John thanks his parents for their letter and says that there is nothing better than receiving a letter when so much time had passed that he had almost given up expecting one.

He says that he misses the chapel meetings but nothing else. He has not heard a sermon for two months as the Chaplain died suddenly. He mentions the books the Chaplain gave them which are now lost and he says that he would rather have lost money.

The enemy are still throwing shells at them which are passing like whirligigs.