Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-24
~ ~ H. Lieut.. J. DOUGLAS
Il N IL n \ IA K u tanhdinn
Y ~ IN HI of ESpsL
u

Copyright 1917. b.

| "rayers with which | nhlsheu H. anu
how | hoped 1t would arrive an rlsnt, |.
80 that all the things | asked for might
ba started on their long journey. j VIII
quote the latter part;
"As YOU know have lost everything
II had in the trenches, except what !
had on IS pictures ana all OF
YOURS and Bill's are gone. Please SEND
Tn send back my hit (Which was at
Transport II. G.. back of the line) Then
send me my gabardino tune. sacSs my
soft can had on my steel helmet
that other pair of low shoes, new pair
Of nuttecS my slippers some SOCKS ana
handkerchiefs, some s,irts and collars
pipc, cards tobacco. cigarettes maga' .
zines and books (these latter never ar
riyed) tea. oxo. chocolate--cooking and
eating--sugar jam etc, timed meats
and meat pies. I'll have to depend on
vou for lots of little luXuries so please
keep send ng this stuff regularly. 1t ar
rives o. X Don't forget my underwear,
too, and pajamas. Soon you WI have
, to send heavy underwear. Also send
me that new pair of cavalrycord
breeches and n pair of those fatigue
slacks. "a pair of size running shoes for
tennis when l get into camn q never
got therc). | am inclosing the Key 10
my kit bag. You can send 1t to rom
, Ut never arrived For heavens sake
send me word as soon as possible ABOUT
Jack | haven't been able to find out
anything If he is not all right over there
! he may be here some place, hut maven
seen or heard of him, nor yet nave
of any other officers. ] can write
=, postcard every week and a letter every
! two weeks and will write every other
l letter to --- and the other 10 the
, family. The postcards will probably te
l used for rush orders, etc, Ilease' on
please, all of you write often. Sehd
this 70 father and mother and ASK them
to forward il TO ---. It's ll;Jo ana l
: am awfully tired, but l had to get this
off tonight to go in II. m We traNeieu
t. from II o'clock last night TIL inns
= afternoon in one jump. Sorry | missed
Uncle Jim in France. Love to all of
: you, heaps of it, and regards to an my
!, friends and relations. hANHH'
e IMITATION OF BUTTER
> ; While we are writing. watkins ap-
a peared with the supper 1t was Sunda!
y night and we were not gwen heaNy
> meal There were several thin slices
= of black bread spread with a hithy
- imitation Of butter and few slices or
a sausage.
! Wells and I eyed this hungrily. but
Y Noodle and Gray told us to contain
o ourselves while they went up to the chapel
il to hold the service for the Englishmen,
after which they promised us good
n meal.
c Their word was as good as their bond,
y for after chapel Gray surreptitiously
r produced little spirit stove from under
s the radiator, while watkins was sent
= down to the basement fer some mysteri-
s Gus tins one Of these was slipped into
e a bowl of hot water on the stove. The
! other was emptied into a little frying
a pan and a beautiful oder filled the room.
S We thought we would probably wake
r up before long. Dishes were produced
B" from the cupboard and other tins were
e opened and their contents divided On
the plates Gray was the master of
IS ceremonies at the stove and we eagerly
e watched him dump can of peas into
r dish and drop in nuge chunk of
X butter from another tin. When all was
y in readiness we sat on the sides Cf our
Il beds and ate n meal which I would
~ gladly have paid SO for at the Blltmore
u in New York.
= We had lamb chops and fried country
;, sausage with green peas cooked in but
u ter. For dessert there was mixture
of timed peaches and pears covered
with very thick cream. All this was
n mlraculcusly produced from tins which
!. Noodle and Gray had received in parcels
III from home and We at once decided to
ask for some of these things before
Is FUNNY NIGHTSHIRTS
n. After this wonderful meal we con-
10 tinued our writing, asking Noodles and
!" Gray's advice on what IT was most
IL necessary to have. They told us we
could have money cabled TO us through
"a Holland and that we could buy lots of
Is useful things such as shaving materials
IN etc. In the postcard which l sent TO
II Mr., C, the manager of our office in
Manchester, l asked him TO cable fl0
y and also to send word to my family
he My father was in Canada, my sister was
o. in England, and knew that my mother
r had intended sailing for home on June
NJ 10, ] repeated many or the things
ID had stated in the letter, as we were told
Up that postcards were surer and quicker
y, When We had finished writing we felt
~ that our duty was done. Watkins was
. sent for and he helped us undress and
or put on the funny little short hospital
m nightshirts. | was given one that
re fastened up the left side with tapes
n, The floor was covered with the mud
a that broke off as our puttees were re-
"A moved
IN The bed was made in n peculiar way
lis The biscuits" We're covered with a
to sheet in the ordinary manner, but the
e. blanket was folded up and slipped into
IN cotton bag just the width of the bed
AT This prevented any possibility of tuck
ne ing in the clothes so that if you rolled
ne on your side it made the bed drafty 10
y say the least. 1t did not bother me
as il was months before l was able
to lie in any position except on my
.s back. We were so tckled at getting
re into n bed between real sheets that
,s we didn't care what disadvantages 4
ut might possess.
xt GOT A SOFT PILLOW
ek had a great deal OF difficulty II
we finding comfortable position for my
~. arm, but Gray very kindly gave m,
tn a small soft pillow he had secured some
err how and on this l rested 1t. The pillow!
de issued were as hard as bricks, but fel
ok like eiderdown TO US
as The lights were extinguished and al
SIN was still. II seemed so remarkable
'te peaceful after all we had come through
OF In the last three days that / could no
en- help Offering up prayer of thanks tina
G. was still alive.
lg- A., ,,tra lar. ,,,a,aarir,, ho,,. l.. Al.
-" events of June 2 and l fell aslee
,ra thinking about all the horrible sights
~ had witnessed passed the first Of man
~ 80. restless nights dreaming of all this
nss wondering what 1 could possibly hav
m na done 10 have got back to our lines an
-, what had become OF Jack and all m
~ ~ could not get to sleep again
~ <coNTINuEp- NEpNEspAy,