e? Still the
same old Bill.

There always inspectin us. I feel like a piece of prize beef. They never
inspect a man all the way through. I guess the inspecters get payed by
the day durin the duration of the inspecshun. One day its our teeth an
another our heart an another our lungs. The other day we was all lined
up in the company street and the Sargent says "Inspecshun arms." I lays
down my gun an rolls up my sleves. Just to show you how tecknickle the
army is he didnt want to see my arms at all but my gun. Hows a fello
goin to tell, Mable?

I went up for thirds at breakfast the other morning as usual an the
cook said "You seem to like coffee." Right away without stoppin to think
or nothin I says back "Yes thats the reason Im willin to drink so much
hot water to get some." Eh, Mable?

Went to a dance the other night and met some swell girls. I made em all
laff. I says I guess I got the instinks of a soldier all right. The
minit I smell powder Im right on my tows.

I havent been very well lately. I guess Ill cut out eatin at meals. It
spoils my appitite for the rest of the day. I kno youll be glad to kno
my feet aint hurtin so much. Remember me to the hired girl and
your mother.

Yours through the winter,
_Bill_.

[Illustration: "REMEMBER ME TO YOUR MOTHER"]

_Chair Mable:_

Thats French. I didnt expect you to kno what it meant though. The
Y.M.C.A. are learnin me French now. I only had three lessons so far but
I can talk it pretty good. You know how quick I am at pickin up any kind
of trick stuff like that. The only difference between French and English
is that there pretty near alike but the French dont pronounce there
words right.

When I use French words Ill underline them. Thatll give you some idea of
the languige.

When we get voila as the French say for over there itll come handy to be
able to sit down and have a dosy dos with them poilus. (That means chew
the rag in English.) A poilus Mable is a French peasant girl an they say
that they are very belle. (Now don't mispronounce things an get sore
till you know. You pronounce that like the bell in push button. It means
good lookers.) There crazy about us fellos. They call us Sammies. They
named one of there rivers for us. You have heard of the battle of the
Samme. But I dont suppose you have.

They have been learnin us a lot about gas at attacks lately. These are
not the kind your father has. These are more like the open places in