Jan. 5th 1916.

My Dear Mother & Father,

Your letters to hand to-day, and was very glad to hear from you, and to know that you were all well.

I hope that you had a good time on Xmas, and that you received the lucre all right.

Things were very quiet with us, of course, and Xmas was just like any other of the three hundred and sixty five days spent in a year in the army. The old boys, (what few there are left) will have been a year in France, in a trifle over a month.

The 3rd boys are starting to go on leave now, so I guess my turn will come soon. I will thank you in advance for the parcel. It will be along soon. Have one coming from Nelson, & one from Radisson, too. I have had parcels from Bertha, Marjorie, Uncle Fred, Auntie May, Aunt Mary & Aunt Florrie, so have done pretty well.

I hear that the Douks [Doukhobors] are going to be taxed, and I hope this is so. Anything to get them away.

Our battalion went into the trenches Xmas Eve, so were on the job on Xmas Day. I had dinner with the transport on Christmas night. The meal was in the loft of a big barn, & the cooks fixed up the meal just fine. The transport officer & quartermaster clubbed to-gether for fruit, nuts, cake, etc. & beer. After, we had a sort of a sing song. Our battalion has a one horse affair of a band, who played for us after. All the time, though, we were thinking of the boys in the trenches just four miles away.

Well, I will say good night now. Best wishes for a prosperous year.

Your loving son,
Arthur J.A. Killough