Letter Home

Dear Uncle Fred; No doubt you will be somewhat surprised to hear from me as I have not written you before. I thought that today as I have some spare time that I would write a few lines to you, knowing that you would be delighted to hear from me being one of your 'good old friends' if I may say altho not so very old myself.
I expect you miss me in many ways, one missing me when you go in Mr. LINFIELD'S shop, one in the class room when you go there and I am pretty sure that you miss me on the war news line as you know that I use to be called Secretary HARCOURT by George and that I use to tell you and the friends around a great deal of war news;
but now I am out in France the very place that some of the war news comes from and have been out here going on four months now and I hope that before 4 more passes that the war will be over. I know a good bit about trench warfare as during the past winter. I have been back and forth in the trenches and when I get back I will be able to relate to you and interest you with some of my experiences altho they may not be so great as some of the chaps who were out to Gallipoli and are back home.
The weather during the past winter has been very severe the ground has been frozen solid for a considerable time it just reminded me of the cold weather that we get in January home the snow was very scarce but despite it all thank God, God kindly permitted me to come through it all. I was in the trenches with shells bursting over our heads the same day as our division the 29th went over the top and captured two lines of trenches beside taking over three hundred prisoners it was no trouble that day to see our shells bursting near the German lines it was on the 27th day of January and the ground frozen solid.
Most of our Tw?gate chaps were well when I saw them last I myself haven?t been in the line the past ten days so I don?t know how they are since I left them. Ned WHITE, John?s son is again in France altho I haven?t seen him yet as I heard that he is gone to the hospital and that is the best place for him. Any way as a person needs a strong constitution to stand all the hardships that one has to endure.
I have thought of you more than once and of others who use to attend the class meetings when I did, namely Mr. Jonathan and Alexander BURT, Mr. ROBERTS Jr. Ches and all the rest of the good meetings we use to have which I enjoyed. I don?t forget to ask God?s blessing on the meetings and those who attend sometimes when on my knees and I do trust and pray that the time will not be far distant when I can get back and assemble with our good old class Leader Mr. ROBERTS and the members again; so when you go there again don?t forget to remember me to them, and to pray for me as I pary for myself also for others.
Trusting that you will answer this letter and tell me all the good news concerning the meetings etc. Remember me to all your family, and tell them I expect to see them again some day this year I hope, please God.

I remain, Your Good Friend, Samuel PEARCE