d plenty of bullets round him. To-day I have been
examining my new draft of men, quite a useful lot, and in the
afternoon rode over to inspect my transport. You see I have got the
pad you sent me, and am using it at once. About H---- I approve of his
going to Stanmore Park in a year's time. He will then be 9-1/2.

G.B.L.

_P.S._--The sheepskin has at last arrived. Thank you for your kind
present, but I am almost afraid that it will not work. It is much too
bulky! Even Major B---- looked queerly at it! By the way, the cake
also came; it was beautifully fresh. We do enjoy these things. Many
thanks for both. The sheepskin is very short for me, and closely
cropped, and looks like a worn-out mat!!

IN BILLETS.
_January 15th, 1915._

Two letters arrived from you to-night, enclosing also a nice one from
Mr. Argles, etc., etc., and I will write to him about January 20th, if
I get out of the trenches safely this time! I wonder what the change
of Austria's Foreign Minister means. Everything in the way of change
can, I think, only be to the good of England, as Hungary has always
been friendly to us. Our General inspected us this morning at 11 a.m.
My first parade was at 5.45 a.m., and I had another at mid-day, and
yet another look round later in the evening after dark. I also went
for a hack to examine a road behind our position. So all this passes
the time. _Re_ the khaki flannel. What the officers think is as
follows: They would like shirts very much, but as everybody bought new
ones when they were home in October, they are not required at present,
though those they now have will very soon be worn out, and then they
would be grateful for others, and it would save them trouble. So you
could have the shirts made up by the woman you speak of, giving her
good brown bone buttons. At least ten of them could be a copy of my
flannel ones, with single button cuffs instead of the double kind
which have "holes for links." There are several officers in the
Battalion who take my size in shirts, and the remainder could be made
a bit smaller. Most people are rather ill after the trench warfare of
the last two days. I had a head, too, nothing worse. It has been
wonderfully mild here. I am keeping my lambskin coat after all. I
think one could use it to sleep in on cold nights, or to do work in
t