Y.M.C.A. and Canadian War Contingent Association awith the Canadian Forces.

France

July 5th 1917

Dear Olga ÷

Just a line to let you know I am still in the land of the living, and glad to be able to kick.

There are one of our fellows sitting beside me, using my penknife trying to fix his watch which is stopped. He'll end up by fixing it up the way I do mine generally, by fixing it so it'll never go more. He claims its off balance, whatever that means. I had to laugh at an incident which happened the other evening. an old Frenchman offered to box our cook for five francs. Well the bout was in full swing, when an old guy got excited and stepped waist deep into a cess pool beside the ring. We beat it pretty quick after that, as he began to smell pretty bad, as the water was not fresh by any means. We had to laugh at him alright. Another incident happened where I didn't laugh. A friend of mine and I were partaking of some luscious strawberries one evening, when we found we were ambushed, by the owner. We started to run as fast as we could, when a piece of barbed wire caught me across the nose and brought me to the ground. There is still a scab on the "wire" yet. Am I not a bad boy. I had to pay for that trip anyhow. Nearly as bad as your bicycle ride, Eh? I just wrote a letter to my friend at Prince Albert. We have made up our little difference of opinion now. I like your pictures in words fine, and hope you will send more of them. I am reading Browning's poems at present, and like most of them very much. Some I have to read several times before I can digest them. Well give my love and regards to all. XXXXX Bye Bye, for now some for Auntie too. Yours with Love & XXXXXXX Don XX

P.S. I would like to read the Rosary. We sing a song of it. Do you know it?