October 19, 1917

Dear Mother –

Have now been in France nearly two weeks and have got pretty well accustomed to the life and my work over here. We’ve had a bit of sunshine this week for a change and a most welcome change it was for the weather has been wet and cold most of the time. Our fare at table is simple but ample in quantity and wonderfully well cooked. Never cared for spaghetti at home but have got to like it pretty well the way they prepare it here.

A night or two ago several of us varied the monotony of our regular fare by going over to a neighboring village for dinner at one of the numerous Cafés – every second or third house seems to be a Café here. We had an excellent dinner at a very reasonable price and also enjoyed the scene in the Café. Practically all the men in the room where in uniform and seemed to be having a great time chatting away over their red wine and cigarettes.

Spent last weekend in a neighboring city and found it most interesting.

Haven’t yet received any mail from home but am looking for it any day now and will be glad to know how you have all been since I left home. Hope those boxes of cigars are on their way when you receive this for while I found some pretty good English pipe tobacco in this City last Sunday, all of their cigars that are worth smoking are out of sight in price.

The New York Herald and Chicago Tribune both get out a small paper in English in Paris with all the cable news from home and the latest war news but this is all the home news we get. Here at the Y.M.C.A. the latest Sat. Evening Post is of Sept. 29 and you may be sure that it and all other American periodicals however old are read again and again.

Hoping to hear from you soon and with lots of love to all, Carl

O.K.

Thomas C. Montgomery

2nd Lieut Inf., U.S.R.