Correspondence from Keith McKeddie Doig to Lewis Maffra Grant, 1917, Part 8

France.
7.3.17.
My dear Sweetheart,
This is some of the paper
you sent me over. I'm quite proud of
myself this morning. Mother always. said
I never noticed anything and once she asked
me if someone or other had something on &
I told her I did not notice, and she said I
was most unobservant. Well you know that

photo of you & Mother & Maggie McKeddie with
I noticed the ring on your finger, so I'm
just writing to tell you that Im not do dull
as I was when Mother spoke to me, and as
it was the first I had seen of the ring I just
had to let you know.
And furthermore my dear. girl, I've got still
another. thing to say to you. You, my our
lovely letters, just make me out to be a
paragon full of virtues & not a sin. If you only
knew my. own self as. I know myself dear,
you would realise your mistake and realise it
rather keenly too. But I'm sure I'll be a 
better sort when this business is over, for I have
learnt a lot in the short time I've been here, and
I've seen men. in the ranks whose courage & fortitude

2
are. one of the brightest and noblest features of
this cruel business. And one is better for seeing that.
so cheer-up my dear, I may not be so
bad when I return.
There is a platoon living here and at night
they make more two journeys with rations to
men in the line. Each journey is fraught with
danger and. they start early ^in the night & end early. in the
morning. They got back this morning and word
came that two of their mates had been wounded
about 500 yards away. Tired out as they were
their officer did not have to ask twice for
volunteers to bring in those wounded. Up like a shot
they were. and away with stretchers. They are
good lads, but that sort of thing happens
every day.
Cheeroh dear. & K.S. I've got a
clean. spot in my face, this morning
Have you sent it? Lots of love and all
good wishes. That photo of you & Mickey is
just lovely. It You look so bonny & neat, & clean & here
I am dirty, untidy but still I'll get real
clean one of these days. You know I still
wonder how on earth you could every condescend
to care for me, but seeing you do I am not going
to quarrel with you about it. Lots of love dear
Keith 

OAS  7/3/17
Miss Louie Grant
C/o Vict. Fertilisers Assocn
59 William Street
Melbourne
Australia
KMcK Doig

Envelope - see original document

France.
13.3.17.
My dear.Louie,
I've not had an opportunity

to get back to camp since I got your
letters to see if the parcel was awaiting
me, but it will not lose in goodness
by. leaving it for a few days will it?
The battalion is again in the line &
the boys are beginning to think that
they are there for the duration. They
stick it well - all Victorian lads.
I can hear some of them now discussing
the relative merits of Carlton and
South Melbourne as football players.
Someone mentions Rugby. football and
instantly there is a chorus. from the
boys describing it as. a. rotten
game compared with what they play
in Victoria. But they don't say ^it in
those words - far from it. The real
Australian describes anything he sees.
with words which tho' expressive, are

2
not to be found in an English dictionary.
I'm enclosing a little newspaper cutting
which describes the mud which we. know
so well here. I got it out of the "Daily
Mail" - a rag of a paper but still
it has a few good things in it at times.
I see. there has been a dissolution of
Parliament in Australia. I'm sure.
things will be very exciting when the
elections are on. Are you still the
staunch Labourite you used to be or
have you deserted them now they
have. given the NO vote? I can see
trouble ahead for me when you & I are
discussing politics, for I'm ashamed
to say, that my knowledge of politics is
very meagre. That's another thing you'll
need to coach me in, but you'll
find me an apt pupil.
I got the Bulletins and. Argus'es safely
and of course perused them thoroughly
and got all the "good oil" about
Australia and the war, not to mention

3
all the social and political news.
Well my dear sweetheart I think that is about
all I can write about at present. Rations
have just arrived and Harry is thinking
that it is about time I had tea.
Later. I've had tea dear & what do you
think it consisted of? No! not "bully" &
biscuits. but beautiful fried steak & onions
and that up here in the Aid-Post not many
hundred yards from Fritz. Along with that
tea (made from shell hole water) & bread & butter.
and cheese. Everybody is forbidden to drink
shell-hole water but Im afraid that rule is
honoured more in the breach than the
observance. The boys say shell hole water is
alright as long as you take the buttons
& bootlaces (of a dead Fritz) out first!
Cheeroh dear and all good wishes & lots of
love from your ever loving
Keith.

OAS  13/3/17
✓
Miss Louie Grant
413 Park St
North Carlton
Melbourne
Australia
KMCK Doig

No English dictionary can express the
qualities of the mud on the western front,
but a writer in "Truth" does his best.
Basing his description on the remark of 

private on the Ancre mud, he says:-
But all mud is not like kisses. Some
of it is like beer, and some is like stout,
and some is like gruel, and some is like
honey, and some is like treacle, and some
is like newly laid cement, and some is
like old Cheshire cheese, and some is like
ripe Camembert, and some is like over-stewed
beef, and some is like under-clothing
in a washtub, and some is like jam
roly-poly, and some is like French
mustard, and some is like English
mustard, and some is like condensed
milk, and some is like an under-boiled
egg, and some is like a hard-boiled egg,
and some is like the waters of the Dead
Sea, and some is like molten lava in the
crater of Mauna Loa.

As a testimony of gratitude, the
composer had addressed the following
letter to M. Jacques Rouché:-
"23 February, 1917.
"My dear Friend, -
"Permit me to associate an illustrious
memory with the sentiments
which I express to you. How, while
I thank you for the profound joy
which you have just given me,
could I fail to think of the great
man who has disappeared, and who
would have been so happy to share
it with me?
"In addition to all that you had
already done for French music, the