Friday Oct 20/16
France

Dear Mary and folks at home

It is quite cool to day but dry we will not be able to get any mail for a few days yet I’m afraid I will not fix the henpen this fall as I intended this cool day made me think of the hens. coming from the M School last night made me homesick for the fall plowing was able to walk in a new made furrow alonge the roadside if it is not to much trouble send a parcel of soft underwear and a pair of good strong gloves. I have been chafed for 6 or 7 weeks very bad in places as big as my hat hard to march, young Gillen is sick with a bad cold. he and I were up to the city Tues. night we had 4 eggs some French bread and butter two pots of tea cost 60^F each but it is the first since London. We had a longe talk with Swifts Meat traveler of Chicago he was eating next to us, I have been careful of my money lately lent Gillen 6 Francs ^$1.20 I have 22 left we will get 14 Monday, it will be a few days before I get the mail will be looking for the main part of the news every thing O.K and bright we will be moved by that time will write Fred a card the things are looking good eveyone says some of our fellows are going to Canada in month or so but it is better to see things first Cutliff has a weak heart some are to young some to old well bye bye

Your old man
Roy

[Editor’s note: Dot code used by Gullen to secretly indicate his location. Characters and spaces that appear to have been marked in the written message with dots underneath them have been marked in the transcription with an underline. Written together they spell “armentieres havre” (most likely intended as a references to Armentières and Le Havre, France).]