24. I suppose some of our letters were lost in the mails at Halifax.

Elsinore

27 Spring Street

Dec 31 1917

Received 21 FEB 1918

My dearest Norman

I see there is a mail leaving on Wednesday and as this is the last day of the old year I must write you a line. I wish you a happy new year, though it will be late when you get it. Did you get the Birthday and Xmas cards we sent you? I suppose you have before this. You ought to have a lot of my letters by now. I have written 21 letters, this is the 22nd. let me know if you get them all and the papers so you get them? I see it says in the papers to put via America on them. I did on a few.

Many thanks for the Xmas cable dear Norm. did you send it on the 18th? I never got it till the 27th, a long time coming wasn't it? That is why I felt not getting a letter so much, if I had got the cable Xmas day it would have been alright.

Mr Gooud just came in and brought ma a nice little teapot, cream jug, sugar basin so I will be able to give you a nice cup of tea, when you come home and gave your Father a nice tie. Very kind of him wasn't it? May Gooud is engaged to a returned soldier, no doubt you know him. I forget his name. She used to know him before he went away and Amy is going with Johnny Donovan now. You know Dave Palmer left off writing to her. He has another girl up there I believe. He is down here for his holidays, looks just the same.

I hope you get the draft I sent alright. I will send the duplicate along next letter. I sent you a parcel a week ago. I hope you got it. Let me know how the things were in it. Did they keep alright? I will end another in a few weeks time. I want you to have a taste of my Xmas puddings. I guess you did not get butter over there.

Well Norm, I will miss you tonight at Watch Night Service, I suppose you will be at one on England somewhere. Well my dear son, I hope next year may bring us all peace and prosperity and that I may have you home again before the end of the year and that all the wars are over and Peach on Earth again.

Now my dear son I can't write much more. Pa and I are going up to Illma's tomorrow, so we will be up late tonight and early in the morning. It has been very hot all this week, but a nice cool change today and raining away, tonight. Oh it is lovely and cool. I would like to be in bed now. I know I could sleep. I suppose some of our letters were lost in the mails at Halifax. That was a terrible disaster wasn't it? Good night and God bless you my darling son, with best love from your loving Mother and Father.