Khortiza, February 28, 1920

Linen from Tauria! Grown-up men show a childlike joy over a shirt, although it is used and mended; men who before never cared about their clothes and who always had plenty of them.

What a change! How much value do we attach now to an old shirt, worn and washed many times! And we would be mighty glad if every one of us had at least as much underwear as is necessary for a change. Not all are as lucky. Some have not even outer garments because the Anarchists carried off the very last ones when the owner was in bed. I know of 4 man who even now has to remain in bed because he has no clothes.

I hardly believe that in Western Europe they can guess of what value a pair of boots or shoes are to us. We go shod with wooden soles to which are attached linen or woolen ribbons cross-wise in such a way that we imagine we have sandals. Of course, the feet, in most cases, are not covered as we have no stockings; some cover their feet with pieces of cloth.