letters dated July 15th last night and certainly was glad to hear from you both. You must have had a big time at the Stampede at the Hat. However did you handle all the kiddies in that crush? I suppose you would stay in the car most of the time tho: and Jack took in everything eh!  he sure is some boy alright. Mother says they have all grown wonderfully and changed a lot too. I suppose they will be strangers to me entirely by the time I get back.

Where do you folks intend to stop […]

However, this old war cannot last for ever and I think the world will be too wise to ever let another one commence.

We are having a nice little rest just now from the shells and sure are enjoying it. This part of the country certainly is a pretty part and the crops are looking magnificent just now. If you only had French weather in Sask. you would never miss a bumper crop. We have as much rain in a few days as you get all summer and dandy warm days too. We were down for a swim today in a great big swimming pool and maybe it did not go fine. But oh these lice: we can never get wholly rid of them. We are like some of those foreigners we used to talk about, would be lonesome without a few crawlers.

A young French girl who lives where we are billeted just gave me a pansy and I am putting it in your letter so you will have something that grew on French soil. I must try and bring you some souvenirs when I come back. We can easily get them when we are in the line but do not carry any more than we have too from one place to another. Our packs are plenty heavy enough on a nice hot day.

And you folks have been having birthdays lately. I wrote to you both on those dates and I suppose you received my letters about the same time as I got yours as you wrote them on the 15th. A month from today and I will be year older too. We will hope that we celebrate the next together in Canada.

Well little sister I think is about time I wound this up so will stop for this time with heaps of love to you all from your loving brother.

Bruce McLagan