Letter to Mother from Bramshot Camp

Bramshot Camp
Hants 18-11-16

Dear Mother:–

I have a letter started up at the hut but I forgot to bring it with me after supper until I was to far away to other going back after tonight but will put these together and send them tomorrow.

The snow is thawing faster tonight since supper and is not snowing. I came down to this farthest hut or s.c.a. because there is not so many boys he that take part in the bible study and I think that the men have a lot more time to talk to use. It is 6.15. I got a letter from Annie today she has a chance to go as delegate to Indianapolis. I don’t know what the delegation is for tho whether W.C.T.U or some other movement.

As I talked this afternoon to this minister he said I suppose you have no hope of getting back home until after the war. I said know and if they told me tomorrow I could go back if I choose I could not think of going. I told him how few the christian men were in our batt. I don’t think there is six men in the whole 1100 who are out and out Christians and that I would surely stay by the boys. I can’t think my place in this army amounts to anything it is just one drop of water in the middle of the ocean but my christian life may be remembered by these boys for the rest of there lives and I am looking forward to the time when the first of the boys will come forward and confess his sins and make me a christian pall. I am sure God will surely give me strength to help some one of them to come to him, the only way you can know how much I crave to see these boys saved is to look back and see or remember how you felt about each of use boys of yours. Mother do get the boys to read the bible every day out loude and talk it over each night. it will be such a blessing to you all.

I have made my bible and testament such friends of mine that they will never be any other. I have such a faith in God that I could walk outside and die for him at any minuit I am so sorry that we did not know more about God while we were together he truly must govern every thing both good and evil and Mother just trust him and realize that I can’t suffer no matter what happens more than Alice has just come thru Elmer told me all about it, and I could hardly stand it to think of her going thru what she did that would seem more than she needed to but it is all God will and to bring about his purpose in the end. This war is certainly one of the rewards of the wicked that we may see with our own eyes as is said in the psalm you sent me and Mother I see the reward of the wicked being dealt out ever day I think if not every day often did I tell you the captain of the 203 told the boys on Sunday that there has been 70,000 canadians runined thru there disapation in contracting disease and a very small % of these were of any use to army after they get the disease I have seen numbers of these boys in my own Batt. There was as likely a young lad as I ever saw about 19 years old that has go it since he came to Witley and the last time I saw him was about two weeks ago and he could hardly walk at all, and I would not be surprised if he would not live long think of these thing. Look at our boys coming away from dry camps over there that are bad enough and then getting a wet canteen thrown open to them here there should not be one more Canadian enlist until the Imperial Army do away with the wet canteen. don’t let Ted enlist before he is 21 any way no matter if the war looks over twice or three times, there will be lots of time for him to take in what there is to do in the line of duty for his country after that and he will have a mans chance but he does not owe any thing to his country before that these boys that come over here at the earlier ages become more of an expence to the government than they do good I think for they are so easily lead. Now don’t think that I think Ted would not stand moraly but how many boys are like him, It was his life that made me see how I was living that was the first good that Teds influence had on anyone I suppose and now my influence must bear on the men I am with we never know what good we may be doing some one else Well Mother dear I must quit for this time say if you ever want to send me any thing to eat never send more than a tiny box about the size of the fudge box because I will just have to share it up with the boys any way and we might better give the money to the red cross that to feed these boys because they eat more stuff at the canteen than is good for any man and they have 60 cents a day to spend so they need no pity one cookie is just as good to me as five pounds would be for you have got to treat the boys if you get a box. if they ever treat me I will treat them at the canteen.

As ever your loving son Laurie.