The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-02-14
Goodbye, JIM,
F. r. s. 337, A. p. o. 727,
Am. e. F., France.

Mr. and Mrs. Emory a. Harrison,
OF Mt Airy, received the following
letter from their son, Pvt Freddie
e. Harrison, i'm France
La Sue, Sarthe, France,
January 4, 1919.
Dearest Mother and ALL take
great pleasure in writing these few
lines to tell you that / am we'll at
present / was feeling pretty rough
at Christmas. 1t was the dullest
Christmas / ever spent, that and a
bad cold kept me pretty miserable.
Between Christmas and New Year I
got a great many letters and they
were better than the medicine. Tell
every one to keep ON writing, even
if they do not hear from me for I
do not have very much time to write.
Just now I am on guard relief and
am writing this letter on the back
of my mess kit. Mother, I did not
get my Christmas box, but i don't
think L shall worry very much; the
signing of the armistice was present
enough for me.
II never received any money from
the first OF October until December
81. / didn't have a cent Of money
to spend for Christmas. We got
paid for October and November /
received $23 in French money. 1t is
some common looking money. I am
going to bring some home for
souvenirs. / was at the Y NJ c. a.
last night and had them send $40 to
you. I didn't want to spend all that
over here. We can't buy anything in
this town that is worth anything and
what we do buy we pay double
prices for don't spend SO much
ct will tell you what friend and
did one day last week. We are
quartered in a loft above - French
woman's home Her husband was
killed in the war. She is about the
size of Mrs Kline and looks some
thing like her. She is very kind,
gives us hot water to shave and cooks
the things we bring to her. We
bought a chicken, some bread, milk,
coffee and potatoes from an old far
mer on the edge of the town. She
roasted the chicken with bread and
onion dressing, French fried potatoes,
and made Us coffee. She is some
cook A meal like this we can't af-
ford often, it cost us $225 apiece.
If we only have coffee and potatoes
we can get that for 40 cents. Chick
ems are very high here.
II gave the name of the town am
in. We expect to be here about fff-
teen days. + do not know where we
will 60 next. I am in the First
Holding Co We don't know what is
meant by Holding co. The 55th
Pioneer Infantry has been merged
into these Holding Companies
About one thousand men left here to
day. We 90 shortly. + wish it was
toward the U. S.A-, but 7 guess there
is no such good luck.
They are awfu1ly strict with us
snce the war VI il over 4 have been
fortunate enough to miss punish
ments 90 far In one OF your letters
you said you we're proud of my good
resolution. T am still holding good.
T don't get much chance to read my
little Book, but 7 read some.
When I get home I mean to spend
some time i'm leisure for sure have
spent some time in confinement and
hardship. I have seen no active
service but 4 have had some ex-
periences. / guess when 4 tell them \
at home, people will call me "a free
hearted liar heard Roscoe "aD
sorry that he hasn't come to France.
He needn't be, for he hasn't missed
much. Life in camp was hard, but
this IL worse.
tsI am sorry that Jennings was
guess he will soon De