France
Jan 14/17

Dear Fred and Agnes

Your card was the best we have seen this Xmas, I had a nice letter from Mary a day or so before with a dandy card in from each one so glad she is getting a long well, when a fellow writes he can site in a warm room have written Mother we are staying here five days over time more the better perhaps, the people are great to work here make straw brooms, brush brooms straw seats and wooden shoes they grow tall cabbages for cow feed they can grow lots of green feed for cows and pigs, the farm buildings are in a ring around the farm yard, the barns are next to this street the house in the back everything goes through the front door of the yard they drive horses with one line a few have two lines horses are well trained, they make plaster with clay and straw to make barns use spilt brush for lath look very good whitewashed they bake bread in large brick ovens looks like wholewheat bread the loaves are very large flat thin and round cost twenty six cents I bought a can of peaches cost fifty four cents tomato can size butter is seventy cents all eggs are about fifty pence a dozen, hens are good size, something over a dollar each they beat the heads of the sheaves to get grain for chickens, they use tread power mostly here Mary said our folks went out to Willsonville for Xmas would like to see them all soon though would be on the way before this but this job goes on yet will be great to say goodday to you all again soon, I got a picture of Geo his two kiddies and Mrs Fountain the other day, these letters coming from you people are something great very enjoyable will answer them as well as I can Geo does not write quite enough hope you had a good Xmas

Your loving brother
Roy

[added at top of first page, date/author unknown: “13”; “Rec’d Feb 1^st 1917. (Thurs).”]