Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1918-03-06
"WRfTE, WITH A SMILE"

Buddy, did you ever meet up with
any Of the complications that came up
back home from the way you worded
your letters? If you haven't, it's safe
bet that you will some of these days,
unless you stop and think a little bit
about just how it sounds to the folks
back here who are reading your letter.
This week one boys father telegraphed
to Camp Hancock to know il his sons
injuries would be fatal just because
some neighbor's son had exaggerated in
his story of some happening in camp
Which had been really trivial, and the
boy whose folks were frantic, was as
healthy and we'll as any soldier in the
camp. Last week there was the same
sort of scare over a boy who went to
the hospital with the mumps and
whose folks back home thought he
was seriously i'll and keeping some-
thing from them.
You don't need to tell the folks every
little unpleasant thing that happens in
your company street in order to fill up
letter. You can find enough that's in
teresting and pleasant and ENJOYABLE if
you try to without belly aching" all
your little worries and cares through
the mail to the people who are worry =
ing enough about you, anyway. You
may think it sounds insignificant. but
II you will stop and put yourself in
your mothers place little, you will
understand how she begins to worry
when you say you have bad cold and
she begins to think thta you are down
with the fever or pneumonia or some
thin got the sort and are trying to keep
1t from her and all that. Don't tell her
that Buck and Bob" had fight the
other night when they just had a little
scrap that was all over in no time and
stayed just as good friends as ever The
folks back there reading that letter
would began to think that Buck and
Bob had had a bloody battle and that
there was bad feeling in the company
and some one would say, "Wen, Jim
wouldn't let anyone pick on Bob" and
somebody else would say, We'll Frank
would side with Buck any time" You
know how it is, and how everybody back
there wants to read your letters and
the first thing you know everybody
back there is talking about what a
mean dispesitioned buch of trouble
finders there are in the company, and
how they don't get along at all, and it
comes around to Bucks mother and
to Bob's mother and they get as wor-
ried and troubled as can be, and then
YOU AAebNS " SAStEb III lEyIA6 " nthS
explanations.
You've got your worries. We all have
Everybody has. But keep 'em to your
self when it comes to those letters
home. Your mother and your father
are thinking of you every minute and
hoping you're all right and worrying
for fear you're not without your MAX
ing 1t any worse for them by telling
them little troubles for them to think
into big ones. Get busy and tell 'en
how much you're enjoying life. Il
won't hurt you If you do have t.
stretch the truth once in a while an6
tell them that you are having the best
meals that you ever hope to have anG
the weather is warm and you have
more blankets than you need and al
that. That won't do you bit of harm
but it can't help you in the least Il
iii up a letter, telling all about ths
stomach-ache you had last night thai
kept you awake, or about the cold wind
that got next to your skin when YOU