78 Slateford Rd.
Edinburgh Scot.
Xmas Morning

Dear Folks:

Have a few minutes before dinner so am going to scratch off a few lines home.

A big bunch of mail came in this morning before I was up - eight letters - so I read them in bed eating breakfast. Do you know I've had breakfast in bed every morning since I come here, and have an awful struggle to get up before twelve. Stan is worse than I am too, so you may be sure we have an easy time.

Xmas is pretty quiet here. New Years seems to be the big day. I hope I'm here for it. We've had a grand time so far & prospects look good for the rest of the time too. We are wiring for a weeks extention on our leave & I think we will get it. They don't want us there until they find out what is going to happen to us.

Spriggie wired up from London yesterday that my money was in the bank there - and beleive me I'm tickled to death, for things are beginning to be a little embarassing to say the least. I'm going to try & have it forwarded up here but if I can't I'll go down for it. Spriggie wants me to go down to his place for the rest of my leave but Scotland for mine if its at all possible.

I must tell you about the big day we had here on Monday. To begin with there's a girl staying here quite a lot with Mary - thats Stand cousin - whose people live here in Edinburgh. Maudie is quite a genius - she is in business for herself as an insurance broker & has a wonderful business all over Europe & quite a bit in America. She is one of the most reliable brokers in Edinburgh and is only 28 years old. Well her dad is a real Scotsman and he planned the day for us on Monday. We met him down town at noon & he took us for dinner. There we met two of his old pals - a Mr. Matheson and "Billy Bald". Billy was school chum of Mr. Brunton's (that's Maudie's name) - and a regular Harry Lauder. After dinner we got a taxi and went out to a little place called "Nine Mile Burn" - out in the Pennick Hills about eighteen miles from town. It was a grand day and we certainly enjoyed ourselves. We had tea there and then came back to Bruntons. There were all kinds of interesting things on the way out and the Hills were great. We got a few good snaps with my camera that you will get later. We got back above seven and beleive me we were hungry. We had a grand dinner - I can't begin to tell you what we had because I wouldn't know what to call half of it but anyway it went good. We put the rest of the evening in singing songs, etc. Mr. Brunton has been all over the world, and his some wonderful trinkets. He was out in Edmonton in 1878 and would hardly beleive what I told him abut it now. Kitty - Maudie's sister had made quite a reputation as an artist. She showed us some paintings & I suppose they were good altho' I couldn't see anything wonderful about them. The big even of the evening was Stan & I singing the Maple Leaf For Ever. We're still alive to tell about it too.

Yesterday evening Maudie had us down to her office to what she called a Bohemian tea. There were about a dozen of us & we had all kindsof fun. The office is a big affair with an old log fire-place. More like a Club than and office. She has a whole room full of clerks etc but they were all given a holiday.

The rest of the time we have been seeing the sighs. We were out to Forth Bridge one day but it was too misty to take any snaps.

I think this is about enough for once isn't it? We're going out to a rugby game this afternoon. I can't tell you what is liable to happen to us. We may go back to the reserve any time. Anyway I hope it isn't long until we sail. Have you seen Peener or Burnie or Chief yet? Be sure & have Burnie & Chief over if you can locate them. Here's hoping you are having a grand time today. I only wish I wa there to join you. Thanks awfully for the money. I hope it hasn't been too much of a drain.

Love to Everybody - encluding Marg & her little family

Yours Bill