Letter to Mother from Somewhere in France

#782373
S.W. in F. 
16-10-17

Dear Mother.

I don’t get around to write every day as I would like to we sleeping in the hay barns cannot use candles, because they might make a fire some time, so it takes most of the day light to clean up and parade and eat, I was in a nice town on one occasion you may be able to look it up on the map “Cassel” I had a good treat bread, butter, fruit 3 ½ cups of good cocoa just like home, 3 pieces of cake a dish of ice cream, it looked good to see the street cars again, and clean neat tidy women and girls, The French girls are not flirts or do not flirt with use they use use with calm cool respect just do business with use and make use welcome but that is all. The most of them are very nice form good looking,

We just do enough to keep use exercised and not enough to ever make use hungry, but say we do eat any way, I have the awfullest appetite you ever thot of I eat every thing they cook and like it all, but I am afraid I would not eat much of it if I was home for it is nothing like mother used to cook,

I got a long letter from Elalie yesterday written at Van. several snaps enclosed, She has a nephew in this batt he is a stretcher bearer, a very nice fellow. I noticed him months ago and remember her walking away from the firing line with him one night long ago but did not know who he was till yesterday, The weather is fine now and drying up good, There was several plains going over about 9 one night I wish you could see, them, the lights look like traveling stars, say Mother I know when you send me candy and cake, you do it to give me a treat, to help me out and when I get them I eat so much instead of it helping me, I know it injures me everytime So for my sake don’t send them very often. I am better without them, besides now we have $9.00 to spend each mo. don’t think for a minuit that I havent appreciated the candy treats you have sent, because I have and I realize how tired you have often been when you would still work on to fix my package,

I write less letters all the time, I can’t help it, I am a settled down old soldier and content with army life it is such a a treat to what I ever thot it would, you I don’t think do beleave yet how much different it is to what you pictured it. just read up my back letters and you will see how little of real hardship there is so far for an able bodied man with an adaptable disposition which is the key to an enjoyable life under any circumstances in life, I am so glad I can go thru this life take in the actual experience of a private soldier among the untold thousands off our Allied forces, I would sooner spend the summer right here than in England, but I guess the winter is harder for one may get wet thru on several occasions, bye, bye, next day at noon

as ever your loving son Laurie in haste