France May 19/18

Dear Garnet:-

Was very glad to receive your letter of Apr. 18th to-day, so thought I would answer it right away, as it is some little time since I have written you, and I have no place to go this evening, unless I go for a swim, and the crowd which go are mostly all gone now/ so guess I will stay at home to-night and answer a few letters, as the weather has been so hot lately that what little time I have had for writting letters I usually spend lying around under the trees.

We have been out of the line for the last two weeks now, as when we were supposed/ to have our rest before we only got a week of it when we were recalled to the line again. It is more of a change than a rest this time as we are getting worked almost as hard as when we were in the line, but we don't have to be worried about shells dropping all around us: so it is a rest/ for our nerves anyway.

I suppose you will have seen Herb by this time, and no doubt he will be able to tell you a little about the work our outfit has to do, but I don't think he ever seen the latest and best pattern in action.

There has certainly been good growth here this spring. There is a field of rye just beside our mess, and it will run/ pretty close to four feet high and all headed out. It makes a fellow think that life is worth living to get back this far from the line, when everything is looking so fine. When a fellow is up when he sees nothing but the destruction of war all the time, he hardly think that life is hardly worth fighting for. I don't know how much longer we will/ be out here but expect it will be for a little while yet.

I haven't received the money order that you sent with your letter yet, but it will likely get here in a couple of days now, as it usually takes them a few days longer to come than a letter. Have always received any money that you sent and it comes in very handy/ as there is usually canteens or "Y" somewhere near us that we can get mostly anything that we want.

Well I can't thnk of anything more to write just now so guess I will have to close for this time. Hoping you are getting along alright and not working too hard. I am feeling fine, only it is so hot that a fellow don't have / much life. I have been wearing two stripes lately but don't know wether to stay on or not. About all they get you is five or ten cents extra a day and a lot of extra running around, but will come in good if I ever get back to Blighty.

Must close for this time.

Love to all

Jim

P.S. Write soon