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My Dear Parents:-
This is written as you see from the same old town. It still rains, the mud
is still "deeper" and we grow still grouchier day by day. There is good
reason for our humor, 'tho, because when six men, some married, and some
single are penned up in a room together arguments are bound to be on at
all hours. I still take part, as you can guess, but not so much as usual.
It may be that I am acquiring some small portion of the sense that comes
with maturity. Almost 26 years now. I am just a trifle quieter, I believe.
If we could only keep a supply of reading matter on hand, or could get
out, things would be better. Don't mean to say that the weather scares us
but without any real pressing motive it is quite useless to trudge through
the rain and mud. We had snow over Christmas but it is all gone now.
Hardly looks like we were going to the Rhine now and the betting is heavy
that we are on our way home in February. I don't take much stock in these
rumours as I told you, but I think we will be taken back just as soon as
the congestion is remedied at the embarkation points. You see the end came
so suddenly that it left big problems to handle and two million men night
be considered one item to handle.
Our mail is on the blink these last few weeks and that adds to the
disposition of the inmates here. The Christmas packages are responsible
for this, no doubt, they came first class and that holds up the letters.
We enjoyed the contents of them immensely but the letters still hold first
place. I know you are all writing just the same as ever and am patiently
waiting. Let me hear more from my dear old dad and more of what he has to
say these days.
In this letter I am enclosing a small write-up for the paper. I do not
mean to rush into print but this matter nettled me, somewhat, and I took
this means of getting it off my chest. One of you can hand it to the
paper, if you will, with my compliments.
These long winter evenings bring me more and more to realize what it meant
to me when Hump "went west". I miss visiting him and comparing notes and
letters. I'm sorry to hear that uncle Reuben is in bad shape and can't
help wondering how grandma keeps going. She is a wonderful old woman! My
mind is distracted throughout this letter due to the fact that there are
two loud arguments going on at this moment. They are both emphasized with
choice French and camp words and the end is not in sight. Would you like
to know what subjects they are on? Here is the foundation for the first:
Did or did not the people take advantage of our absence by pushing
Prohibition then? The second (which is on at the same time) is: Do more of
the world's watercourses flow North than flow South? Can you imagine
writing a letter under these harassing conditions. Some times the candle
is almost blown out by the sound waves. You see the guy who wins most of
these billet arguments is the one who can yell the loudest and longest.
I am going to give it up as a bad job and turn in tho it is only seven
o'clock. It gets dark here at four. Hope everyone is on the best of health
and ready for the big reunion. My best love to you all!
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