of filling
pages; when I have news it is easy to write, and to you is, I know,
interesting reading. But, as you know, the happy and the righteous are
generally uninteresting, and we are very contented at present. We fire
most of the day for practice, and, as I say, entertain a lot of
officers, and go out to meals. I know almost all the officers in three
Battalions in the Brigade now. It's been beautiful and warm this last
week. If things go on as they are doing at present I should not like
the war to stop. It is very nice being out, and I really enjoy the
trenches.

We went into ---- (do you know where now?) the day before yesterday,
and went to the Divisional Pierrot Troupe, a sort of Follies. They are
quite good, and have a sort of theatre, in a disused college--College
des beaux Arts. It is always crowded with officers and men.

Much love to all, from your loving Son,
ALEC.

101/1 TRENCH MORTAR BATTERY,
101ST BRIGADE, B.E.F.
Sunday.

My darling Mother,--

I am afraid that I have rather fallen off in the writing line lately,
but we have been leading a very pleasant but humdrum life, and the
evenings have been rather busy; at present, five rowdy young
subalterns profane the air with discordant music and facetious
witticisms, so it is difficult to write ("Mack, you will never write a
letter," "Do lend me a hundred sandbags," "Orders from Brigade," &c.).

We are at present in a very pleasant billet just a few miles south of
where we were before; we ought to be in the trenches, but as there are
no dug-outs for us yet we are building them before we go in, or rather
we are talking of making them at present. For eight days or so we were
in divisional rest, during which time we fired for practice most days,
entertained people to meals, and went in to the town near to see the
divisional pierrot show. Two or three days ago we suddenly had orders
to move to the section on our right, so Greig, Uncle Fred's friend,
told me to ride his second horse, and to come and look round with him
at the billets, &c. We had a very pleasant ride. The next day we came
along, bringing our things on handcarts, and one big horse waggon; we
came to take over this billet--it is a huge, big farm, square with a
lon