April 24, 1915 - Fredericton

Dear Father,

I am writing Saturday noon instead of Sunday.  We have this afternoon off.  I won't write to Mr. McLean.  Too many might ball it all up, so I will leave it to you.  I borrowed a martingale from Jenkins.  It was one with black rings and a buckle underneath by the belly band, but I got none with the harness.  Esty Cochrane gave me the other one.  That horse you have now is a tough little plug and should be easy to keep doing nothing.

The talk here is that we go to Sussex about the first of this month.  We will be 20 miles handier home then.  I was to the military doctor and got some medicine for my cold on Tuesday.  I hate to take it, but I can't do anything else like I could home.  Our drill hours are from:  rise 5:45, parade 6:30 till 7:30, breakfast; parade 9:00 till 12; dinner, parade 2:00 till 5:00.  Must be in at ten unless we have a pass.  I can [have] one any day but have had only one since coming here.  I was late three weeks ago Sunday night and got one week without pass, although I could go out till ten.  I can get a pass till anytime I want it up to 6:30 parade a.m. all night, but don't need it here.

That McGinnis or Fitzgerald that stole the clothes up the Midland and joined up in Windsor is always in trouble with the officers here.  Awfully pig-headed and there are others.  A fellow has to be very careful here.  Liable to catch all kinds of things among a crowd like this, and around the latrines.  Mostly toughs although there are some nice fellows and some who don't care whether they are clean or dirty.  We send our underwear to the laundry every Monday a.m. and it costs about 80 cents per month.  Towels, shirts, drawers, socks, handkerchiefs.

I received watch Friday noon and your card this noon.

From Clarence

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