[Illustration:  “I WEAR THEM EVERY NIGHT OVER MY UNIFORM”]

Its getting frappayer and frappayer down here (meaning colder and colder).  It got so cold that I put on those sox that you nitted me.  I guess I wont any more though.  I guess my feet are going to look like corderoy the rest of my life.  Youll understand no hard feelin I know.  You know how delicate my feet is an how I cant afford to prennez a hazard with them.

Thank your mother for the flannel pajammas.  I wear them every night over my uniform.  I got to quit now an read some pictur post cards that some girls sent me.

     Good night
     (or as the French say Robe de Nuit).

Dere Mable:

I havnt rote for some time because I been made an officer.—­a corperal.  I admit I deserved it.  I didnt apply for it or nothin though.  They just come and told me.

Bein corperal means I dont have nothin more to do with details.  An at the same time I got more details than ever.  Thats a sort of a joke that us military men understand.  You couldnt get it probably Mable.  Its tecknickle.

Yesterday being Sunday me an a couple of other officers borrowed a couple of mules from the stable Sargent an went for a ride.  We saw a cabin that they said was a moonshiners hut but it was broad daylight so you couldnt tell of course.

Its still cold.  I wish thed hurry up and issue those gas masks.  Theyd come in handy these cold nights.  The sargent told me that I was goin to do interior guard tonight.  I guess Im lucky to get indoor work this wether.

[Illustration:  “I BEEN MADE AN OFFICER”]

[Illustration:  “SOMEBODIED SET A TRUNK ON THE TURKY”]

You never saw such a place for roomors.  These are army roomors.  They havnt got nothin to do with the kind your mother used to take in.  We here that were going next week an that were not goin at all but were goin to be used to guard the Chicago stock yards.  Then we here that all the mounted men are goin to be dismounted an all the dismounted men are goin to be mounted.  An that the rest of us are goin to be made cooks.  An we here that all non coms are goin to be abolished.  Its awful hard to tell what is goin on.

I got your Thanksgivin box two days ago.  It was only ten days late.  I guess the post office must have made some mistake.  Things is usually later than that.  It was in good shape except that the insides had been squoze out of the mince pie and somebodied set a trunk on the turky.  Of course I divided it up with my squad.  Big hearted.  Thats me all over.  Im awful popular with my men.  They offen say they wish Id be made a Major or somethin.  My men ate up all the stuff.  All I saved for my self was the white meat an half a mince pie.  It certainly tastes good in the field.  Of course we aint in nobodies field.  Thats a military expreshun.  I cant explain it.

I got to quit now an post a guard.  At the same time Ill post this letter to you.  Thats a joke Mable.  Im sorry this letter cant be longer but as a man rises in the army he gets less an less time to hisself.  Olive oil.