Dec 2^nd Sat 1916

Dear Mary

I wish you Merry Xmas, hope you are not trying to do all the work you will do yourself up if you are not careful I walked over to a little town and looked over a big pile of letters got your two you wrote in the H. you are an angel to write while you were sick glad people are looking in on you once in a while I am getting along fine so far will try and look after myself as far as my old head will work, I think this Batt was as good as any to be in I think will be first to go home when It is over hope it will end soon,. I am sorry I wrote for cloths I can get all I want now home made candy or cakes go great out here, it is terrable to think they are keeping your money back like that, you want to let them know you need it all now, I told Fred to look after your money’s, I had to walk to this town to fix these orders up, will try and send you some when we get a good sized pay, glad your baby and yourself are quite well, tell M she will have another boy to look after you did not say if you where pleased or not, but by the tone of your letter it was alright I think [either?] one of thoes names are good Ivan is a good name that big Flemming’s name was Ivan but name

yourself you have done well all the way through wish I could say as much of my self, tell mother I am ever so much oblidged to her for all she has done for us, these towns are quite close just about a mile or so a part these three the middle one is the one we have been at most of the time since we joined the first B it is a very long Name. the ground just froz. up today I here you have cold weather now I hope you bring your bed down stairs for this winter or keep good fires going do not try to keep the bills paid to close untill I get home you never tell just how much money you are getting or when you get it but by this time the wheel must turn around every month if not get someone to look after it you should get 70$ a month now and you need it all these times write and tell if you are getting it, tell Don to work hard and help Mother and baby brother glad grandpa is helping him with his lessons as long as he does not get crying over them tell Don to write a line or so next time letters are so good to get from home I have a good bed fellow and sleep well I dremed I walked into a room with a armful of overcoats and saw Mary and baby in bed, I also saw Edith Miller in another room

sorry I did not get more paper at first I have writen a lot of times to you folks sutch stuff as it is hope you will burn up the most of them. say [halo?] to Erene for me Will send her something again I can not see anything much to send to the kiddies so I just put their names on the one, I had a bath and a change of undercloths was ishued with a new pair of drawers and socks also mits but they will not last long I cut up an old pair of socks I found while in the line they did all rite in the mud I hope we are as lucky every time we are up in the line we go again next [censored] but just back in reserves for a little while we may not go only a few days under fire. I have kept the little friends off with creoline well put it on everything some fellows do not take time to put it on but it pays I can see some scratch untill they bleed it smells bad but it saves in the long run, hope you do not get any troublesome neibors you want to kill some of the chickens and get strong again honey dear have been afraid you would not get strong this time was very glad to here the tone of thoes letters to day well bye bye

Your old man
Roy