February 3rd, 1917.
Dear Misses W.:
You were very kind to remember me
at Christmas. Seventeen was read with all kinds
of gusto by all my brother officers. It’s
still being borrowed.
I’ve been back from leave a
few days now and am settling back to business again.
It was a trifle hard after over-eating and undersleeping
myself for nine days, and riding everywhere with my
feet up in taxis. I was the wildest little boy.
Here it’s snowy and bitter. We wear scarves
round our ears to keep the frost away and dream of
fires a mile high. All I ask, when the war is
ended, is to be allowed to sit asleep in a big armchair
and to be left there absolutely quiet. Sleep,
which we crave so much at times, is only death done
up in sample bottles. Perhaps some of these very
weary men who strew our battlefields are glad to lie
at last at endless leisure.
Good-bye, and thank you.
Yours very sincerely,
Con.