France
Dec. 25th

Dear Lettie

I received your letter of December 5th two days ago and was pleased to hear you were keeping well. This is Christmas Day and we're back in billets for a time. The morning was wet but it is clear and cold now. We had our Christmas dinner in a big tent which we put up for the occasion. Big enough to seat the whole company. So we sat down about 12 and our menu consisted of roast pork with mashed potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beans and applesauce and custard pudding with prunes, orange nuts, cigars, cigarettes, tobacco and I received a small parcel of handkerchiefs and chocolate and a parcel from the officers and men of the 134th which contained a pipe and chocolate and our officers waited on tables. And we were well looked after too and the pipe band was in the tent playing while we were eating and we had speeches and singing and altogether we had a splendid time which was far better than ever I expected under the circumstances. I was only wishing that you would be enjoying yourself at home as well as we were.

I had a letter from Alex a few days ago and glad to hear that his leg was getting along well. I received the box which he sent while in the trenches and I received a box last night Christmas Eve from Winnipeg and I suppose it was from father as I only saw what was in that letter of Sammy's. It was the best box that I have got yet. There was a pair of socks, a fruitcake in a square tin box, a box of chocolates, a bottle of malted milk tablets, a box of cough tablets, zam buck, sardines, handkerchiefs, gum, peppermints, oxo, insect powder. Alex sent a small stove so we have a hot drink often. I haven't received that box which you sent yet but the mail is so heavy you can see the reason things are so slow. You said Jean was sending a box but I never received any word whether it was sent or not. I wrote a letter to Jean today so you get a read of it too. I had a letter from Aunt Rose about a week ago but I wrote your mother a letter a long time ago but I haven't heard from her yet.

I hope you received that money all right which I sent you about two weeks ago and that box with all my badges I sent to George. The French people here are very kind where we are now. We got wet coming here and we got our clothes dried at their kitchen fire. They can't do too much for our comfort so we have lots to be thankful for. The four of us are all writing tonight and we are saying we have enough canned goods to start a store which we have received in our boxes. One night up in the trenches the four of us received six boxes so we have been living pretty well. Well I think I will close for this time. Hoping you and George are well. I will write you again in a few days.

With lots of love
Dave