Except in this case it is sailor's mail. I cannot read the old fashioned script. Can yu translate the message, and what do we know of the sender? Any observations would be helpful.
A.B.S.M. Suchboot 8 Hilfsminensuchsdivision
Eins Portfahrer Emden
2. ? Emden B/11.14
Meine liebe Mutti Causin
Recht hertzlichen Dank für ihr ?
Zeilen, doch habe ich leider die beiden ? Grüne
nicht erhalten. Bin leider noch immer ?, Am
8 ds bin ich nur Bootsmaat ? befördert wor-
den........
Harvey I think, therefore I am - I think! 12 Sep 2020 07:49:49pm
re: Soldier's Mail Mystery
I have no special interest in this particular thread, but I used it as an opportunity to experiment with Google Translate. It was very easy to do and a wonderful tool for stamp collectors! Very impressed, even though the translation was very literal and a bit hard to make sense of.
Address: Frau A. Causin, Düsseldorf, Leopoldstrasse 20
Text side: "A. B. S. M. Suchboot & Hilfsminensuchdivision Ems Poststation Emden. z. Zt. Emden 13/XI.14. Meine liebe Mutter Causin! Recht herzlichen Dank für Ihre gütigen Zeilen, doch habe ich die beiden ersten Grüsse nicht erhalten. Bin leider immer noch hier, am 8. ds. bin ich zum Bootsmaat d. Res. befördert worden. Auf Ihren Neffen dürfen Sie recht stolz sein. Gottlob, dass es ihnen auch noch gut geht, hoffentlich Ihnen allen auch. Mit den herzlichsten Grüssen an alle ... stets ... dankbarer Alexander" = "A. B. His Majesty's search boat and auxiliary mine detection boat division Ems, post office Emden. Currently Emden, 13 November 1914. My dear Mother Causin! Thank you very much for your kind lines, but I have not received the first two greetings. Unfortunately I am still here, on the 8th of the current month I have been promoted to bosun's mate of the reserve. You may be quite proud of your nephew. Thank God, that you are also still well, I hope you all are, too. With the warmest greetings to all, ... always ... thankful Alexander".
"Mutter" is in some regions not only an address for one's own mother or for nuns, but also a respectful address for older women. Mrs. Causin apparently was an aunt of Alexander's. Using the deferential (plural) address for older relatives was also quite common before World War I. The ink has run a bit too much for deciphering the last line of greetings in full. A. B. were probably the initials of the sender.
Picture side: "Darf ich mir als Liebesgabe von Ihnen liebe Frau Causin eine kurze gerade Shagpfeife ausbitten." = "May I ask from you, dear Mrs. Causin, as a christmas gift a short straight shag pipe." Such pipes for finely cut tobacco were popular among sailors and fishermen.