The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1918-10-03
FROM r. /. ELCAN

Ny Mother and Father will
write you one more letter before |
leave. l almost know / win receive
a letter from you tomorrow, as l
wrote to you on the 4th. Wish 1
could stay here three months longer,
as this climate agrees with me fine
/ Am gaining every day. All my
clothes are too small for me.
I'll try to write to you at our next
camp, which l think will be Hoboken,
N. j., where we will stand our over
seas examination But if you don't
hear from me you will know it is not
my fault.
1t is pretty cold up here. An over
coat and fire feels good. They is
sued US sweaters, knitted caps and
razors today,
Well, the paper looks pretty good
today. / think the war will come to
a close by this time next year; then
there will be a good time in the old
IU. S. A. for the soldier boy. The
only thing / dread in going to France
is being seasick; but, Of course, that
will not last very long,
Oh, mother, please get well. You
don't know how it hurts me to know
you are sick, and Pm so soon to be
so far from you, Has papa got well :?
Tell him he'll get all right when it
quits raining l know him | think.
We are having a fine time doing
nothing. Two Of the boys broke out
with measles yesterday
The boys I run with, mother are
fine boys. Don't think your baby
could learn anything you would not
have him know from them. They do
not indulge in filthy talk or any
thing that my mother would object
to. | admit there are boys in our
company who gamble, but here is
one that never will. You knew. moth
er, the boys used to laugh and call
|me Mammals Baby Well, you know
III didn't care, and l'll not mind the
boys saying that | am tied to my
mothers apron string when 1T comes
to doing what | thinl, wrong. So you
need not fear for me.
We finished all our gas drills to-
day. We were tested on two kinds
of gas-tar and mustard The tar
affects the eyes and makes tears
stream. As you know mine are not
strong anyway, and it is hard on
them. They give you four seconds
to get your mask on You can't
breathe out of your nose as 1t has
two rubber clasps that fit over it..
SO what breath you get has to come
from your mouth. Certainly isn't
pleasant sensation.
Mother, wish you could come and
stay in the mountains about three
months and drink this water. 1t
comes through a mountain, and is
cold as ice. | know it WOULD help
YOU. If | were going to be here for
any length of time ! would come for
you.
The government certainly gives US
good clothes. / always had the best
you could give me, mother, but moth
ing to compare with what l have
now.
Tell papa to take care of himself
and not to work so hard. He is
plenty able to quit work and ought
to enjoy life some. Suppose he was
in nv shoes. But thank God, ! am
man enough to fill them. I'm glad to
say I'm not afraid to die, and if God
sees fit to take me in France l can
find Heaven from there just as well
as | could from the U. S. A.
Was sorry to hear of David Van
Meters death. He was fine fellow.
/ hate to stop writing, for God
knows when | will get to write any
more. That is why have been
writing to you every week. Mother,
please, for my sake, don't worry over
me. | am just as safe as if | were
in that skeleton bed at home, with
YOU watching after me. | would like
the life fine il you were only well.
gu must get used to not hearing
from ne, for when | get across if you
hear once a month it will be about
all you can expect.
May God bless you both and keep
the little home together.
Lovingly, R. L. ELCAN.
Camp Grain, Allentown, Pa.