Sept. 15th 1915

My dearest wife.

Well, here we are, in billets once more for a few days rest & a good clean up. I got your letter dated Aug 23 just before we left the trenches, but I put off writing till we got out, you would get the letter just as soon anyway, I haven’t got much news anyway as things are going on here pretty much the same as usual & it is hard to know what to write when there is nothing to tell. I am still in the best of health, only for a touch of rheumatism, but thank heavens, it does’nt last all the time, only when it is wet. We are having pretty good weather now, but it is changeable & it gets pretty cold at night, I got a blanket issued to me to-day so the cold wont bother me so much. It is funny that you should mention Mrs Mathieson, one of the first persons I met here was her husband, he is stationed quite near here & I have met him several times already, I was not speaking to him as I dont think he knows me, but he looks just the same as ever. It is a wonder to me that Dr Morris should have spoken to you the way he did, even if you had said anything about him, I think he would have been better to have held his tongue, anything that you could say would not do him much harm, there is no doubt about it, He & Mrs M are not acting right, no matter how he tries to excuse himself & he will have to suffer for it some day, I wonder what his wife thinks about it all, I am sure her heart is sore. I have not yet received the parcel with the Razor blades, but it will probably get here soon, although the blades you sent me before are not done yet, I can still do with the extra ones, I dont remember if I told you in my last that I had got the Sabadilla, it was splendid, it worked like a charm & I am thankful to say that I am free from vermin for the time being, of course I have to use it frequent & I am afraid it will soon be done, so please send me some more, dear, you have no idea how nice it feels to be free from the pests. You say that Harlow is leaving the Hdw, what is the matter, have they laid him off or is he going of his own accord, do you know, he has never written to me yet nor has he sent the parcel he promised you he would send, I think it is pretty mean of him, dont you, & I was kind of looking forward to getting the soap, however, it cant be helped, he does’nt have to write if he does’nt want to. I am glad Mr Hawthorne was nice to you, you can remember me to him the next time you see him, I must write to him one of these days. I am glad to hear that the children are happy, dear, & that you have all you want, but I am sorry that you yourself are not happy, of course I know that it is because I am away from you, dear, but you must’nt worry, I am all right & I am taking good care of myself, you can rest assured that I will not take any unnecessary risks, dear, for you know that I want to come home to you whole & I think I will, my, but I am looking forward to that time, wont we enjoy ourselves when I get back, we will make it the time of our lives, it will be like getting married again, only better, wont it dear heart. I am glad that you were able to get yourself some furniture, but it is a pity you could not get a stove too, why not try Harlow before he leaves, he might be able to give you a new one cheaper than Kaines, though two dollars a month is not very much, still it would be nicer to have one of your own, would’nt it. I am glad to hear that George likes football so much, he must be quite a little man, when I get home he & Eileen will have to go to all the matches with me & when he gets older he will be able to play himself, I am afraid it is too late in the season now for him to have a bathing suit, but by next summer he might get one, of course some one would have to be with him to see that he did not get out of his depth, when he gets older he will have to learn to swim - & now, dear, I must close, I am enclosing a newspaper cutting for you to read, it tells exactly what we feel like when we are leaving the trenches & describes it a whole lot better than I could do, it is true, every word of it; & I am sending George & Eileen a little Belgian Handkerchief & card, they are too late for their birthday but I think you will like them, I think they are rather pretty. Kiss the children for me, dear, & with all my love to you, my darling, I remain your loving Husband

Jack

Remember me to all my friends, dear, you can tell them that I would like to write to them all, but that there is really nothing to tell. Has Edwards left the CMRs yet? J.

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