Letter from Mother from Somewhere in France

Saturday  Somewhere in France
a.m. 9-15 
6-9-17[sic]

Dear Mother:–

I am lying on my Oil sheet in front of my tent the sun is shining kind of mild, it has been cooler since the big rain, there never was any mud because it is so sandy and the roads are all metal, they are rougher here the stone is coarser and they do not use as much tar as in England, The papers give use good news last night you will see by your papers long before now, If this war prolongs victory is ours because the Allies are building up there backing in a solid way we will just gradualy walk over the hun like a plage of grass hoppers would walk over grain but it will take time and sacrefice,

We are all game to get up the line and we will be there in a few days now.  11.30 A.M. we were issued tobacco and cigaretts this A.M. when I came back after giving mine away I felt bad and told the boys about it. I turned to Ephesians 6-6 phill 2-7 and told the boys how I felt about my duty to God as a servant and that I could not draw these cigaretts and give them to the boys with out it hurting me so I thot I might not drow any more for them. this lead too about three hours talk on the word of God and the reading of a good many different verses to about a dozen of them. we had quite a good time it possibly helped some of them they liked it and it done me good, but one fellow got up against it and got mad and made an awfull blow but a lot of the boys that new me told him what kind of a christian life I was living and had proved it more in my life than in spouting it about, and said that I never tryed to get any arguments started at all, but tried to help any of the boys whenever I got a chance like to day. even that helped me and God surely will help me to help some of them yet, before I go under or get back or some thing turns up.      Well bye bye Mother dear as ever your loving son Laurie.

8.45   We have our real cold lead so you know what that means this my last letter at this camp. I was just in and had prayer with my freinds in the S.C.A. I always have a friend or two to say good bye to that says it with tears in there eyes. There was about 20 converted to night, but I was on parade you won’t here from me often but I will think of you and pray [the rest is written in the margins] as I always do I sit in the sand with my back to a post in the Y.M.C.A. I had a good swim in the sea tonight  as ever Laurie You remember McDonald in the picture beside me he said this A.M. to the whole bunch that there was not a man in camp respected more than Laurie