Sunday
August 22^nd 1915

Dear Cousin:-

Your every welcome letter found, me in good health but getting homesick, but I feel all right now, your letters seems to put new life into me.

I received a letter from your dear Willie about a week ago, he is getting awfully lonesome for you I am sure poor boy. I know just how it feels, I have experienced such feelings myself, it is terrible out here just a few Belgium girls, and we have to talk to them by signs, some of them can talk a little english, but the girls are so few and so many fellows nobody stands much of a show.

Things are very quite out here, our battalion went into the trenches yesterday, I got kind of a scare a big shell came whistling over, and bursts behind a house about thirty yards away, the shell would not be so bad but you can hear them come screaming through the air, cant tell where they are going to burst, although they say if a shell is coming strait for you, you can not hear it.

Well Essie I am glad Mary has come home you will be able to have a better time now.

You are getting to be a terrible flirt, I am glad you are learning to dance for I will have to learn all over again.

You must be a terrible funny girl when you would not make a date with that fellow with the auto, beware of those fellows with hired autos or you will have to walk home some night, dont think I am getting fatherly just giving you a tip.

I am glad you and Billie Pinder are getting so intimate I would like him for a cousin.

Do you think Minnie and Tom McMillen will ever get those funny Ideas out of their heads, both are too old to get married

What is Lizzie Nelson thinking about, a nice home I guess.

The farmers over here have all their grain cut and are drawing in they have no barns, they stack it and believe me they can build a stack.

Say if Orton gets you or Grace on his parcel he will be thinking he has a mighty fine parcel ha ha.

I have not had any word from home lately either. I am awful Glad you Gladys Hooper my address but, I will be surprised if she ever does write.

I am awful sorry your little Boy is in such bad trouble, poor boy he may get a good term.

I am sorry that auto cant come up the hill, if I was you I would put the hired man at it with the wheel-barrow, I would have that car up some way, I tell you put good gates on the back fields and get him to come in that way.

Did Captain Campbell get to the German trench, well I guess, but if I ever get back I will tell you all about it.

Why dont Cab, and Dave enlist their is room for them, but those that stay at home are just as much thought of as those that go, and live on skilly, biscuits hard, bacon and little bread and jam and risk their lives twenty four hours a day.

Well Essie I think I will close, wishing that the auto season is a long one this year, and that you get a good chance to make use of it I remain ever the same

Nelson.

For home and country [writing illegible] about Jessie or [writing illegible] I have not forgot [writing illegible] so bye bye with love, [writing illegible] still more xxxxxxxxxxxx for the heart, I sent Gracie a couple but she hasnt sent any back guess I offended her poor thing