Seaford Sussex
Jan 6/17

Dear Kiddo

Say I seem to be writing letters all the time. except when I am studying but I am glad of it for this blooming quarantine keeps the time hanging around pretty heavy. The only time we see anything but huts & drill is when we get out on a route march. I thought we would get out today but now I hear it is on again for 16 days but as long as we are here we aren't in the flanders mud. We are good & sick of it for all that we will have to put up with it.

Well I have had my (supper?) since I wrote that first page. At least I have had four figs, a bit of juice, & two slices of Bread & butter. Of course we all have a bit of syrup or jam to one side. I guess we would have a lean bunch around here before long.

Gee they got me real sore the other day. They made us pay for all the broken windows in the hut & then came around to collect 6d each for barrack room damages. Of course a few of us went up in the air and refused to pay it until we found out where & what it was used for. We have not heard any more yet so I guess they took what they could get & kept quiet. As there are 30 of us in a hut it means 15 shillings per mth and they dont buy window glass at that. I dont know what they do with it unless they buy the officers (beer). I mean champagne. We had better buy the darned old huts & be done with it. I expect the next they will want will be for us to pay for electric lights & ammunitions. Gee Id like to tell them something sometimes somehow somewhere, some somes eh!

Never mind kiddo we will be back in Old Canada soon where we can tell anyone what we like to tell em. I just picked up a Canada magazine published in London & Lo & behold old Biggar was mentioned in it. Some land had been sold at $35 per acre or something.

The O.T.C. bunch went for a route march this morning. Our band went along & we had a dandy march., We went through the town & out past the Imperial camp here. Just on the edge of the town we met a funeral parade from the Imperials. We all were formed up in line on the side of the road & presented arms to the coffin. It was a very new thing to us as we had never met one before. However we held the present as steady as old soldiers while they passed at the slow march to a fife & drum band. I was sure a swell band & as they played the dead march it cast a bit of gloom over the remainder of the route march.

Gee its hard to get news when it is only about three or four days since I wrote to you last but as I got two from you last week I guess it is coming to you. Of course you will be in Saskatoon now but as I dont know your adress this will likely be read in Biggar before you see it. I hope you get to Mayne's to board for what I saw of them I thought them pretty nice people.

I have been trying to tell Bert Dickey that he should wash some clothes for me but he thinks by the time he gets his own washing done it will be enough for him.. Therefore I guess I will have to break the Sabbath tomorrow & get some washed. You see we can't get down town to get it washed & Sunday is the only time we get much time to heat water for the job. I suppose you would laugh to see me washing clothes but I am getting quite expert now. The only trouble is I quit before they are clean. It takes about a week to dry them in this country!

Well Kiddo here is where this thing comes to a sudden end for I think I had better go to bed & get some sleep for last night the guard fellows were from our hut and the reliefs were coming in & out every two hours & the lights were on half the time. First one would upset a bench or another would fall over your bed, good night!

Yours Longingly
Rae

Yes I got a card from Hilda Mayne & I wrote her a letter in return had sent her xmas card before.

Rae