Still Quiet

What a nice son to send his money home.
As I write this, and I am not sure I mentioned it before, but Herb dies of lung cancer. Pretty sad when you think it started here. (I say that, but would need to go back and see if that is true... It has been so long since I have spent time with Herb that I have forgotten, though I believe at the outset of these letters there was some discussion with his Mom about the cigarettes he was receiving and how many he was smoking at any given time....)
Because Herb is surprised, the Mount Zion Lodge seems like an unlikely source for a gift, so I assume no family connection with the lodge; I am going to guess that researching there would not be fruitful. I do have some other documents for Masons lodges, but they have never contacted me back, which is disappointing.
Tom, if we recall is Tom Nial, mentioned here.

May 10, 1918
Dear Mother,
I’ve had no letter from you for some time, but I did have one from Karolyn day before yesterday.

I had two packages a few days ago. One was the cigarettes that Karolyn sent by Dad and the other was from – of all people – the Welfare Committee of Mt. Zion Lodge. I thought it was a mistake at first but my name + correct address was on it in several places so it must have been all right. There was quite a bit of tobacco + cigarettes in it and a couple of handkerchiefs. Rather decent of them, I thought. I suppose Dad must have handed in my name.

I find that I’ve more money than I need over here. You see my foreign service bonus pays my insurance premiums and so I have thirty a month clear. In francs that’s a good bit of money – more than I need, so I’ve made an allotment to Dad of $15 a month. Of course you probably won’t get it for a good while. There’s a bit of red tape and such things are slow moving so don’t worry about. After you get the first installment of fifteen it will come regularly every month. Please put it in the bank – under that old account of mine. It may be quite a bit before I get around to using it. Anyway I’ll need new clothes + things when I get back and it will provide for them.

Everything is just as ever here. I’m quite well, as usual, and the weather is a bit better. Things are still quiet and look as if they might continue so.

How is Tom making out?

I had a letter from Mr. Ferguson this week which I have not yet answered.
Love to all.
Your affectionate son,
Herb