France

Oct 9/17

Dear Bee,

Your letter dated Sept. 2nd just arrived tonight so I thought I would write to you while I had time and nobody was around to bother. We had a long spell of good weather untill a few days ago but are going to pay up for it from now on by the way it has been raining lately. We are pretty comfortable just now however but am afraid will be shifting out in a day or two. Two of us are in a little bivvy (bivuoac) that we put up a short time and have everything fairly cosy. We put up a couple of bunks for beds and even dug a little fire place in one of the walls. We are pretty good rustlers and if anything is left laying around that would help us out we sure get hold of it. Tonight we managed to pinch a sandbag or two of coke and with the fire burning nicely and the pipe going good am in pretty fair humor with the world. Especially as the rain is coming down outside. So you can see that tho we often have things a little rough we also have some good spells. The corporal that I am sleeping with got a nice parcel a couple of nights ago and we have not finished all the fruit cake yet so had a pretty good supper a short while ago. We managed to salvage about half a lb of tea from an officers mess that moved out in a hurry so will have a midnight lunch tonight & will sure think of you and our old bedtime cups of tea while I am enjoying this.

I was awfully sorry that the present you sent for my birthday did not arrive as per schedule but there is a chance that it may come yet, let us hope so anyway. Am very pleased to know that you are all keeping so well and that the youngsters are getting along so nicely. It is too bad that Jack is so thin but as long as he is feeling good lack of flesh does not matter. I am not as fat as I used to be myself. So Belle gets a little naughty once in a while, well, God deliver me from a child or woman either who hasn’t a bit of temper and little of the devil in their make up. Maybe you remember that poem of Robert Service’s in the “Ballad of a chicken.” where he wonders which one of two women that a man would chose. I forget the words tho I remember the spirit of the poem quite well. Maggie Brown is I believe a fine example of one and I can think of several who might pose for the other, and I believe the dowdy saint suffers in the comparison.

Speaking of Maggie I had another letter from her last night, a very nice one too, she is sending another box of eats to me so “God bless her dear heart.”

You were asking if I was had Free Press sent out, well I hardly think so, one get the news fairly good here and the papers are a month old when they come from Canada but if you have any magazines would be very thankful indeed to get them, especially my old favourites “the Adventure,” & “Popular”.

When I wrote mother I asked her to look up the catalogues and see if there were any good knee high boots listed and have been thinking that if she could get a slicker too, it would be one of the best things in the world for me here. Several of the boys are having them sent and as they are not very dear mother could send for one too. Harry’s judgment of both boots and slickers would be the best & I know he will not mind. My feet are bigger than his but I guess his size in slicker would be about right for me.  You see I am getting to be a regular nuisance but I cant get those things in France and anything to help in the weather we get in the winter. The reading will be appreciated very much as we have long evenings to put in when we are not in the firing line.

Tell the kiddies that their big uncle was very much pleased to get a letter from each of them and tell Jack when I come back we will go together to see a circus for I have not seen one for more years than I can remember.

Well I think I have written enough for one time altho I am in the right humour to write all night and that happens very rarely so will close with heaps of love to you all from your brother Bruce.