ughts and walk of life. Well, I do not mean to
preach, but it comes in my lowland Scotch blood, I suppose!...

_January 22nd, 1915._

Thanks for your note last night of January 19th. As you say,
considering war time, this is quick. But at present it is a stationary
war, and there is no reason why it should not be so. Once we get on
the move, you will see that things will work badly, and we shall be
short of food and of mails too. I was glad to get Aunt B----'s letter.
Yesterday was an absolute drench. I rode, all the same, for exercise,
and on the way back the enemy proceeded to shell the road; at the very
extremity of their range, I fancy. It is curious how one takes the
shelling nowadays. One becomes a fatalist! "If it hits me, it must hit
me; I cannot escape, but I hope it will not" sort of thing. We return
to the trenches this afternoon. Our General leaves to-night, but
before then he has elected to inspect our billets in the afternoon,
and to have a night alarm in the trenches early this evening. All the
Colonels have therefore put their heads together to keep things as
right as possible for him. Major Baker also goes on leave for about 10
days or so to-night, with various other officers who have well earned
a rest. I see you had Zeppelins over you yesterday, or rather the day
before; but I think that where you live you are as safe as anywhere in
England. It shows what gentlemen these Germans are in the way they
treat non-combatants.

To-day is a bright rather beautiful frosty day, and I am going to look
at a large church in a village on a road when reconnoitring. I went to
see another two days ago, and found only the tower and the walls
standing; the Germans had burnt the rest.

_P.S._--The billets we leave to-day are like a very tiny 9th-rate
hotel, about as large as the house opposite the blacksmith's forge at
Carlton, or a little larger, with another storey added on. Tiny rooms,
and stoves in only two of them, which can be used as sitting-rooms. We
found a small tub, to our great delight, and this allows us first to
wash ourselves and then our things, so we are perfectly happy in
it....

IN TRENCHES.
_January 23rd, 1915._

We arrived at our trenches all right last night, and, as I had
expected, found them fairly under water. In parts it was like the
ground round that