May 9.16.

Dear Mary, Ern & Frances:

I received your welcome letter of April 12th & although not having a great stock of news, will endeavour to write you a small epistle. I'm always looking for my two Canadian letters, to tell you the honest truth Mary I would rather lose all the rest of my mail, than that my two letters from Toronto should go astray.

I am taking another little vacation, having been sent down for another Machine Gun Course, lasting for a couple of weeks. The place where we are is right on the coast & there is a lovely beach here. We are about a hundred miles from the firing line & you can bet its great to be out of the sound of the guns for a bit.

You can watch the sun going down in the ocean & you can be it makes me long for the time when I shall see the sun setting over the bows of a Canadian bound ship.

With your description of our new home you make me long to be back there, looking at the stars with the old telescope & discoursing thereon.

Frances must be some kid now. Tell Ern he must take a picture of our new home with you and Baby & say Mark ask him if he'll take a big one of Florrie when she coves over, else I wont know what you are all looking like.

I heard from Jim today & he is expecting leave soon. I wish I was going to be over there with him, but there, you will think I'm a discontented beggar if I don't quit wishing.

Sorry to hear Ern has gone on nightwork again, but thank heaven you have someone to keep you company now, even if she dosn't make as much noise as her former companion did.

Pleased to hear Mr Morley had been over give them both my Dindest Regards when you see them again & ask them if they remember the time I left the picnic to go & get my uniform.

The livestock are doing nicely thank you. The were a bit rowdy at first, but now they're organized and disciplined there is nowhere near the trouble.

When Ern & I go swimming together again Mary, can you tell me how I'm going to tell Ern's head from an ostrich egg, if I see it floating on top of the water; the only thing I can see is that perhaps an ostrich egg would have more wool on it.

I haven't heard from Sam or Lance for some time, but Lance has moved to 78 East Ferry Rd Cubill Town. Jack arrived home safe according to Pa's letter, but I guess he has been too busy to write. I heard from Pa, who acknowledged the money you sent & said he had been a little sick, but was alright now. Well I guess this is all now, so
Au revoir & Best Love
To all
Your Loving Brother
Pete
p.s. Write to the same address.