April
2, 1919
Marson,
France
To My Dear Sweetheart,
Yes, I am
trying to write in the middle of the week.
It surely seems strange, for it has been a long time since I did it, but
you will accept it, won’t you Dear? Oh,
I’m so happy tonight. I’ll bet you can’t
guess why. No, I did not receive a
letter, but it surely would have helped to make it still happier, for the night
here is like so many of the nights at home:
warm, stars shining brightly, and the air is scented with the perfume of
bursting buds and spring flowers. It
makes me think of home and the many spring evening walks we’ve have had
together. I don’t see the same image in
the sky as I did when I was there with you, but every star seems to have that
smiling face of my dear lover back home.
Yes, I received
my birthday letter Monday, the last day of March, coming through in 18
days. Oh dear, it surely did make me
feel as if I was the only soldier of all soldiers, but that was only in my
mind. I surely appreciated it even if it
did come two weeks ahead of the time. As
it is, I can celebrate yours and mine together.
So you see, I’ll have a grand time all by myself. I’m
going to see Geo. and we will celebrate all by ourselves, so do not think you
won’t have a birthday party. We’ll get
some candy, cookies, and have a grand old chat by ourselves. What more could you ask of us so far away,
Ha! Ha! Just think, two more days and
you’ll begin to think you are getting old.
Just think, 20 years old!
It seems
that long since I’ve seen you. If I ever
get my foot back on dear old America soil, they surely will have a time getting
me to leave her again. Well dear, I wish
you joy and a heart full of love on that grand old day, April 4th. I surely will have the advantage of you, for
my day’s work will be almost completed by the time day breaks back there. That is the day I begin work again, for I am
having a day and a half off for the Sundays we worked. We got off at noon today. This afternoon I
did some washing, just a few pieces. Did
you ever hear of a soldier washing pillow slips? Well, I still have mine and it gets dirty,
but I sure would like one I don’t have to wash.
But for the largest part of my washing, the French people do for a few
francs. The remainder of the afternoon I
play ball.
Last Monday
night we had a grand celebration here at the Y.
I’ll bet you can’t guess what it was.
A real American dance and real American girls. Yes, I had a partner (Geo.) and we danced
several times together, then the ladies came.
No, we did not ask them for a dance, as we do back home. The girls remained in the center of the dance
floor, then a whistle was blown and the men rushed for them. Yes, I was with them. I managed to catch one quite often. The whistle was blown in the middle of a
dance. The first one there had the honor
of dancing the remainder of the dance, and the first partner had to leave the
floor. This continued all thru the
dance, so now you see the kind of dances we have “over here.” Hob Nails, why yes. There was danger of falling down, for the
floor was made of rough lumber. But what
do we care for that, we were so crazy about a dance.
Last night
we had Vaudeville from the 7th Division, a real minstrel show with
about 35 Negroes. They kept us on the
laugh for the two hours. Many of the
jokes were unfit for polite public to hear, but it seems like the men want
something that is moving, and full of jokes that are low in nature. However, I’ve seen a few that are good clean
shows. I heard from the audience remarks
which proved to me that they did not appreciate something uplifting. But of course, we are in the Army, and we
are all men, but we should have things placed before us that will be an
advantage to us in our future life.
If this
letter is mixed up a great deal, just pardon me, Dear, for men are talking all
around me, the Victrola is going, and the piano is loud. So you see what we have to put up with while
writing. But there is one thing I’ll
still have no matter how loud they talk, and that is my love for you. It has been my guiding light since leaving
dear old Bountiful. My love increases to
such an extent, that at times I want to fly back to you, for I know that which
my hunger longs for can be found in your heart.
So, Dear, just keep smiling the whole day long and say he is coming back
to his dear little love.
Now that
April is here I am beginning to think spring is here, for the weather has
changed from rain to sunshine. Oh, I’m
so happy for the blessings I’ve received from my loved ones from home, and our
great Maker.
The only
thing I ask, Dear, is to send me your love. In turn you shall receive the love
of a true and tried love. It is a love
of one who has battled hard to be worthy of the love of a true woman that has
freely sent it over the briny deep and to these villages of France. May God guard you for me is the love I send
to my darling.
Eternally
yours,
Henry
XXXXX
Corp.
H.D. Call
Co.
A 313th Engrs.
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