Letters From the Front

Dated: February 2, 1918

                                                                                                                                                                  France

                                                                                                                                                                  February 2nd 1918

Mr Archie E Stephenson Longwood, Ontario

  Well here I am again. This is Saturday evening about 6 30 and all is well with me. January has passed and gone once again. 1918 is away to a good start now isn't it. How the months fly by! Two years ago now I was in England. Two years ago two weeks from today I landed in France. Yes it has been over 2 years since I saw you folks at home You did not think I'd be away so long when I left did you? Well I figured on being away three years any way so it was quite a serious proposition to me.

  Well how are you all at home? I hope no one else contacted the measles and that Mabel has entirely recovered by this time.

  Two of lads just came in and informed us that one of our lads on headquarters was just hit in the stomach with a machine gun bullet. I hope it is not too serious. Those machine gun bullets are deadly things though. I'm in for the night now so I'm Jake, until morning anyway.

  The corporal just brought in the rum issue. Its mighty welcome these days for its frosty and damp of late.- Particularly so for four or five days now. Mind you it hasn't been nearly zero but the air is so damp that one feels the cold much more than we do at home.

  You should be here Archie to hear the line of talk that is flying about now that the rum has been issued. We don't get enough to do any harm but it's mighty strong and never fails to make everyone talkative.

  We are up the line at present - we are in support at present and five of us - Everton Saunders, Alfred Frost, Jimmie Hester, Harry Ralston & myself - have a whole cellar to ourselves. We are very comfortable indeed here. There is lots of wood from the ruins of the houses for fuel so we keep our stove well supplied. There is a coal mine just a stones through away where we could get lots of coal but Fritz persists in shelling it today so we haven't bothered going over. I don't like shells any better now than I used to you see Ha!

  I feel so sorry about the lad who was hit just outside tonight. He's a great friend of mine and stomach wounds are not very healthy. Oh well C'EST LA GUERRE.

  Ha Ha We're in luck tonight- Jiimmie Hester connected with some stakes Tea & sugar today and he's frying the steaks now. They smell mighty good too. We live exelently well in the army you know usually, of coarse we have to resort to bully beef & biscuts at times though. We are surely better off than the civilians in Blighty though at present. They are having pretty hard time just now. In the near future they will be "Rationed" the same as I've got in the army so things will be alright then.

  Well I must read over your letters of last mail and answer them tonght. I shall write Lucy and Jim while up this time. I hope she understand that my letters home are for one and all.

  Thanks for the poem on "Appreciating the Dog" its very good. So Dirk stays with Jim most of the time. I often think of Dirk. I wonder whether he will know me when I return. I guess he won't. Poor old fellow. I shall never forget him, often have I told the boys how well he could catch wood chucks and he always got licked in a fight. I'd give anything to see him. You won't sell him of shoot him untill I return will you? I've had a dog out here but I always lose them. We had 'Whiz Bang' about 18 months though but lost her while up at Y pres last fall.

  _____ Armstrong died very suddenly didn't he? Too bad alright - you will miss him without a doubt.

  So there is a new song over there. I have not heard it as yet. By the way have you the song the chorus of which goes "There's a light shinning bright in the window tonight in my home across the sea". Its good and very popular out here.

   So you have taken on the school work this year. The money is certainly good & I suppose you'll be able to handle it all Eh. Money is money now since the war alright. I am very glad you are going to go back to school for the winter. It will do you lots of good.

  So Edna Patterson is going to teach at Mt Carmel Eh? Her health is much improved I presumme. By the way it will be a year since Asa was killed. I guess they are more or less consoled about him now Eh. I did not write them at Christmas because I felt that I could not.

  Am awfully glad to know that Jack Stephens was not killed as I had heard.

  So Morrison is realy joining the Flying Corps. I wish him luck but He'll find it's not quite as heavenly as it was back in Le _ report & what is more I doubt whether he ever makes a flying man. He may but I have my doubts.

  Have you never received Geo Moores Picture, well I sent it anyway so if it has not arrived it has gone astray or it may be in the bottom of the ocean.

  Well Archie I think I shall close, we got no mail at all tonight. I wonder if there will be Canadian Mail in tomorrow.

  Well Archie be a good boy. Give my love to one and all at home and remember me kindly to all my friends. Good night old boy.

                                                 Your Loving Brother  Walter