France,
Oct. 3rd, 1917

Dearest Mother:

I am on duty in the office this afternoon and want to write a few lines while there is not much doing. I received your letter of August 21st a few nights ago. It had been missent to the Eighth and was consequently a few days late in coming. The mails have been more or less irregular lately. There were two weeks between the last two mails and it is now over a week since we had our last one.

We have been having ideal weather lately. The last two days however have been damp and cool. Today has been quite misty. However I suppose it is about time for the fall rains to set in and probably from now on we will not have a great deal of fine weather. Last October was very wet and I suppose it will be the same this year. I think the normal summer ends the last of September. Then rain and mud until on in December when it freezes up, and the rain turns to snow for a time. Then probably a month of fine cold weather followed by the spring rains.

You asked about the registered letters you sent. Yes, I received them all OK. I acknowledged each one as soon as received but perhaps some of my letters went astray. I think it would be a good stunt to number my letters so I will call this one No. 1. No I never received the French book which you sent. Guess it will not come now. However I got one when I was in Paris so it does not make any difference. The towels and shirts which you asked about however came all OK and I acknowledged them all. I spoke about boots in one of my other letters. Will not need any for the first part of the winter anyway as the ones I had last year are quite good yet. But I would like you to send me a pair of woolen lined gloves, similar to the ones you sent last year, with medium leather gloves in preference to mitts as they are more convenient for working, especially when using pliers.

Yes I hear from Laura Gordon quite regularly. The last letter I had she said that Dave and Sid were back on duty again. We just heard today of (?) McKenzie's death. It seems sad that two of them should be taken in such a short time and two fine fellows too. but as the French people say "C'est la guerre" - such is war. One gets more or less used to such things out here and we take it more or less as a matter of course, - all in the day's work.
Don't think there is any news. Everything goes as usual. I noticed in the Witness of August 21st a list of contributions for the YMCA fund. They have done splendid and it is certainly something worthwhile for I don't know what we would do out here without the Y. It is doing tremendous work for the soldiers and certainly deserves hearty support from those at home. Beneath the list of donations there is also a very good write up of work out here which I would like you to read, for it pictures things as they really are. It is under such conditions that the Y is always found on the job and ready to lend a helping hand.

Now Mother I think I must close as the boys are talking and it is hard to keep one's mind on one's writing. Will send a line again in a few days. All well and in good spirits. I, as usual, am fine.

Love to all from your soldier son, Harold