France
Oct.18/17

Dear Cath:

Perhaps you think I've forgotten you but if you do you'll find out your mistake when you open this epistle. The writing will no doubt seem strange as you haven't had a glimpse of it in such a long time but alas! they say there's a war on so I hope you'll overlook my shortcomings. I know I don't answer half your letters but you know very well it's not because I don't want to so don't get peeved and stop writing. You ought to have lots of news to give me now so I'll continue to look for a nice long letter every week. I haven't received your new address yet so will have to use the old one till it comes. You'll certainly enjoy your year all right - not the slightest doubt about that. Toronto is a fine place and you should have a real good time there - especially if you get with a bunch that you know. I t won't take you long to become "naturalized" so to speak. You'll be right at home before I have been there a week. Of course you will be out to see Doc & Mrs. Coyne (21 Hilton Ave. I think is their add.) You might tell them I'm still alive if you do see them for I guess they've given up hopes of ever hearing from me. It's a downright shame too for they treated Lawrence & me royally when we were at Ex. Camp & the least I could do was to have written occasionally. But I had so many to write to that I kept putting it off until I had let it go so long I didn't have nerve enough to write. They probably have their opinion of me though.

And you'll also attend service at Mr. Dunn's new church. It wasn't completed when I left Toronto but they were holding services in the basement and I used to go out every now & then. You see I'm taking a whole lot for granted n'est-ce pas?

I'm still laughing over that little anecdote of Mary Jane Crawder's; she must have been thinking of old John when she sprang that one on you. I can't just figure out myself what the weed has to do with the food question but I guess it's almost as important. I believe even Billie MacG- would you get the habit in time if he had to stand in a trench full of water & get shot at every day. A cigarette is a wonderful nerve tonic and I say the same thing to Mrs W.C.T.U. Morrison the first time I see her. You would have laughed if you heard some of the lectures she used to give Don Shaw when he called at their house for Ellsworth's vegetables every morning one summer when I was working for them. Don would light up as soon as she came out of the house just to start her going.

Well here's the corpl. for the mail & I musn't keep him waiting. Hope you are enjoying yourself and like your work. I'm feeling O.K. and am as ever.

Sincerely yours
Leslie

P.S. This is a snap of my platoon taken behind the lines about two weeks ago. Pretty tough looking bunch I s'pose you'll say but I think it's pretty fair considering the conditions under which it was taken. It's a little too dark -