Bill Huggins cleaned the stove with his towel last week sos everything would be neet for inspecshun.  Angus got hold of it in the dark next mornin.  Gee, youd haft laft, Mable.

[Illustration:  “WHEN I LOOKED IN THE TIN MIRROR I THOUGHT I WAS STARVIN”]

I got the little tin mirror you sent, Mable.  Its unbreakable all right.  Bill Huggins got so mad at it he tried to break it and couldnt.  The first time I looked in it I got an awful start.  I thought I was starvin.  I looked like one of them picturs of hungry Indiens that the mishunaries show you just before they pass the plate.  Bill Huggins swiped it later and says why didnt somebody tell him he was gettin so fat cause he couldnt go home on a furlo like that.  He didnt eat nothin for three meals and then he looked at hisseif with the mirror turned the other way.  Its like one of those Coney Island places where a fello can go in and laff at hisself for a dime.  Next time send me one that will break.

I got to quit now and buy a couple of pies before I go to bed.  I dont sleep good less I have a little somethin on my stummick.  Dont say nothin about what I told you in the beginnin.

Until the 15th Feb. then.

     Yours faithfully,
          Bill.

Dere Mable:

The Captin aint goin to give me my furlo.  Says theres an order out against it.  Someones got it in for me, Mable.  I bought a wooley coat awful cheap from Bill Huggins.  Right away theres an order against em.  Angus MacKenzie sold me a pair of leather leggins for less than he paid for them.  Some bargain from Angus.  The next day they issue an order that you cant wear em.  Now they hear I want to go home an put an order out against it.  If theyd only come right out an say Bill Smith were goin to get you.  Sneaky.  Thats what I call it, Mable.

Ive half a mind to transfer back to the artillery.  If I transfer much more theyll be chargin me extra fare, eh Mable?  Only for me an the Captin not bein able to agree Id never have left.  I understand hes been awful sorry since.  All you have to do in artillery is to put a bullet in the gun.  It does the rest.  In the infantry you got to go up and do all the dirty work yourself.

[Illustration:  “THEY COME ROUND AND WATCH YOU EAT IT.”]

Besides Im gettin leery of these infantry fellos.  There always talking about what were goin to do to the Germans, blowin em to pieces and slicin em up an throwin em all around the lot.  I got thinkin what if the Germans was learnin there men to do the same thing.  They never seem to figger on these things.

An these baynuts, Mable.  They aint safe.  When you get a lot of fellos in a trench with there baynuts stickin every which way some ones goin to get hurt sure.

I got those cigars your father sent me.  Thank him an tell him if he ever gets takin like that again not to send such a large box but-well you explain it to him Mable.  You can do that sort of thing much better than I can.  Outspoken.  Thats me all over, Mable.