Dearest Emmie

Yours to hand of the 15th inst & thanks very much for the photograph. I think it is very good of you and I don’t see any “commonness” about it. I’ll have mine taken when I see a decent place. We are playing on the square this afternoon at 6.30. Sometimes we play retreat and sometimes a programme, we are playing a programme this evening.

Yes! I hope to get a leave before next year but there are yet some 15 months men in the batt; one has just gone on leave. It has turned very dull so I expect we will have some rain. We are in another billit now where the rain does not come in so much and as one of the men is a house decorator he is able to repair the roof. The French people feel shure that the war will soon end and this new advance by the French will add to their confidence. Dad sent me out a pair of instep supports and they fit very well, he also sent one of those animated photographs which he had taken a long while ago much to the amusement of the boys.

We scrubbed our billitt out this morning and it looks tres bon. I am orderly man today but there is not much in that.

I don’t know if all this interests you but not much else doing and is almost the same every day. How is Bert going on with the piano does he still have lessons you tell him that he ought to be able to beat me by time I get home. Has W.L. been taken yet. I dare say he will protest and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he has got off. You know he tried to join before me and his firm couldn’t spare him but since then he has changed his views upon the Army and its purposes. Well my dear I will have to close this epistle now.

With Fondest Love from Yours Ever Will.