r Crismus box came yesterday. It sure was good of you to send it
after all I said. At least a good part of it came considerin one end
of the box was gone. There was enuff left to give me an idear of what
had been in it. The only reason that any of it got here was because
theyd set so many things on top of it that some of the stuff got kind
of baled an stuck to the insides.

The thing that struck us most was the size of the box. Whoever got
that up must have thought that the folks at home was goin to send us
jewelrey for Crismus. I didnt care cause I knew it wasnt your falt.
Joe took it kind of hard tho cause he forgot to send any slips home an
he was kind of countin on me.

I got six letters from you all at once a couple of days ago. You must
carry them around in your pocket a week or two like I do when anybody
gives me a bunch to mail. I didnt care about anything tho when I read
that Archie Wainwright had gone an married that little snub nosed
thing across the street. I guess he must have been tipped off that
nobodied given him the freedom of the city. Some reason or other tho I
feel madder at him than I did before. I guess theres got to be a
casulty when I get home anyway.

[Illustration: "THAT LITTLE SNUB NOSED THING ACROSS THE STREET"]

I aint goin to rite any more cause the sargent ast me to help him out
this afternoon cleanin the guns. I dont like to leave him to do it all
alone when were so near the finish. Tell the good news to your father
an mother.

Yours on the home stretch
_Bill_

_Dere Mable:_

Here I am ritin you at the govermints expense for the last time. Were
in the same place where we first rested almost a year ago. It hasnt
changed much except theyve gotten in more mud an tents since then an
there aint so many boats to unpack.

Weve turned in our Soizant Canses to some monument factory. Weve said
good by to our horses for ever. The last thing one of them did was to
try an kick me as I went past. Thats there idea of gratitude. Now we
got less to do than the doboys cause we havnt even got rifles to
clean. This is the last letter youll ever get from me in France. If I
have my say about it its the last letter youll ever get from me
anywhere. I never want to get out of telefone range agen. Our boat is
all ready. This will probably travel over on the same boat with me. I
wanted to rite you from the A.E.F. for the last time. An by the way,
Mable, that dont mean Am Expectin Flowers