853 Nassaw St. Can Winnipeg
August 2. 17

My Dear Will.

It is Thursday p.m. and I am going to write another short note. You will likely be getting quite a few at once now. I am sorry you will be getting the ones telling you that Billy was sick right along after the last mention in your letter. He is fine again now, eating and playing as usual.

Well, dear Will, needless to say I am finding the days dreadfully long, waiting for more word of you. They tell me, "no news is good news", but you are always in my mind, and I am hoping and praying that you are getting along all right. I am planning for when we can get you home. There is some comfort in the fact that you are out of the trenches, and being taken care of, - in a clean bed, and every thing, that can, being done for you. They tell me it will be two weeks at least before I need expect a letter so I shall keep as busy as I can & lay plans for the home coming. The papers have not got the lists yet in which your name appears. I have not phoned Mr. [?] (he is at the Ag. Coll. Just now) thinking it would be in last nights paper. Mrs. Stout was in at Bellas - their baby was sick - and I sent Shirley over to enquire how it was - and not knowing Mrs. Stout was there - so she came over in the afternoon. The poor old Lady was feeling very sorry - hated to go home and tell Mr. Stout. She and Bella were sending you a box, and I was to find out if you get your boxes in the hospital just the same & if so, they are sending it yet. I think there are 5 parcels on the way to you - unless you had got my first two before you were wounded.

Poor old Will, when I fix up the Morris Chair on the verandah - I see you sitting there: and when I shake up the cushions in the rockers, it is for you. I hope it is not very bad - any wound is bad enough - but I hope dear Will that you will soon be able to come home. I don't want you to have to go back again. You have done you share for Empire - even before you went into this. I think you will be getting some of the snap shots, since you went into hospital, and I shall try to keep getting more. I'd like to have one of Shirley with the old dipper & a stumpy knife, & Billy with a tin box & an old spoon cleaning our potatoes, They cleaned them right off yesterday & looked so droll. Mr. Burchill came along & was pointing them out to them & laughing. He was saying how sorry he was to hear about you, & to be sure to call on his wife if I needed help. The neighbors have been very kind. Just now Miss C[?] has come home from work - is off Thurs. p.m.'s & is taking the children up to the school grounds to play on the swings. She is very thoughtful - got up early and cleaned up her room one morning to save me.

Billy says little prayers for his poor daddy. Bless my dear, dear, daddy and make him better of his wounds this day, For Christ's sake." Last Sunday night, the quartette at Broadway sang as Voluntary "Some day the Silver Chord will Break" and the closing hymn was "Lead Kindly Light" I think of it often these days - for I sat and thought of you.

I could not go asleep last night - but was just dozing off - when two men came by singing, "We'll Never Let the Old Flag Fall" as loud as they could - and woke us all up - It had got so fall-like in the last couple of days - rainy and then sun-shine, and heavy clouds. It reminds me of St. Peters - the hop-vines & creeper - and the big garden and all. It will be so nice if we can have you home before winter. This is just August, so it is quite a while yet. I wonder if you need some money. Let me know, and I shall send it across - or if you get it some of your people sooner - I can send it to them.

So, now, my dear Will, I shall say Good-bye and God bless you and make you better soon, & bring you safely home to us. Love & Kisses form Shirley and Billy, & Betty.

Your loving wife
Betty
Mrs. E.E. Mayse