Y.M.C.A.
H.M.FORCES ON ACTIVE SERVICE
Reply to me Company 196 Batt the Regt.
Stationed at Seaford Sussex

Jan 10th 1917

Dear Jessie

I got your short epistle this morn. That is the one you wrote on the 17th of Dec. Others written on the same day got here last week (your slow) Gee the guys at the piano are playing & singing The Girl I left behind me. Oh me oh my it makes me homesick but I am getting over that sickness more every day but there is always that longing for home & home folks that one can not conquer especially when we get our letters. Then mingled with it is the uncertainty of the whole thing. When will the time come when we sail for dear old Canada & how will we find things there when we get back. Of course we all feel certain that we are coming back though it will be impossible for all of us.

Dont think because I write that way that I am blue for I never felt better in my life. As you will note I am out of my hut & over to the Y.M.C.A. tonight but mum is the word do you get me. I had to get a small note book from somewhere & this is the nearest place I could get one.

Last night we practiced up all the dances everyone in our hut knew but these one sided dances do not appeal to me. Neither do any others for that matter. They have the band in the canteen nearly every night & have one horse dances in which I never take part. Once in a while the four girls in the canteen do a little dancing but they are not the style that appeal to my stern nature & anyway there are usually a couple of Officers around to monopolize them. My pen is nearly empty by looks of things eh! never mind if it goes dry there is plenty of ink here to refill it.

I got a letter from Frank today also & one from Beck & Sadie yesterday. It never rains but to pours. Sadie tells me that charlie Davis is Married. I wonder how in the world he ever managed to say enough to let her know that he wanted to marry her. Oh yes it was leap yearl Well I spose I will have to wait till 1920 for my turn. The girls over here don't wait for leap year though. So they tell me. Of course I don't know much about it as you will see from that card I sent you. I live at Seaford you know. Just wait till I come back to Canada with two or three U Co no I mean D.C.M's on my breast. I mean on my record. D.C.M. also stands for district court martial you know.

Say the 203rd Batt moved in here today but I only saw Doc Brace from the rear as he marched into their lines. I may see him soon though for their lines are close to our Parade grounds. I can't look him up for a while though until we are let loose.

I am still at the O.T.C. but will likely get my debute next week as we have preliminary exams then. I don't care much though what they do if they do it quick for we expect to send a draft soon & if I get out of the school I will most likely catch the draft & by then the weather won't be so bad. Everything is so uncertain that you can't tell what the power's will do next & I would not want to come back to Canada without doing my bit now. However I think if they judge us by the exams that I can hold my place.

Well Jessie this is two to you this week so I guess I quit & write to mother tomorrow. Oh yes. it is to bad if you leave school now but you have your third & it would lighten the load at home a lot if you can stand the work. I guess Ida will miss you at school all right & you say you would miss her. Well I don't blame you.

Lovingly Rae