I cant think of anything more that you would understand.  Dont show these letters to kno one.  There is to many spize around.  I suppose you are awful lonesome without me.  I dont get much time to be lonesome what with drillin an goin out somewhere.  As soon as things get shook down a bit I hope to get more time to miss you.  Hows your fathers liver?

     Au Riviere,
          Bill.

Mon Ami:

Sounds like a scourin pouder, doesnt it, Mable?  As a matter of fact its the way a French lady talks to a fello shes awful fond of.

Im not an officer any more.  I was just goin to resine anyways.  The Captins been watchin me rise an he didnt like it.  He knew I knew more than him as well as me.  Always askin me questions.  Id always tell him cause I knew he had a wife and children in Jersey City an so I was sorry for them.  Soft.  Thats me all over.  But the other day when I was on guard he says, “Corperal, whats the General orders?” an I says, “Captin if you dont kno them now you never will and I wouldnt be doin no service to my country if I told you.”  Cold but civil, Mable.  You kno how I can be.

The Captin just felt cheap an walked away.  I kind of felt sorry for him.  Almost told him so once or twice.  Then I went on guard again.  I go on guard a lot.  The men like me to be corperal of the guard because when the relief goes out I take all their blankets an go right to sleep instead of standin outside an watchin them freeze.  Men hate to be watched while they are freezin.

[Illustration:  “MEN HATE TO BE WATCHED WHILE THEY ARE FREEZIN”]

But I happened to be outside for some reason, goin to dinner I guess, an I saw the Colonel coming.  I says “Turn out the guard.” (No one really turns em out, Mable.  They come out themselves.) The Colonel sees who it is an waves an says “Never mind the guard, Corperal.”  So I thanks him an goes back to the company an goes to bed.

As soon as the Captin sees that the Colonel is savin me up for over there he gets sore.  His plan has been to kill me before we left here.  He said he was goin to reduce me.  Thats not the same way your father reduces when he cuts out beer with his meals an sits in a Turkish all day.  I never said you will or you wont.  Just waited till he got outside an thumbed my nose at him.  High spirited.  Thats me all over.

An English officer came over the other day an told us all about the war.  He didnt quite finish it cause he only had three quarters of an hour.  They was quite a few things I didnt kno even at that.  He said that the heavy artillery was commanded by the C.C.O.D.A. an the light artillery by the C.O.A.  An theres a special N.C.O. who has nothin to do but look after the S.A.A.  Just imagine, Mable.  I wish Id studied chemistree more when I was in school.  It would make things a lot easier for me now.  Then he said that a man always got into his O.O. to observe the action of the 75s.  These English are always great for dress an that formal stuff.