Letter to Mother from Witley South Camp

Witley
28-1-17

Dear Mother:–

 I received four letter last night, and I have fooled around all day and have not written a line.

First Bob McKeith and I went to Gilford a city of about 60000 we got there about 1.45 P.M. by bus. We walked around and looked over an old castle that very much of reck now but a good sight. Then at 2.45 we went to the Cong. S. S. there was possible 150 present mostly children up to 12 years old. A Mrs. Lacy I beleave asked Bob and I to go out to her place to tea but did not have time to go two miles out and back before the 6 P.M. bus would go so nothing would do but we should come to a restaurant and have supper and a good supper with out use paying a cent so she took use to a good restaurant and told the proprieter to give use some good meat and cakes tea bread and butter so you bet we made good a big plate of cold ham each 3 slices of bread and butter two cups of hot water and two big sweet cookies I felt great after that. she wanted use to be sure and come to her clase if we ever were in Gildford again on S. P. M. so we promised we would,

Then we took bus to Milford went to cong. church service tonight and now I am up at the S. Army writing hut at camp it is 8.30

I have written very poor letters lately but some thing new will happen I guess about the 1st of March so if you folks will wait till then maby I will have something more interesting to write about.

When I get to France it may often be a long time between letters but the time will fly any I hope till it is over, if it amounts to days or years over there where the mud is thick.

I don’t think there one man in our batt that has a thing on his body we haven’t heard of one report since we were at C. H. The reason I don’t write more may be because it is chilly sitting back from the stove the last three or four days maby a week it stays about 5 degrees of frost and that is chilly. no rain at all just as dry as powder under foot and is clear over head for the last three days but up to that it had been warm and cloudy and damp.

I was at Godalming yesterday had a good time then spent the evening at Gowers we had a good time Moc. Aldrich is back from the front after 3 months over there he never had any leave in Eng. so they gave him his in France. It is hard over there Mother but he is game to go back and see it thru, he is the man that was a Captain in the U.S. Army and come over to Montreal and never said a word just joined as a private and is a private yet he is a prince, was a professor by profession has his B.A. and S.A. and has traveled around the world before,  he has been in Germany and can tell you lots about things over there before the war his father is a minister I don’t know but I think Cong.  I think I told you about him before his pal is the man that had studied to be a priest and resigned a French canadain we have lots of coal to keep our fire going all day, and we have no need in the world of a fire at nights. Moc. says they have 3 blankets in there batt. at the front. I am glad we are comfy in here because if we weren’t we would want to get to the front and get done with it.

Your letter was written on the my birthday I received the candy and it was dandy I gave the boys about 18 of them a peice each and eate the the two dandy cookies and the rest my self never send a bigger box Mother that is fine, and remember dear the farther they are apart they are the more I will appreciate them I want to live with out these things now it is helping me to go thru better and changing me to such a different man and that is what I need to accomplish Gods purpose. I am getting nearer to God each day and the boys feel it I can see it Mother, and look here what a minister said the other night and if you could have heard him as I did you would have said he spoak the truth, that his preaching was just like the firing of an engine one you could see the steam raise on the other you could read the conviction of the sins on there faces as you watched when you were getting to the right spots in mens lives. Oh he was a great man of God. he was strong in faith that is all we need, The young millionair has written me that he has got right with God partly thru a few days acquantence with me I will send his last letter home in the next letter

it is past time time to get out of here so good bye Mother dear your loving son Laurie

P.S. If Uncle Joe and Aunt Hannah have come greet them for me.

L.