Fit as Fiddles and as Hard as Nails

[22 December [? 1918 ]]a job apart from that, promised to me they would probably release me earlier.
I am for this purpose a surveyor, construction rly & bridge engineer, speak Spanish, French, will go to South America, France, Spain, Canada, South Africa & want £400 per anum if you will come to then so please see about it dearie without a loss of time. If you could sort out someone for me to see such as somebody your father knows or the like you see Id see him on a leave in a month or 2, arrange the affair and then become an employed man instead of a drudge on the Labour market.
Reference Education scheme. I have applied for instruction in “Steel & Concrete Construction”, Veterinary Science, Spanish and some way added Poultry Farming & I am afraid O/C Brigade thinks I am pulling their leg whereas I need the first three urgently. When they asked me why the second item I said I was jealous of your knowing more about horses than I but that’s the real reason. Rather that I am ashamed of my own ignorance.
Pat
You see if I sent in my papers to King now as Id like to do now. Id lose (1) my bounties (2) Possible chance of a good job from AF215 (3) and most terrible of all would probably be conscripted before I got to Ireland & put into ranks & lose (1) & (2) for its my belief theyre going to try to keep a very big army for 5 yrs