.ODAy.NTE5MTU

to Earth, where all is toil and trouble. Since I left home I have often resolved to write you but have as often broken my resolve and this is the first time that I have carried it into effect with Pen, and Paper. Most of my time dureing the week is ocupied in doing the duties that are required of me in camp, so much so that I can not have time to write a letter without being disturbed. For the past week have had to dril six hours a day beside many other little things that had to be done, so you see I do not have much time to myself. And as for writing after night that is our of the question, for our house is so small that we can have neither chairs nor table in it, and all the protection we have from the Earth is a Rubber Blanket spread on the Ground, that has to serve for chairs,