Letter to Mother from Milford, Surrey

Witley Camp
Milford
Surrey

Dear Mother:

I have been out ever since about 2 P.M. walking away down at Milford and Godalming where I had supper and then walked some more after that we ate some more and then started home just got here at 8 P.M. Say Mother we have got a third Christian freind Tom Miller him and Stanley Deason were with me, we just have our Christian experiences all threshed out when we get home every night. Oh Mother if more of these boys could have my experience they would be a happier bunch and think of the good they would do just with the influence they would have if they never took part in the meetings any more than to be present at them

I got some of views that I saw today and will enclose them here.

I don’t know but I don’t seem to be able to write tonight but I will finish this and make it a good one tomorrow. I have a letter just about finished to Clive to night I will finish it tomorrow and send him a picture of me.   In one of your letters you mention that I may not have any other remembrance of you only of you complaining. well just don’t ever have any such thot in conection with me for I have some of the clearest and most heart cherished remembrances of you that is possible for any son to have. I have manys the time wished for Burt Peel that he just had a mother like mine. if he had of had any respect for his mother or father I can’t beleave that he would be under the sod to day. I think that it is only one more of Gods promises coming true

I can see often around me the promise that is given in the 8 verse of the 91 psalm that you sent me.

I have read these psalms often since then and enjoy them but now I have my bible and I read it always when I want any of the old testament, I am going to study Gods word more and more and pray each day for God to give me more wisdom and more christian ability to aid in the conversion of these boys that I am among. I would give any thing to have an oppertunity to talk often to some good great soul winner it would help me so mutch. Our Chaplain you can easily guess what he is like when I say he is english church. Well good night as ever your loving son Laurie

P.S. If we could have a talk for an hour to night it would be great I would give more for that than any other pleasure I could ask but it will make me a better man of me as it is I think and we will be to gether again before long I am sure. either way it can’t be long for Mother the time goes something awful here I can’t get time to even write you often enough and I am enjoying every minuit of the days.

Sunday A.M. I have been in about 30 minuits from church parade. I went down to the orderly room and got my literary digests. I will not have time to read any in them today for I am going down to Milford to S.S. I have to teach the boys class and then we are going up to that home I have told you about for supper then church and I suppose bed about 9.30 It has frozen the last two nights here Friday night it froze hard enough so that the ground where it was muddy was stiff but that is as hard a frost as we are supposed to have all winter I hope it don’t get any worse for the warmer the better for use all. I havent got the slightest cold at all I jumped up at 7 k today shaved folded my blankets swept my corner out and got my clean underwear and beat it for a shower bath first good hot water and then the ice cold the only way to appreciate a bath at that time on a frosty morning is to put colder water on you than the atmosphere is off coarse we have a good brick bathhouse but it is just as cold in there as it is outside.

I am sitting on a pile of bed boards beside the stove and six other boys are doing the same we havent got our benches in our new quarters yet. I told Clive about use moving our camp to North Witley about ¾ of a mile from our old camp. The camp we had first was a new camp and closer to the station so they moved use out and gave another canadian the ground as soon as we got out. I took down supper to six boys that were on guard after we got out and here the road was lined up with new canadian boys who were sitting on there packs, waiting for orders. This was about 5.45 P.M. we got in about 1.30 A.M. when we hit but the canteen was open and they gave use a good lunch beside what we bot we went to bed contented and got up contented and I am still contented so we an’t going to kick any.

Well Mother dinner is just over and it was a good one flour brown gravy with lots of onions in it good roast beef, potatoes boiled with skins on and lots of bread. Harvey Anderson just brot me an apple so I can sit on a folded tick and write to you and eat apple.

The end of the week we expect to leave here and go to the ranges about 14 mile march with our packs that will do use good. We march 50 minuits out of each hour by British army rule and we have to take off packs every time we sit down.

Well Mother I am all in for something to say so I will have to say good bye dear enjoy ever passing hour and don’t do to much work go down and see sister this fall and you will feel good again in the spring

as ever your loving son
Laurie