Deer Mound, Alta.,
July 2, 1916

 Dear Mother,

 I received your letter a long time ago.  We have had several letters from the boys since they went across to England.  Most of the 51st have gone over to France but my brothers hadn’t the last we heard.

 I am expecting Earl up from Calgary soon.  He said in his last letter that he was well and getting fat.  When he was home on his seeding pass he had rheumatism in his back and one knee pretty bad.  I had been so wet down at Sarcee camp that I was afraid he would get cold and be troubled with it again.  It rained heavy nearly all day Friday and it is raining again today.  My sister and I got ready to go to church but it was raining too much to drive over to the school where the service is held.

 I am staying home at my father’s.  We are milking fifteen cows altogether.  Three of them belong to us.  Mamma makes about 65 pounds of butter a week.  There is about sixteen acres broken on our farm and papa is cropping it this year.  I hope next year Earl may be home so we can live on our own place.  We were just getting our home comfortable to live in when Earl enlisted.

 I have been pretty busy lately hoeing in the garden.  Little Clarence is as good as he can be.  He has two teeth but he is very slow about getting any more.  He doen’t walk or creep or stand up alone but he can walk if somebody helps him along.  He can say ta, ta, and stop and it is great fun to see him try to whistle.  He takes great delight in his bath and splashes the water all over.  Little Edie is well and growing tall.  She is a great favorite of everybody but she gets very unruly some times and it is very hard to know just how to handle her.

 Earl wants to stop off at Lacombe on his way back to camp after he has been here and he said I might go that far and go out to Ernest’s with him.  I would like that very much.  I get lonesome for Earl of course.  Everybody is good to us home but that don’t take the heart ache away.  I don’t know just when Earl is coming home.

 I guess I must close now so please let father and Nora read this letter.  I will write to Nora soon.  Love to you all,

 Your loving daughter,
Ethel