France Mar. 25/17

Dear Mary & kiddies

Received your letter of 27 Feb to day glad to get it & to here you had coal when it was hard to get Joe got the paper letter the yesterday. sorry you are lonesome it is as bad as homesickness wish I could say or write to help this seperation makes me know that you are the very best person I ever had or made friends with I do not care for the kind who are always saying little nothings. when we are allowed to be together again will apreceate your friendship & company Your care of little Ivan should have him well again Your are so, shall I say a wise head at it. the Canadian Winters are very bad on people who are not out a great deal. I should have been more thoughtful of you all than I have. Was out with the Co. to day training going over, which may be some good a Frenchman said to day it would be finished in three months & be home in Canada I do not see it unless the people wake up & stop. Bruce will be making lots of things & noise with his hammer & sore fingers perhapps

Don wrote a dandy lot of news so did M glad the boys are as large as they are & help Mother would like to have stepted in when they were doing floors tell Bruce I forgot when his Birthday was but I have put a card in for him hope it gets over glad he had a party. It is a great loss to miss the different little tricks kiddies do while growing & learning to talk. Marguerite's letter is as good as ever. there must have been hard feelings over the coal question Stan & Jack are having a good time going to school I hope hope you catch lots of those fellows sorry they are around there tell Don to keep the trap fixed he seems to be fixing lots of things & Mother had a big job cutting hair Mother did not say if she had a cold this time I hope not well bye bye with wishing I could walk in & lots of kisses & love

Yours
dad Roy