Letter from Major Kelly The following letter was received on Monday by Mrs. Kelly : France, Feb. 16th, 1915. We are now about 10 miles from the firing line and can hear the big guns booming. They roared away all night, but to day all is quiet. We are very comfortable in billets in a small village. Have been here two days. Expect to move to-morrow morning about nine miles, where we will go into training for a week. Our men seem to prefer billeting to tents. The inhabitants are very kind. The Germans occupied this village for one day and were then driven out by the British. The people say the Germans treated them very badly. The old couple where we are, inform me that five German officers turned them out of their beds in order to sleep in them themselves, stole their clothing and killed their cows. The buildings in French villages, what I have seen, are much better than in the English villages. This is a farming country. They seem to have an abundance of vegetables; have done a good deal of plowing, but most of the grain is unthreshed. The buildings are mostly brick with tile roofing. Every ditch is full of waterâ€"it has rained every day since we disembarked the morning of the 12th, except to-day, the sun is shining all day. It's a great treat to us to see the sun again. I trust you are all well. I am feeling fine. I have a new duty to perform. All the men's letters have to be censored by the Company commanders, or franked as we call it, which is no small job. Most of them state that they will write a long letter when they get time. I hope they don't get too much spare time. I have a fine bunch of men and five good officers to help me. The best of feeling exists among them which is most pleasing to me. Feb. 19 We are in range of the enemy's guns . We moved here two days ago. The enemy evidently got the idea that we are concentrating a large force here, preparatory to an attack, for they shelled us all day yesterday withou effect. Theywasted a lot of ammunition on us. You may think it strange when I tell you that farm work is going on much as usual, plowing, etc., with huge shells passing over their heads; even the women don't seem to mind it much Our men take it very coolly. When a shell dropped near us, Capt. Brown went upstairs to the window and waved his hand to signal a miss. Of course the enemy were too far off to see him. They have not bombarded us to-day but our guns are pounding them mos beautifully this p.m. German artiller; aro not having it all their own way now The sun was shining yesterday and you should have heard the hens cackle. We can get fresh eggs here. I tried to find out from madam what effect the artillery fire had on the egg supply but could not make her understand. A number of our officers and men talk French. I had expected to go into the trenches to-night but one officer per Co. has to remain with the men, who will not go in just yet, so I let the captain go to night and I am going to-morrow night. This is a very level country, but no very heavy clay. The roads are narrow but good. Their farm implements are very ancient. Many of their waggons have only three wheels, two behind and one small one in front, and no tongue. We are sleeping in a kind of garret. It is a brick building. The ground floor is used for a dwelling and above, where we are, is a trash room. A few onions, a few beans in a bag, a lot of empty boxes, baskets, an old washing machine and a thousand and one things too numerous to mention. Also some rats. I have not lost any sleep over them but if we can make a good catch we may have a rat pie. Well, as I have a lot of letters to censor I will close. Hoping this finds you all well. MAJOR KELLY.