Letter to Mother

[Church Army Recreation Hut letterhead]
23-2-17
[Section] 4 [Co.] 128 [Batt.] Moose Jaws Own C E F [Regt.]

Dear Mother:– They have fixed up our recreation room newly painted it put 10 arm chairs in it lots of benches and 14 tables to write or play cards on. All the pictures are 17 in no. of horses in hunts and jockeys and etc but they are nicely framed so it makes things seem like home, it is warm as spring out so when a cupple of fires are going in here it is great so comfy that I just long to sit and think of the loved ones at home but I have write for I am so far behind with my corespondence that I have to try to catch up. The time seems to go so fast that I don’t get time to do all I should of a good many things, It is about 5.45 we got a letter from one of our boys today he said that they went a head in a bombing party and Tommy Shuttleworth was missing when they come back. manys the time Tom came to me both drunk and sober and talked to me and told me of his back life and I always done what I could to turn him to the right way but he dident turn and now less than six months and he is number with the slain of coarse we an’t sure but there is a good chance it is that. I hope he hasent been killed tho he had a great big noble heart even if he could no love God to his own salvation. he said he beleaved in God Laurie don’t think am an atheast I know I an’t as good a man as you, but I respect you for it. I could not say the right things to him but I pray that God will give me the right words to help any of my pals more from now on. We had a great talk last night on the word of God Mother it is had to beleave what is wrong that more don’t live a christian life, the whole secret of it is they only half live the life and then they an’t liked get worse and worse every man in the hut helps me on and all talk to encourage me, and sincerely to, the worst of them seem to be hungering for me to say some thing that they are waiting longing for. I wish that I could help them to change, they don’t want to go to church. they feel different when they get near the church, there is so much condeming the church go on that in a way it is hard to blam them, but they do all stand and bock the word of God. If any man can hang onto him self and live the christian life in the army who has a knowledge of Gods word the good he can do will never be known But the Hazenmore boys will never be like the others. they don’t respect me the same they the know me so well that they can talk as filthy as they like where I am and it won’t hurt me, they got doing that in the tent at C.H. especialy Leeper and Fred Nelson. Now they are both good friends but they don’t value or respect the life I live like the other boys I have around me.

When the toughest of men will stop with dirty words half out and will carry on conversation for hours in circul around a stove with out a curse while I am in the circul. There is proof that a christian life is worth while. Oh if I can only help Gods work to prosper if I can’t do much now maby I can learn to after the war and a year in the Army would teach Whitey more about winning souls than 20 years in a circuit I beleave, I think that lots of good ministers do very little good in there private life in the army they find it so hard to have the give and take that is necessary and the bad talk kind of sours them and makes them stay out of the conversation when they should pray and work to be able to over look this until they win the respect of the boys thru there life among them then would be the opportunity to say the word that they so easily could say the first night among the boys, but the resent it all to gether. They sneer and say all kind of things there has always been enough boys went into the new crowd with me to kind of introduce me and the most of the bunch use me right at once but there is always one or two that can’t beleave any thing good of a christian, There was several boys that got in wrong with there fast life when they first hit England and spent a good while in the hospital well they did not want me in the say county with them, but I have been put in the same hut with two of them now and we have got acquanted and I wonder what they would say if I reminded them of how they used to avoid me a few months. It is just the wrong idea of the christian that is killing Gods work today lots of men profess to be christians and an’t they turn others away by there lives, and then the true christian has to face the music I wish I could face that music for some of the weaker one, the love of God means so much to me that I have no difficulty in praising before any man, he has made a man of me that could not be with out him.

Mother talk this over with the boys and Alice if you can and look up all the passages of scripture on it that you can and tell me what conclusion you come to. Will a man born again by the precious blood of Jesus who has become a son of God partake of the Kingdom of heaven if he back slides and lives in the world and dies in his backslidden condition, I quite firmly beleave that he will not, and most of the ministers at S.C.A. tryed to prove to me the other night that he would they said once a son of God and always a son of God. It will be some thing good for you to look up.

I am going down to Gowers tonight for I may pull out of camp for a few days next week and the batt might move away before I get back if I go, we here that we will be moved some where soon so the more of England we see I guess the better it will suit the most of the boys if we ride on the train any way.     That candy was great Mother and I ate it all myself. the socks well they are to nice to try to discribe but I am afraid I have so many they will do me all winter again for I have 5 pairs that I never have had on yet and two more pair I dared Friday just small holes and two that have never been darned and I don’t think there is but one hole as big as a pea in one of them so you know now how I am fixed for socks. I will tell you lots quick enough to send me some more next fall I guess. I have very good feet for the army they never hurt at all and I have got good at the darning so it is only fun to darn them I take the top off of the mess tin and shove it down into the sock and away I go. You should just see how comfy Burns and I are when we are tucked into our little bunk at night we sleep like two mice. The M.G. work is coming on fine I like the fun we have there is no work at all I guess I will get fat and lazy at it we get an hours phy drill mixed with bayonet fighting each a.m. from 8 till 9 then three hours mixed with lecture stripping and saying off the mechanism then noon P.M. we have an hours barrack square drill and the same over again in side of a hut so you can tell how long each man waits for his turn out of 3 guns and 24 men. It spell duck soup all right.

Well Mother dear good bye as ever your dearest boy
Laurie

P. S. I am well feed feeling good no cold and happy because it is my duty to be here remember when I an’t all right and when the rashions are short or poor or any thing is wrong I will tell you. we have had no inspections in England like we had in C. H. it is a joke to soldier over here to me, but of coarse I feel a little different ever since I was home the last time, The time goes so much different to me I see things different and as long as I have Gods word with me, I will always be able to pass the time with out it dragging any at all. Well I surely will have to quit. I am wound up to night.