Miss Maudelean Carter
Clinton Ont.

France
Aug 18^th 1916

My Dear Maudie :-

I suppose you will be thinking by this time that I had forgotten to write but you see I haven’t, I received a letter from you about a week ago but we were just starting on a three day’s hike so I thought I would wait for a few days then I got one from you yesterday so I am going to try and answer the both. that sure was some flower you sent me slightly old and withered looking but that is nothing I am getting that way myself ha. ha. Just think of it I had a birthday the day before yesterday and almost forgot about it untill the day was over, but just wait untill I am back in Canada I will not forget to celebrate.

The boy’s are sure having some time at Camp Borden from what I can hear but I guess it is pretty hot over there. I suppose Ed will be having a big time now since he is home on furlough, where is he working or do you know? you sure will be having a lonesome time since the boy’s are away and Mabel M. in Goderich but cheer up the worst is yet to come

There sure was some turn out on the 12^th “eh.” I hope I am back in Canada to celebrate the next twelfth I’ll bet you dont sit in the house all day. Say why didn’t W. McArthur come up with the car that day, but I suppose he could not get away, he would be busy at the Camp I wish I had his job I would have been up there on the double. well here I am again I started to write and was lying out under an apple tree and it started to rain so I had to change mighty quick but it has quite for a while so am going to try and finish. So you think you are going to fool me “eh.” nothing doing you can’t fool me anymore but I hope you will get so fat that you will not be able to walk, I will get a wheelbarrow for to take you out in. say what ever you do don’t wear that hammock out this summer save it untill I come back. it will soon be worn out then so you had better order one to be made good and strong and have it ready ha ha

Say you don’t want to put any faith in any rumor’s you hear about when the war is going to end for I don’t think any body knows any more about it than I do and all I know is that it can’t end too quickly for me the sooner the better.

I feel so sorry for poor Dolly Mennel and I hope it is no worse than she thinks but it is just a chance if he is alive for they sure got it pretty hard. but I am glad that she is looking on the bright side for it will be much better for herself and I hope if anything happens to me you will follow her example and look on the bright side of things and not run away and hide or die as you say for it would not do any good and he may turn up some day “who knows”. So you think if I were home I could come down on Sat. nights but I think myself the last would be the best as you say settled down by ourselves with no one to bother us we sure would be happy then

I think I told you about my nephew being out here I wrote to him about three weeks ago but have not heard from him since but I hear that his Battn has been in some scrap up in the firing line so perhaps he is wounded so if you hear anything about him from Mabel be sure and let me know. I wish I could have saw him again but I have a very poor chance now for I guess we will soon be farther away from each other than ever if rumors are any thing

So you missed going to church well if it was only once it would be nothing for I haven’t be in church since I left London, you see we have our church service out in the open air. where we are billeted now is right beside a church gee it is great to hear those bell ringing once more every time I hear them it makes me think of home. They have service almost every day so they are pretty good people around here.

Yes Annie still writes to me or at any rate she has written once in about three months so I guess there will be no harm done if she don’t write any oftener than that I guess there will be no harm done, but she never says anything about you but what would I care if she did it never worrys me. well I am going to draw this to a close for this time but will not be so long about writing again if I can help it for I know what it is like to be looking for a letter and not get any Say you can just keep on signing your letters that way if you like but I don’t know how it would be if I were to address them like that well I must ring off now.

Bye-Bye with all my Love
Yours only and always.
Tom Garton

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