[Illustration: "Somethin fer my wife" says he. "Bargain counter next
isle" says she]
Dere Julie:
We drilled today for the first time since we landed in this land of
smoke and fog. I'd enjoy these drills, in fact so would all the boys,
if it wasn't fer Skinny. The only one that's in step is him. He knows
as much of the commands as a Bowery Bum knows about publishing a
Chinese newspaper.
Today we saw a German prisoner for the first time. He looked nearly
human. Written on his belt was "Gott mit Uns," an English soldier who
saw it said, "But I say Ol top _We have the Americans with us_." So
you see they're wise to us already.
Believe you me derie, if this war lasts six months longer, Gen.
Pershing and his boys will make German the court language in the lower
regions.
Skinny spent last night in the guard house. In trying to get back in
camp after taps he runs plum into a sentry who said "Halt, who goes
there?" and Skinny told him "Oh never mind, I only have been here
a week and you wouldn't know me ennyhow." He told me today that he
didn't wanna be a kernel as there wuzn't much chance fer advancement.
I think I told you Julie in one of my letters how stingy this bird
Skinny is. Last week we got a three day ferlow and beat it up to the
big burg to see the sites. Goin into one of the big hotels, I said to
the clerk "What are your rates?" "Five shillings up to 10," he said.
Skinny called me to one side an' whispered "Ask him how much it will
be up to half-past eight."
Well, derie, we hear we're soon goin on to France, and then
fare-thee-well loafin. We be busier than a paralized man with the
cooties. The only thing that's lible to bother me is the language. I
don't know whether I can speak it or not, I never tried it.
Yours until they have ham at a Jewish wedding,