Pte E Hearle No 10916
4th Battn 1st Batt C Coy
1st Canadian Court
Bratand Camp Salisbury Plains
Jan 11.1915
Dear Mother,
Here I am back again in the mud hole after 3 of the happiest weeks I have had fro a long time. I got back to camp this afternoon from Exmouth & am writing this now, as I expect that tomorrow I'll feel more like suicide then writing home as it sure is a awfull change from the love nice warm house to the cold dirty tent that would seem a cruel place to keep a boy in. However nuff sed I'll get used to it again in time I guess, and from now on we shall not be here for long. Our stores are all moved to [?] they say so we shall probably be billeted there for a little while, in the next few days we shall be in France by the End of January I think we shant stay here any how, as the there have allready been 300 deaths by spinal meningitis which is our latest little rage. To get back to more cheerful things I still had a swell time at Exmouth. The solid enjoyment one gets in sitting in a cozy arm chair by a blazing fire in a really artistic well lighted room & read a book or drowsily listen to Mrs Love, Dorothy & Violet playing a trio or while away the time pleasantly playing cards is only to be appreciated by living in a mud hole. I was able to get around some on Friday & on Saturday we had a swell time. In the afternoon we went to Exmouth moving picture show & saw some dandy pictures then we beat it home for tea & caught the train to Eaton in time to see the [?] did I enjoy it - I should smile! It was fine we walked back in the dark.