East Sandling
Jan 6/16

My Dear Mother,

I rec' your letter and Arleen's dated Dec 16th. It is the second one this week and I'm answering it so as to catch the Saturday mail boat. I got a letter today from Minnie Farcey at La [?]. Aunt Mary had given them the address. We are on the ranges every day now. Rise at five-thirty and parade at sixty-thirty and walk three miles to the ranges. It is generally two o'clock before we get back and by the time we have dinner it is nearly four o'clock. We have a bath parade tonight at six o'clock and it is nearly time for our hut to go. They have moved us onto another platoon now and I suppose we will have to move into another hut. It is about the fifth time we moved since we came into this camp. I have been making average marks these last couple days enough so that I didn't have to shoot over gain each morning after the previous days shooting.

George Money has just come out of the [?] home today. He was laid up with a bad cold. It is fine weather now but it is hard to say how long it will last. I guess the roads are pretty high with snow now and how is the skating going on has the rink opened yet? I was down at Folkestone last night mainly for a a good feed as camp feed gets rather tiresome. I'm putting in for a late pass Saturday night to attend a theatre. There is a good play on I think it is one form London.

Mrs Glass wrote to me and gave me an address of Mr Glass's sister in London and a letter of introduction. I might hunt up the place if I have time when in London. I'm going to put in for a weekend next Saturday and go up to London. Leslie wants me to go up with him to visit his Grandmother.

I haven't had a letter from Frank for quite a time but expect one any day now. Arleen and Cecil did very good in their Xmas examinations and I hope the weather is mild so they can attend school all winter. It is kind of hard to drive them to school and go after them in the evening. What kind of teachers have you got? I got a letter rom Bessie Williamson the other day and she didn't give a very good report of the principle. She said he was very strict and gave them very strict examinations. How are the cows milking and the hens laying? Eggs are very dear hear and all eatables. A soldier cant get any kind of meal down town less than 75 cents or three shilling.

Well Mother this is all the news for this time.

From your loving Son
Jim

I suppose Father has left for the coast by this time.