Charlottetown,
Wednesday, March 12th, 1915

Dear Mamma

I got your letter this afternoon. Have just time for a few lines but I bet a cookie what I've got to say will make your eyes stick out when you read it. To put it in a nutshell, I am between two notions whether I will give my name for the mission field next summer or not. Well it's this way. Over 50 % of the fellows who were out on fields last year are either at the front now or going on the second contingent and still others are enlisting in the third. That means a great scarcity of men and the call has come to Prince of Wales for as many as she can send. Under ordinary circumstances I wouldn't think of going but as matters stand it is hard to know what to do. One way I look at it is I feel that when there are our so many fields likely to be vacant I ought to go, but on the other hand I am so young and inexperienced, I'm afraid to try it. Several third year fellows, probably five, are going and some second years will go. Gillis and McEwen are sure to go and there are more in the same predicament as myself who don't know what to do. One thing I am sure of, I could do as well as some who are going. I want you to write me and tell me what you think of it but don't mention it to anyone until I decide what I am going to do. I'm not afraid of the work but the Sunday services seems awfully formidable. Imagine me getting up and preaching two or three times a Sunday. Of course Mr. Taylor will give us literature that will make it easy to work up a subject The time is four months from early in June until the end of September. They give $10.00 a week and board and you in return have two or three stations, not more than one sermon a week, conduct a mid week prayer meeting, visit the sick and such things as that. Should I take the field I would probably fill my four months, then go west and teach for the remainder of the year and take a western field next summer. Mr. Taylor thinks we should all either teach or have a field out west for at least a year. And he said the benefit one would get from it would be well worth the time. He values the experience that he got on the mission field as 500% greater than anything he got at college. However the main thing is to decide whether I should go this summer or not. The committee meets the latter part of March and they want to have the names in if they can by that time. We would likely be stationed somewhere in New Brunswick, probably in the Matepaedia Valley. Well, I must stop. Let me know what you think if it. Of course I feel I can count on your consent if I should see my way clear to take this step.

Will write again soon.

Lots of love, Harold