France
18/5/17,

My Dear Rhoda:-

Mother’s letter of Apl. 16 rec’d some (two or three) days ago, also one from Margt. Apl 14th about the same time. Am very sorry that your letters have not been acknowledged, but I always try to tell of the receipt of any letters in my letters home, as I expect you get the reading of them at your house. I got some letters from you also some papers recently and a parcel which I am almost sure I acknowledged.

We are at present in sort of rest camp and are living in tents. We have a very good band, and it plays nearly all day long while the men do a little drill and play games, etc. We use bugles, and but for the big guns we hear it seems almost like a training camp at home. Just a few minutes ago the bugle blew, first and then last post, and afterwards "lights out".

Last eve. I walked with another officer from here to a little town near by and meet a man who had been in the 159th, my original Canadian Battalion. I stopped and spoke to him, and he told me that two officers from the 159th were with his Battalion, so I hunted one of them up and had a little talk with him.

We have had good weather here since Apl. 24th but day before yesterday it rained as we came in here, but sunshine prevailed again to-day, and trees certainly look very green and nice. There are lots of wild flowers out now and strange to say there are quite a lot of partridges around the battle area. Last night we saw four, two of them seemed quite tame. It is contrary to orders for men to do shooting of any kind except on a rifle range or in the front line at the Hun. Last time we were in the second line and two of our men shot partridges and cooked then for breakfast in the trenches, the men in the first line complained about it, and we had to warn them to cease. I saw two rabbits too between our first and second lines, last time we were in. They were shelling at the time and when a shrapnel shell would burst near them they would run as if terrified almost to death.

You might tell Mgt. please that I will write her soon, possibly she will get in on the same mail as this.

Am glad Mother looks forward with pleasure to the new house, and I hope it is as nice as the old one. I thought the trees at the back of the old place were very pleasant. Would that I could be there to help them move, and to see the place.

Am very sorry to hear that Margt. is still not as well as she might be, but hope she will soon be herself again. I think she should try not to worry, as she evidently does according to her letter to me. We understand that we are only going to be in the line a short time. This next tour and then a good long rest. Well I must close. Give my love to all "Chez vous" and chez ma mare et mon pere.

Yours afftly,
Alex.