In a short letter home to his mother he told her that the weather was keeping Xmassy:

‘… – a fine, crisp frosty atmosphere that cannot fail to make me remember that we are near the time of the year that has always had a wonderful charm to me. I don’t think anyone else enjoys Christmas as much as I do. Even before the war they seemed to look upon it as a matter of course, but I always looked forward to it months before, simply because the homely old-fashioned way we spent it was so much the best.’

Even in the trenches, he assured her, they would do their best to enjoy themselves, and he would do so by thinking of the fine times they had enjoyed in the past. If things went well he hoped they would enjoy many more such times in the future.

He told her that his ideas had not changed while being in France, that he was still longing to get back to all his old hobbies, and that there were still two professions he should like to take up most – Schoolmaster or Farmer:

‘I don’t think I shall ever give up these ideas, although I know you were never in favour of the former, but you can rely that, after the war, I shall never do any rash thing such as resign from the office to be a Schoolmaster or any thing that should in anyway affect your happiness, for I have a lot to repay you, dear.’

[Next letter: 23 December]