Letter to Mother from Somewhere in France

#782373 
S.W. in France 
19-10-17

Dear Mother:–  

It rained some while we ate dinner so there is a little mud on the yard.

I wish you could picture use around this farm sitting with our mess tins eating mulligan or some thing else or in the A.M. washing in the creek strop our razors by hanging the stroop on a branch of a bush Throw a towel on the branch and place the looking glass in a fold and away you go.       I just wrote to Mrs Leeper, a few lines, Arthur died from wounds after the 21st of Sept. to bad, but the boy is lucky that is all he is done with life and its bright and gloomy sides. they tell me I am platoon scout from now, I surely like the work, the map study cumpous and etc.

Last night practicing with my Lieutenant we went 1,200 yds to place, we set our compous by map, went out crossed fields hedges barn yds. swamps etc, and were about 15 paces out at finish. partly cloudy night some times we could see stars,

We got a bath today that went good it is 7 or 8 days since we had one,

supper an’t untill 5 P.M. there is a foot ball game on.

About 5.45 P.M. I am in a canteen There is a good light a table a show will be on later about 7. K.

Today we passed a threshing m. that turns the straw out in bundles and is stacked as careful as the grain was before it was threshed wemen do the most work old men and boys up to about 16 yrs we don’t see any others unless they are returned so see how lucky we are at home even if some of us have to come Dunn in our batt has had four brothers killed One lost an arm and now he runs the same chance as the others to get napoo some families pay more than there share.

 Well bye bye Mother dear I know these letters must come far from satisfying you but I seem to be run out of some thing to say. I am so comfortable and full that I am getting lazy I guess. I undress each night the powder has driven the lice away, I havent felt one in days. I am doing about 4 ½ hours drill a day just enough to keep you fit, We stay clean and feel good I have no cold. Just feel in the prime of life. There is so many things that I will be able to tell you is it is Gods will to take me thru that I can’t tell you on paper

as ever Laurie