October 12, 1918
Dear Mother:-
Once again I am out at post and this time for quite a while. There are only two fellows in at camp now so it takes five shifts of four days each before we are relieved again as there are ten men at post.
Two boys left last night for the states. One was Henry Spelman whom Uncle Charlie Locke knows. He let me have a great many things which he had no futher use for, such as a vest pocket kodak, a dufffle bag, a poncho, pair of rubber boots, a thermos bottle, and a knapsack. Numerous cakes of soap and odds and ends thrown in and all for 75 lire. I will be pretty well fixed now no matter what happens to me after this. Today it cleared up again and tonight there is a fine moon. Everything is exceptionally quiet, but one never can tell how long that will last.
A letter came today from Fanny thanking me for some present you gave her for me and saying how much she appreciated the party you gave her on her 10th anniversary with the family. Tell her I received her letter and appreciated it very much.
There is not a great deal of news about the section or myself. Things continue as usual and if anything, the work is slacker than before.
Henry Spelman took a letter home for me, saying that I wouldn't get away from here until the end of November and explaining why. I am going to make an attempt to get away on the 12th of Nov. with a boy who is leaving then and is decided on going to Fontain bleu. I am sending the kids some colored post cards of Rome with this.
Thank Betty for her last long and "newsy" letter that came last night. I like to hear all she tells me abut the family and Morristown, and especially appreciate the photos she sends.
There is so little doing that there is hardly anything to write about except things the censor would object to. I hope Grandpa doesn't get all used up doing Home Guard duty, for Betty certainly describes him as going at it hammer and tongs. Everything is fine here.
Harvey