M.B.C.H. England
19/10/16.

My Dear Nerta,

I did not fare as well as usual in letters this week. Dads was the only one from home, then Floss, Vera Allen, Mae Sturdy all contributed. I don’t think tho, that my share of this week’s mail has come yet, as there should be one from either you or Mother, perhaps both.

Well I am back on ward 5 again. This time tho, on “centre” work. It is not quite so heavy, but not a bit cleaner, I have no floor to polish, but every morning, I do most of the preparing breakfast, wash the dishes, clean up my little kitchen, two lavatories, two bath tubs and the wash room, mop up the hall floor (cement). Then at noon I don’t have much to do with dinner. It comes in and the other tins serve it while I am at dinner. Then I wash the dishes, after which there is usually little to do, till 4.30 when I start to prepare tea. At teatime there are usually only two of us so we prepare and serve tea and wash the dishes to-gether. As this part of the ward has been allowed to get in a very much run down condition, I will have very busy afternoons, till I get things in proper shape, after which it will not be very hard work.

This afternoon the Sgt. Major asked me to scrub and stain the kitchen floor, but I could not get soda nor stain, then a Sgt. came for me to go back up to 31 for the afternoon, my successor having taken ill. I went down, helped transfer the patients, etc. finished about 4 p.m and at 4.15 I went down town to do some shopping, coming back about seven.

At 3 a.m. I was awakened by rain in the tent, I arose close the door and putting my great coat over me, took my underware and sox under the blankets to keep them dry. At four, I awakened again and snapped my flash around to see how things were coming when I found my hat upside down with my glasses in it, as I always have them, but it was right under a drip. Some catch all, Eh?

There is no further news about moving, but Capt. Jento said that we would never see France. From the way he said it, he apparently thinks we have our work cut out for us in England. Then I heard that one of the Majors said we would be in France for Christmas. There are so many rumors that you can’t tell what is going to happen.

I am enclosing an advt. of what I believe to be an ideal Christmas package, if any of you want to remember any of the boys. I have written direct, to see if they can supply one dozen tubes as follows: 3 marked on the tubes. They would be very handy for me to take to the cook house in case of emergency. I was able to buy a little jar of honey with a screw cap and it has saved my life a couple of times at breakfast.

I am enclosing a slip, soaked from a jar of fruit. We draw rations for the patients, from a place much like a grocery store. Some times we get jam etc that the Govt. has purchased, while at other times we draw this Canadian fruit. I get a chance at a few peaches, peach jam etc sometimes on duty and it sure is good. I don’t know whether or not the jars we sent were labelled, but if I get any from home, its mine believe me. Some of the towns have slips printed with a place for the name of the preserve. Save this slip with my other souvenirs.

Well I want to start a letter to Vera Allen, the first from England, so will have to stop. I must post your letter to-night, to catch the week end boat.

Lovingly,
Worth.