Letter from the Firing Line

Lance Corporal, W.E. Thomas, wrote us from the firing line, on the 27th ult., as follows:

Dear Allie:
Your very welcome letter to hand few days ago, and it found us o.k. Also the papers. All the boys from the north had a squint at it. That was the only one received. Angus received one about a week before. We sure like to get The Speaker. My present address will catch me no matter where I go. There is a rumor of us moving, but I hope not. We are all right here. Things are pretty quiet along our lines. We have been in the firing line twice. The way they work it, we go in the firing line for four days, retire to the reserve for four days, and then we have a rest for four days. So long as the weather is fine it is all right, but it is not pleasant in wet weather.
Say, was not that some battle in the Baltic? It makes one feel as though there was something doing. The night we received the news we were in the firing line, and believe me, at "stand-to" time, (between 8 and 9,) we sure let loose. There was cheering all along the line. I guess Old Fritz thought we were going to charge. We closed the performance by singing Rule Britannia and the Maple Leaf for Ever. We were about four hundred yards from the German trenches. Some of our boys asked them where their navy was, and a few other things which would not look nice in The Speaker.
I am sorry I did not receive your letter while in England. It would have been a pleasure to have looked up Mr. Nichol. Angus and I looked up Claude Kennedy, with Tommy Faught as our guide. Claude is looking fine. We also had a chat with Capt. Robinson. He was surprised to see us. He looks fine. Angus was talking to Herb. Durand last night. We have not run across Enos Grant yet. We shall probably happen on him some of these days.
We shall visit some places in England if we get a chance. So far it has been a flying trip, for us. You are right. I could not have a better chum than Angus. It is seldom we are separated.
We were glad to hear that the big cup still stays with the Liskeard Firemen. We were thinking of them that day on our way to Dover. [The writer seems not to have heard of the victory at Midland, and is merely referring to the race with Haileybury on 1st July, for he expresses the hope the boys will do as well at Midland.]
This is a pretty country - or it was before Old Fritz marred it, with his Jack Johnsons and coal boxes.
Remember me to all the boys.