Brooklin

Nov 19. - 17

Dear Emily

I know I can not express my feeling in writing to you there seems to be only one thing I seem to hear killed in action John killed in action O how cruel it all is; the sorrow seems to be to great and all the tears that are shed and of no avail I can not tell him you can ever get over the Terrible Trial it seems to me nothing could ever be so dreadful all I can see is John killed in action, away in France; and then I think of the thousands of others just the same and how helpless we are it seems to me all the gain can never begin to make up in the least what people are suffering. I know you must feel it can never make up for John’s life I think now it is nothing for people to die at home but to go off and never come back is something dreadful. I don’t know why I [?] so much more about John and always did more than any one else and now he is gone from us how terrible to think the war is no nearer over than even I dare say you will say nothing matters so much to me now perhaps I should not write this way but I am only expressing my feelings to you and it will not help you any.

Just before we got the message Miss [?] got the same word of her nephew from Ottawa the only son and so it goes on all around and all the time I say I don’t believe in this war but that does not make any difference it seems to me just now nothing can ever make up for John. if you get word about him how he was killed &c I wish you would tell me about him. Mr. Morse is home here wounded he tells some terrible things about the war he has to go back again.

We haven’t heard about Cecil only that he was in England I hope he is there yet.

I remain your sister in sympathy

Ida