y came across me I had
done an eight hours' stretch of duty.

I stayed in the reserve trench until we went to billets, a couple of days
after this. We were looking forward to spending Christmas in billets, but
were disappointed.

We had hardly been "cushy" three days, when we were sent to hold a
position on the left flank of an English battalion of what we believed to
be the Sussex Regiment. It was just two days before Christmas when we took
up this position.

It was much quieter here. Snow had fallen during the night, giving the
ground a sort of peaceful appearance, except for a few dark patches where
some "Jack Johnsons" or "Black Marias" had landed toward dawn. (It was
Christmas Day.) Just after "stand down," our mail was issued. It consisted
mostly of parcels. Our part of the trench was very fortunate. Every man
had at least two letters and as many parcels. I received three in the same
handwriting and a two-pound box of chocolate almonds. Parcels containing
socks, mittens, scarfs, etc., were pounced upon by all hands, as these
articles were very much needed at this time. Next in importance came the
cigarettes, of which we received a goodly supply.

I need hardly say that we all tasted one another's luxuries--shortbread,
chocolates, and currant cakes (which had to be eaten mostly with a spoon
because of the rough handling they had had)--and we exchanged confidences
about our letters whether they were from Miss Campbell, Mrs. Low, or
Uncle Sandy.

Every Tommy, every Jock, learns to know and to love his trench mate as a
brother. The men in the "ditches" feel as if they all belonged to the one
mother, sharing each other's confidences, both pleasant and sad. There is
no selfishness--not even a thought of it--"over there."

We were all sitting round the fire-steps of our trenches, thinking, ever
thinking, and wondering how many of us would live to see the same sun rise
on another Christmas Day. The sun was red. It appeared to be
dripping-red--with blood, when a slight commotion started up along to the
right. I grasped my rifle and at the same time looked round the little
traverse. I saw a few chaps with their heads over the parapet--which
seemed unwise and extremely dangerous. I thought we had been surprised by
the Huns, and took a glance in the direction of their trenches, which
looked as quiet as our own. But I could see thin lines of smoke rising up
at irregular intervals from the fires they had built. Almost at