The Coconino sun., 1918-09-20
RALPH DAVIS IN
 SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND
Sheffield, England, Aug. 9, 1918.
 no C1ouyh Road

Sheffield, England, Aug. 9, 1918.
 112 Clough Road,
 Dear Mrs. Davis:
 You will no doubt be surprised to receive this letter, as am stranger to you, but I have known your dear son for some weeks now, and l thought it would perhaps comfort you a little to hear from an outsider how he was getting along; it is with pleas ure that l write to you and am thank ful to tell you he is at the present moment enjoying the best of health, and he is also in good spirits; he neither worries about himself nor the conditions under which he is living he is quite happy and contented; he has one great wish and that is, he would very, very much like to see you. This of course is only natural, because he knows you do not enjoy very good health. l want you to try and make yourself as contented and happy as circumstances will permit, and so help the doctor in making you quite well and strong by the time Ralph gets home again, so that you can all have real good time. He is general favorite here with the officers, and he has done and is doing very good work, too, and, more than this, he is a very good example in very many ways | to the rest of the squadron. Here is | a little surprise for you, which l know you will be very glad to hear about, and 1 know you will feel proud of your dear boy, too. He is now a sergeant, and before long hopes to be a first-ciass sergeant. So, since you | saw him he has had one or two pro- motions, and he is trying for more Ralph told me this afternoon that he had not told you this, and l know you will rejoice to hear about it. Accord l ing to reports in our newspapers here things are looking more cheering for us, and I do sincerely hope that the day is not far distant now when we w,sI shall have peace once more, and all this terrible trouble will be over, and the boys begin to come home again | My dear Mrs. Davis, try to be brave and cheer up, for your own sake as well as for Ralph's sake. There are many pcople worse off than we are al present. I know how hard it is to Dc brave. I can speak from experience hut we must not lose hope. You know as well as I do that the Eternal Goo lis our refuge, and underneath ape tho Everlasting Arms to comfort and sus' tain us in our time of need. Wher Ralph leaves here l shall miss hin very much and I shall fell it, too, but after all
 "There is a spot where spirits blend And friend holds fellowship witf
 friend, .,
 Though sundered far, by faith they AronnJ one common mercy seat" l At any rate we (both you and II can pray for him, that God will keer him and protect him from all harm and danger and from falling into temptation. I feel from what have seen of him you have nothing to worry about, only his bieng away from you because when at home I know he had a good training and now he is amongst | so many different men, one can see marked difference between him ano many of the othes men. l am ir tne office. and time after time l nave heard different officers speak about him. in fact they have spoken to me about him. :. Now I must draw to close. don't know if Ralph wants me to tell you anything, but will see; with all good wishes and kindest of thoughts,
 | Yours very sincerely.
 (MRS.) ETHEL BAILEY.