fore
yesterday, and the report to-day is that a Norwegian neutral was
torpedoed. F---- is very well, but does not come here till April.
Sydney is here, and is getting fat and chubby, a delightful little
boy, and keeps us all very cheery. We have had two delicious days as
far as weather is concerned. I hope you have had the same change for
the better.

May God keep you safe and sound, dear old G----, is, with our love,
our very earnest hope.

I am,
Yours affectionately,
J.R. of B----.

_February 26th, 1915._

We went to poor Capt. Thompson's funeral yesterday, Major B. and
myself. A military funeral in the field is of three sorts. Well away
from the enemy the soldier is borne on a stretcher, sewn up in his
blankets and wrapped in a flag. Nearer the enemy you dispense with a
flag; and finally, of course, in the trenches, when you cannot get
out, you crawl down a ditch and dig a hole in the side and bury the
poor fellow. Ours was of the second sort, as it was within long-range
rifle fire, but somewhat screened by a hedge. Four officers carried
the stretcher, and about six others followed behind. The grave was
lined with wheaten straw, unthreshed, and the clergyman read a very
short service, and then we all slipped quietly away. After the funeral
we trotted on to the 5th Battery. They are friends of ours, and had
been heavily shelled the day before; we telephoned them to inquire the
result, but had received no answer. The operator, it seems, was
obliged to take refuge in a cellar with some women and children, for
the enemy positively rained shells upon them, fortunately, however,
from a field gun only. Then shells struck the house itself, and the
others made holes in the ground round it. Two went through the
adjoining windows, two others into the dust-heap, etc. The cause of it
was that the French owner had brought a threshing machine and was
threshing out his wheat. Of course, the smoke of the engine attracted
the Germans at once. The French are very much amused at this, I am
told, for they do not allow any such things near their lines; but our
Staff are soft-hearted. I had a very pleasant little dinner with Gen.
Pinney last night, and played Bridge for an hour--the first game I
have had time for since I left the transport at Liverpool. That will
giv