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              11
Dear Emma and Children;
                      I do not know what is the matter with my mail. Have not had any letters for more than two weeks. Have written to Paris to find out. We are having a great deal to do all the time. Practically all the French troops have left this sector now.  But this whole sector is being used by the Americans that are just coming from the Front.  It probably will soon stop then we will move foreward with the French again.  Jim and I are very glad that we were put with the French because we have the best opportunity to serve all the Allies, they are becoming so mixed.  This morning a great many young men of the French army went by, boys not quite nineteen years old, they go foreward next month, a fine lot of men.  Have not seen Miss Nash yet. 
 There are three nurses in this hospital, two Americans and one English lady.  They had a great deal of work to do while the drive was going on but now the work has slacked up almost entirely. Paul I am making a collection of/ all the principle ensignias of all the Allies and also the German to put on a belt.  Some of the ensignias are very fine, the British colonies, Austrailians and Canadians.  Two Bosch belts were given to me.  On the buckles were written Got Mit Uns.  Two French canteen(?) which have done their work, one Fritz helmet I have also three American helmets, one French gas mask and canteen which I use in my own outfit when I go out.  Three of the buttons of the Imperial Guard (Fritz). Today is Market Day.  The village is full of farmers with their ever smelling cheese, pigs and all kinds of things.  There are not so many Americans in town, [[strikethrough]] they left, [[/strikethrough]] they left during the night it seems .  It has been very difficult to get anything here for the men because the Front line has been driven so far away and the (source of supplies are so far in the     ?  censored)  we cannot buy what is needed without going far away, when the Military H.Q. was here then it was easy, and as the soldiers came back from the Front they are a terrible cranky lot, but they made it clear as to what they wanted, and that is eats., real eggs, cocoa, candy, and all kinds of things which we cannot get either for love or money.  Sometimes. that is for a few days we are quite well supplied [[strikethrough]] for a few days [[/strikethrough]] with everything except sweets (which we are dying for) Jim and me.  And then for some days we cannot get anything, not even milk to make our chocolat, then we use condensed milk.  All the soldiers look fine, all the Allies keep their men in [[crossed out]] good shape [[/crossed out]] first class shape. 
 But it can happen that for a day or sometimes a week the men in the Front line will have nothing to eat but it is because [[strikethrough]] but it is [[/strikethrough]] the food cannot be brought to them or they are not on the heels of the Fritz. I made two good lead pencil sketches of Fer-en-Tardinois the other day amd [[and]] then walked up toward the line and I tell you the Allies leaving nothing undone to keep the Fritz on the run.
             Today is Thursday 22. No letter has come from you yet. It is very hard to get letters but it seems to me that a letter or two should have come, and the last