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Date: April 15th 1918
To
Olive Gray (daughter)
From
John Gray
Letter

[letterhead:] SCOTTISH CHURCHES’ HUTS

No 2. Can. Stat. Hosp. B.E.F.
France
April 15th 1918

My Dear Olive

I wrote my last letter to Alec and now I think I must send one to you especially as you have been so good in writing so many nice long letters to me. The last one told me all about Fyvie Young and all the things you have been doing and about baby Jean wanting to go to Vancouver with Millie and then coming back from the car to stay with Mama. I think she was quite right and that is just what I would do only I can’t get back. Not just yet but some day soon I hope. Now I must thank you and Harvey and baby for the nice candy and chocolate that came in my birthday parcel. It was very very nice and very good of you to send it.

I told Alec about some Hindus we had in hospital. Shall I tell you about another one? His face was all black and he had long black hair. as long or longer than yours, about 2 foot long. Well one night I heard a noise in the great long room where all the sick soldiers are, and there was this black fellow sitting up in bed swinging his head round and round and his long hair flying through the air like a whip I tried to stop him and two of us tried and could not and it took four of us to hold him down and make him go to sleep, and in the morning he did not know anything about it There is another sick Hindu soldier now and he is all alone and no one to talk to because no one understands his language. I find that he calls his pancakes “gipatties” and water is “piary” and when he says anything is “teeln” it is “good” He likes “char” which is tea, but some things I can’t make out at all.

Your loving Daddy who is always glad to hear you are a good girl.

Original Scans

Original Scans