France
Jan 3/17

Dear Fred and Agnes

Your parcel was a great treat I made a good drink as soon as I got home from a route march you folks know what is good alright I had a letter from Mary last week this is a bad time of the year to get much mail I got five or six old letters a few days ago so will get a bunch of old ones again we have open soft weather here now most of the time it foze one or twice that is all and just a little snow but I hope I get home soon anyway it might as well finish now as later did you see Mary or our folks I would give my three months pay to see them all now soon hope it ends by the first Feb or sooner food is getting shorter in Fritzs land Mary and seven kiddies will need cash to get along with also I have not found out how to manage any better yet have been over a lot of country but did not make any change hope you folks have a letter or two on the way I got one of yours of Oct the other day this is a good country for roots and hay but no farm houses in the country all little town they have barnes in the town and the cows out on the grasie fields lots of grain not thrashed yet my I wish I got longer letters from home their are lots of little things one would like to know how the apple crop was this year and how many pottatoes they got in or if any but it is hard to remember when writing we can not write everything we want to you know so we do the best we can we will be here untill next Wed any way and then march three or four days so it will be the middle of the month when we get in the line the people over here make a sweet juice out of citron's to sweeten wine I believe we could have made sweet stuff when we were on the farm out of thoes that wasted lots of things they make at home brooms of twiggs and ryestraw and wooden shoes and home made caskets and drive a horse with one line well go to the blankets now wishing you a bright and happy future brother

Roy

[added at top of first page, date/author unknown: “12”; “Rec’d Friday Jan. 26/17”]