My dear son,
I write to you slowly because I know you do not read fast; so I put the pen in the ink, the ink on the paper, the paper in the envelope and the envelope in the letter box, all this to tell you that we were all sick but that the doctor is come and we are all healed.
Since you left, we realize that you are no longer there; Yesterday was the village festival, there was a donkey race and the Mayor said it was a shame that you were not there because you would surely have won; there was also the pig market, we thought about you.
When you come home, you will not recognize it, we moved. By the way Leon hanged himself, I hope he will not do it again. You told me you were doing the jail, if you do not mind me to cover the henhouse roof.
You told me to send you a field of garlic, the harvest was bad, I'll send you a field of onions. The boy swallowed 100 sous, the doctor took out 90; he said the rest was dissolved. As for the little one, everyone laughed at him at school because he did not have new clothes; as we do not have many pennies, we bought him a new cap and we do not let him look any more than by the window no one laughs anymore.
Your father has a new job, he has 200 people below him, he mows the lawn at the new cemetery we inaugurated; on the door was inscribed: "Here will be buried only the dead living in the commune". Poplars bordering the river were cut to make fir wood.
Let your brother marry a woman; you must remember her; it's the one that made us laugh so much at your sister's funeral.
I hope you're a good soldier like your father who got his feet frozen by shrapnel. I send you 50 dollars in secret from your father; he will go to post them.
Be careful not to get drunk and not spend that money. I'm also sending you two new shirts made with your father's old ones. Send me the old ones that I make new ones to your sister. If you have socks with holes, send me the holes that I mend them.
We had a great misfortune, the dog had the tail cut. Finally everything is fine except the cat who is tired. I hope the letter will find you the same.
You tell us that you are very sick, if you are not better, come back to die at home, it will please us.
Your darling mom
P.S. I wanted to put $ 100 in the envelope but I had already sealed the letter.