France
March 28/17

Dear Mother:-
Yesterday's mail brought me eight letters. Four were from you ion Feb 13, No 26, Feb 16, No 27, Feb 18, No 28, Feb 20, No 29. In the last letter I wrote you I had received four later ones than those so you see how the mail seems to be mixed. Those four snaps are very good. I guess Kieth is pretty proud of his little rink and skats, or rather he was for I suppose the rink by now is a things of the past till next winter. The other three are fine, so nice and clear.

Just a minute, I'll see if there are any questions you asked. You ask if I would like a money belt. Well a money belt was the means of my losing £7 once as you know. Do you think I've learned my lesson? If I had one now, it would be handy to keep the loose change in but no large amount again. Our electric lights have just come on and a tungsten is hanging just above my head. It certainly is good to be able to write by an electric light again.

Eggs may be 60 ¢ a dozen over there but eggs over here just now are $1.20 ¢ a dozen. A few months ago I wrote a letter to Major Hamilton I told him how all the boys were and what we had been doing. A little later I received an answer. He is in charge of the Canadian Garrison Duty Depot in a place in England. He said that as officer they had very little say in where they were going. He was sent there but in the spring intends coming over here as a lieutenant if necessary. Mrs. Hamilton he said was wondering why she didn't hear from you. When our draft was leaving England Major H. saw me and asked me if I didn't want to stay in England a while longer. It might have kept me there a week longer but I wanted to be with the boys. MI knew. So you see he did all he could. Well by the look of things we ought all to be finished with France pretty soon.

The mud is pretty bad again in the trenches but I guess the winter and the wet weather have done their worst. It froze last night but cold nights like that are getting farther apart. Spring and summer over here is fine, so in that way we have something to look forward to.

Your parcel of the 13th Feb came out to-day. It had on the outside Eatables and that is just what we have all been looking for. When we are out we can always buy things, but in the trenches a parcels is about the only means of getting extras like that and we enjoy them as much as possible, Those little square cookies are very, very, nice and the cake is fine too. About the only way for us to get the real sardines is in parcels. We buy what they call sardines but they look more like herring, cut up. Say Mother if you are sending any more chocolate, will you send the chocolate cream. The pure chocolate is little too sweet.

So Olive is back with you again. She is pretty faithful all not and trustworthy too. If she wants more than you are willing to pay, get a good girl and take my money to pay her. Surely you will let me be of some use even if I am quite a distance away. Tell Olive I was asking for her and will write her a card. Mason got live parcels to-day and a letter I haven't located Wes yest in the trenches His company is farther back from the line than ours. Leonard hasn't come back to the battalion yet from his course. He is certaly having a great spell of it. However it won't do him any harm.
Well I guess that's about all there is to spell about for now.
I'll write Dad in a couple of days. I hope you are all well. Remember me to all .
Goodbye,
Your loving son,
Gordon.
P.S. Here are a few negatives. Some were taken at Valcartier and some at England. They may be too dirty now to be of any use but you can see. Also a note Major H wrote for me. I got the note too late though. I had to pay for it but the note may be interesting to keep.
Gordon