Transcription

France
Jan. 7th 1918

Dear Mother,
It has been two weeks since I have written home but somehow or other I couldn't settle down to write a letter. However I will try and not let another week go by without writing. As well as your letters I got one from Ed, one from Pug, and one from Bill. Altogether, I got twelve letters last night!

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Ed seems to be rushing Nora Mahoney at a pretty good rate. He seems to have quite a crush. He wants to be pretty careful or he will wake up some morning and find out that he is in love. He should have enough money saved up in a year or so to get married. Har Har! Enough of this pessimistic harangue.
I am feeling fine only I have sore feet and

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the lice bother me every night. Tomorrow I am going to get my boots changed and have a bath so I should be "jake". We have a fellow on our team that is sleeping now just above me. He snores and grinds his teeth alternately in his sleep. He will snore away for about five minutes and then grind his teeth for a couple of minutes. It is very annoying when

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you are trying to get to sleep. We are in an old German dug-out just now and have a stove so are nice & comfortable.
I guess that is about all I can write this time.

Love to all,
Your loving son,
Melville.
P.S: I am in the (blacked out)th Division, but don't put that on my letters. Melville

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I forgot to say that those apples came in good condition and the Christmas cake as well. It was fine and I sure did enjoy the apples. I have got seven boxes in the last three days, so I sure will not starve. Melville.