Milford chronicle., 1918-05-10
LETTER FROM PARIS C. GREENLY
March 16, 1918.
lly dear Mother

March 16, 1918.
Nly dear Mother:
By this time / suppose that some Of nay
letters have reached you at home and /
am sure thar you will feel much better
when you know that | am well and nicely
situated. and happy in my new work.
was sure that l would have no trouble
In getting TO France and after / got set
tied in my work that I would enjoy it,
Well. / certainly am glad that ! made the
decision 10 come 10 France for year
or until the war ends. if it ends sooner
II is a great opportunity and ! would
not have missed it for the world. It will
not take a year long to go by. and / will
be home with you again and have lots to
talk about and to preach about.
I received letter from Matte last
week. written after she got the letter
from the Y NJ c. A. saying that / had
arrived O. X l am sure that you receiv-
ed the telegram. as the W promised TO
send 10 TO you. ! am glad that you knew
me name Of the boat that / was TO sail
on. so that you were not worried about
me when the American transport was
torpedoed I landed safely the day be-
fore IL was sunk. II was a tragedy that
they should be drowned just as they were
nearing the harbor. but it was fortunate
that so few were lost. have met some
of the American officers on board that
boat and heard their story Of II.
II may sound strange to you but we
do not hear as much talk about the war
right here as we did back home. We see
enough Of the soldiers and the military
life. but il is such a common thing that
We all take il as a matter OF course and
80 quietly about our work. We get a
small English daily paper that tells US
briefly about the battles and the big
events Of the world So do not feel cut
on from all civilization.
Well. mother / am rather expecting TO
change my place OF work. You know I
have been working in a city where the
work is mostly British and only a few
Of our American boys here. While have
enjoyed the work. yet l came over here
primarily TO work among the American
soldiers, 50 now that l have the oppor-
tunity to go over where they are, / ex-
pect TO take it. l will probably be put
in charge of a Y. NJ. c. A. hut where /
viii have the responsibilities and the
chance to do something that l feel com
petent TO do. / have talked with our
leader here and he thinks this will be
the best thing for me to do. 1 want to
preach, and to teach and do personal
work with the boys, and here I do not
have the opportunity to do that kind
lof work to any large extent II while i
lat work / stop TO talk to one Of the i
american boys who-eome in, some Of the /
British workers notice 1t, and they think 1
I am paying more attention TO the Amer
lean than TO the British. While they do
not say anything about it to me, yet
know they feel it and possibly speak to
others about it. But l feel that / ought
to look after our boys. They are far
from home, and only a few among SO
many British. and l am often the only
American in the hut when they come in,
50 they love to linger along the counter
and talk with me. What l want Is a
place to work where I can feel perfectly
free to do any kind Of work that needs
to be done, and not be afraid Of inter
tering with somebody's ideas about
things Now this is the reason that
am about decided to accept the oppor-
iunity to go to an American camp.
Now / do hope that you are well and
enjoying yourself. You must not worry
about me for l am just as well of as in
he States. Are you moved into your
1wn home yet? AS 1 suggested before, l
think It would be best for you to stay
With Mamie this summer, but OF course
you must do what you feel for your own
best. ! think Of you every day and GER
ainly miss you. and am so glad that we
could be together for the past two years,
and if it is the Lords will we will be to-
gether again in about q years time, or
sooner. Now l must close. Give my
love to all the family. and tell them
am we'll and happy.
Your affectionate son,
Rev. Paris c. Greenly