My dear Kinley,

      Bless your heart! May be you think I wasn't pleased to get a letter from you. To think you took the time to write me, knowing the many things around you to take your time. Am glad you find many thing of interest. My boy Lloyd is especially interested in ancient relics and the like.

      You wrote such a nice long letter. I sure know you miss that dear Dad and Mamma. I too keep a place in my heart for them and their children.

      My own dear father was a soldier, you know. Volunteered before he was 18 years old. He thot so much of his little bro. Steve.

      He came back from the war and we will all be hoping and praying for you to come safely home again. God speed the day to end this awful war. I hope Earnest and Joe will not have to go.

      Haven't had a letter from them (the folks) for some time. I know they are awfully down hearted. They wrote me when you enlisted.

      My Mother's Bro. At Spokane has two boys in army. A neighbor of ours has a son in France. Has been there three years this fall. Enlisted in Canada. Is a Sargeant now. Of course now many of the neighbor boys are going.

      Suppose you watch the sunset in the Golden Gate evenings. Elwood wants to go to Cal. So bad to live to get away from the long winters. Has invested in 2 1.2 acres in Itascadero about halfway between Frisco and Los Angeles. So if you make a trip that way you might look it over and write us about it.

      You ask what we do to pass the time. You know farmers don't have to look out for something to do. It is forced on them to do. Elwood isn't strong, so it makes it all the harder. We cultivate about 120 acres. But it is nearest a failure this year we ever saw in Idaho. It hasn't rained since the 10th of June. We have out hay up but the grain will be poor. However, we will do our best to raise something to feed our dear soldier boys. We can at least try to do that.

      Am glad you are keeping your promise of a clean life. You will surely benefit by it as well as your parents and friends.

      So glad they have a nice car and hope they will have a nice time with it, but I know they'd trade many a car to have Kinley back home.

      We bought one last year. Oakland Light six. We took a trip last Sunday to our old homestead where we first went to housekeeping 27 years ago. It had been 21 years since we were there.

      This country is so hilly for cars we've often said the people back east would have to learn to drive a car over again out here or they'd go back down hill. My but it scares me when it stops on a hill.

      I'm sending two little pictures. One of the car and one of the cousins and our Mother in Idaho.

      And remember, Kinley, in years to come you've a cousin Lloyd who is nearer your age than I. Perhaps you will be near each other and I'm sure you'd love each other. He is frank and generous and of course we think he's fine. Is twelve years old in a few days.

      Ruby has one boy 16 one 15 sons one girl 18 and two little folks. You'd love them all.

      Our good wishes and love will follow you always and when you can and feel like it we should so love to get a letter from you. Tho I would not for the world add one more burden to you.