1918 May 4 to wife

The weather this week has been marvelous, bright warm, sunny days and cold evenings; They say that one sleeps under blankets all Summer no matter how hot the days are and I have an idea that they will be rather hot. Tonight there has been a little shower just enough to lay the dust, so tomorrow I am going to hook the Bike again and ride over to a range of hills that seem to be about ten miles away and which look very beautiful from hers. Gee, but I wish you were here and that we had a Flivver or something then you, Babe and I would start out sight seeing; there are a lot of Castles hidden away in this vicinity and most of them have an old man or woman in charge who takes you through and tell you the Historyl I have seen but one and it dates back to the time of Christ and is nothing but a pile of ruins. [photo of probable site taken in 2011]

Another Castle about ten miles from here belonged to old Catherine, the one Dumas wrote about, she was a wizard at poisoning people and her secret poison lockers, tunnels, etc. are to be seen, also here boudoir which was hung with carved cordovan leather; the Castle is surrounded by a Moat and has a Draw Bridge. Hope that I can locate it tomorrow.

My new studies are very interesting, but I am about fed up on school and am anxious to get busy and really do something; now I feel just as I did when I was a kid; hove to get up and work out complicated problems on a blackboard before the bunch and needless to say by brains leave me whenever the Maj. Gets his Eagle eye on me and he says, “ Now the Lieutenant will explain from us how it is done.” And the done sounds like “dooune” he being French.

There are some very decent fellows here now some that I knew at home and some that I have heard of for years; there are a lot of Chicago men in the bunch who lived not far from home.

Tomorrow night I am going to take unto myself a brand new Room-mate, one who does not SNORE! At least he claims that he does not and woe is he if he does, in order to do this it will be necessary for me to move but that is a small matter even though I take all the furniture, which I surely will do inas much as I had to swipe it in the first place, so the room will like the barn it was when I moved in.

We have had the report that Congress is going to allow us married men Commutation of Quarters; that means that I will get a raise of $36.00 per month! Won’t that be bully? Hope they start it from Jan. 1st.

Will be anxious to hear whether you receive your Monthly allotment promptly, also whether you have received the insurance Policy. In fact I am anxious to hear everything.

Have not heard from Paul lately, but heard indirectly that he had returned from the Front and had been sent somewhere else. It will certainly seem good to see the old boy, it has been many Moons.

When you write to Mabel, which I hope you often do, give them all the “best” and explain that I am too busy to write to anyone but you; I have written to Daddy but twice and I am ashamed of myself, but there is simply not a minute during the day and at night I am in bed at 8:30 usually and on concert nights, when I go it is 9:15 and too tired to spit.

Must get busy, it is now 1100 P.M. here and 4.00 P.M. with you unless your time has been advanced wonder what you all are doing and how you all are feeling; suppose that Dad is busy organizing a bunch to go into old S.E. Mo. “Gods own country where they raise more Cord, Wheat, Etc. Etc. I can just hear him going after them.

Oh; there is a chap named Ballard here who was in my Battalion coming over, he married a girl from Sandwich and knows the Nelsons very well; Can you beat it? I think his wife’s name was Lakin.

Good night dear, heapes of love, I do. Jack

P.S. Cashed the enclosed M.O. for one of the men, get it cashed and have a party. J.S.