France,
April 21,1918

Dear Helen,

I am rather late in answering your letter of February 4.

Please remember the old saying, "Better late than never". I see by your letter that you make yourself as comfortable as possible. I try to do that myself. However when I move my bed around it isn't quite as big a job as yours was, for having no furniture but a few blankets, it is quite an easy task. Of course I have some privileges that you haven't, such as sticking candles around any place they will stick. They are far superior to electric lights. Just dig a hole in the wall of your dugout at the head of your bed and stick some candles in it, and everything is rosy. You are more or less independent and no cause to worry about the electric power being turned off. They are also useful as pipe lighters, fire starters, chewing gum etc. They have many other advantages that I won't take time to enumerate. However, I rather envy you your hot water coil.

Your town gossip was much appreciated. It doesn't matter if it is news or gossip. I am glad to get either from Smithville.

That rather amused me about Gordon Shrum saying that he would just like to drop into Charlie Adams' for some ice cream. It is over three years since I last saw ice cream. However we often have the ice to our sorrow, but the cream seems to be a minus quantity.

Do you make a good Presbyterian? Thanks ever so much for the generous box of good things that you sent and which I received a short time ago; everything arrived in perfect condition and was much appreciated. I would have almost forgotten about Easter this year, but your card arrived just in time.

I just had finished this much of this letter when I dropped it in the water pail and you can guess the results.

Wishing you all kinds of success in your term's exams,
Sincerely,
Bill Grassie.