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| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:41:24 -0700 |
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| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-15 04:41:24 -0700 |
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diff --git a/13125-h/13125-h.htm b/13125-h/13125-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c7c6614 --- /dev/null +++ b/13125-h/13125-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2198 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Deer Godchild, by Marguerite Bernard and Edith Serrell</title> +<style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + } + HR { width: 33%; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .note {margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} /* footnote */ + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */ + .sidenote {width: 20%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 1em; font-size: smaller; float: right; clear: right;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + .poem .caesura {vertical-align: -200%;} + hr.full { width: 100%; + height: 5px; } + a:link {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + link {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + a:visited {color:blue; + text-decoration:none} + a:hover {color:red} + pre.pg {font-size: 9pt;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + +</style> +</head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 13125 ***</div> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, Deer Godchild, by Marguerite Bernard and +Edith Serrell</h1> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<hr class="full" noshade> +<br> +<br> +<br> +<h1>DEER GODCHILD</h1> + +<h2>BY MARGUERITE BERNARD AND EDITH SERRELL</h2> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<h4>PUBLISHED FOR THE FATHERLESS CHILDREN OF FRANCE</h4> + +<h4>1919</h4> +<br> + +<h4>DEDICATED</h4> + +<h4>TO OUR FRIEND</h4> + +<h4>LOUISE HURLBUT MASON</h4> + +<br> +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<h2>INTRODUCTION</h2> + +<p> </p> + +<p>A young New-Yorker of twelve lately heard an appeal for the +Fatherless Children of France, and his heart was touched. He had no +money, but he resolved to give his spare time and his utmost energy +to support a "kid in France." The French child needed ten cents +worth of extra food each day, in order to grow up with strength and +courage. The little American godfather earned those ten cents; he +sold newspapers at the subway entrance, after school hours, and +undertook an amazing variety of more or less lucrative odd jobs. +Sometimes business was slow, and it was hard to keep up the game; +but he did. He is still, in the true American expression "making +good" for his deer godchild, and doing it with a broad and +brotherly grin. He is James P. Jackson Jr. His letters to and from +the kid in France are published just for fun—and yet in the +hope of encouraging more "dear benefactors" to join our large +family and help along, in the same spirit and with the same +joy.</p> + +<br> +<p>EDITH SERRELL.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls,</p> + +<p>November 27, 1916.</p> + +<p>Deer miss Secretary</p> + +<p>How are you? It is al-rite about the french orfan and I wood +like a boy between ten and twelve if it is the same to you. At fust +dad sed I coodnt have him because there was plenty of rich +godfathers who wood take him if I didn't, but mother told him of +the apeel you made and that I was goin to raze the money myself, +and he sed well I guess you are rite and if he can raze enuf money +to raze a kid on he is well come to it, and she sed I guess that is +the rite spirit. And so I am sending you 85cts. which is 70cts, fer +the fust weak, and you can keep the change which is 15cts, fer the +next weak, so I will only send 55cts, fer the fust weak after that. +The 85cts. is my birthday money which was on thanksgiving day and I +guess the folks will be glad to give me work when they no I am +suporting a kid in france.</p> + +<p>Hoping you are well and I am the same I will, close.</p> + +<br> +<p>Yours truly,</p> + +<p>James Prendergast Jackson Jr.</p> + +<br> +<p>P.S. I shood like his name to be Bill or Pete in french and not +one of those girly names if it is the same to you.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>To Mr. James Prendergast Jackson Jr.</p> + +<p>Dear Sir:</p> + +<p>According to your instructions, we have assigned to you +André Leblanc, aged 11, No. 18 rue d'Autancourt, Paris, as +your godchild for one year. Thanking you for your interest in this +worthy cause, we beg to remain</p> + +<br> +<p>Very truly yours,</p> + +<p>The Junior Committee for the Fatherless Children of France.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls, N.Y.</p> + +<p>Dec, 1st, 1916.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild</p> + +<p>How are you? I am very well and I have ganed 5 Ibs. in one weak +which makes me 85 Ibs. which is thot very good in America. Have you +had much snow? We have had it considerable hear which has spoylt +the skating on Frost Lake which is beehind old Sam Bursars house +who is our naybor. I am glad you have a short name, I had ruther be +cald André than Nickulus, Cristuff or Jean-Marie, but I wood +ruther you were cald Bill or Pete or Sniper, but you cant help +being what they call you so never mind. I suported you this weak by +selling 70 copies of the Greenville Mirror by hand. It is a good +paper and shood be patronized. I wakt into Jim Parkers offis he is +the editur and sed, Mister Parker, if you have a loose job and no +man fer it I am the man you want, and he sed how old are you? and I +sed 11. and he sed what you want a job fer? and I sed, O fer a kid +I have in France and he sed since I was suportin you if I cood sell +70 copies of the Mirror he wood give me 35 cts. and Mother had give +me 15 fer mindin the chikens when she went to Peeks-kill, so I new +it would be al-rite, so I sed very well your on. So I took the +mirrors and stood on the corner of School street, and bimeby the +men begin to come home from the city, and some of them stopt to buy +a Mirror and some did not, so I thot I wood make an appeel so I +hollered, Buy a Mirror fer a kid in France, and waived it in there +faces, and you shood have seen them buy! Enneway I guess the Mirror +is a good ole paper, when all the men had come home I thot I wood +take the papers to the folks that wernt on the street, like the +schoolmaams and the sisters. Well most of them hot fine exept miss +Leigh the Sunday school teacher, and she sed the Mirror was a low +down politishuns sheet and I sed buy it fer Lily Blanche her help, +and she sed what are you so ankshus to sell papers fer? And I sed +how do you expect me to suport a kid in France if you peeple wont +help out? and she sed the Lord will provide, but I told her I wood +ruther do it myself; and she said I guess He's doin it threw you, +so at last she forkt up, and I went home at 6 o'clock, but I tell +you I had a prety tuf day. Say how is your mussel? Have you enny +brothers and sisters? I have five, they are Amanda aged 16, Cecilia +aged 10, Myra-Louise aged 7, Molly aged 6, and Heloise aged 5. I +come between the fust too. Dad wanted to call Heloise Omeega after +Alfred and Omeega in the Bibel, but Mother sed that was foolish and +I guess it was, cause there was no boy to be Alfred excep me, and I +was alredy James, so he give it up. Sid Perkins is suportin a girl +in France and hes auful rich, and dont have to work to keep her +goin. Gee, Im glad your a boy, girls is al-rite in there line but I +woodnt adop one fer love or money. Can you here the shootin from +where you are? I have seen the new American submareen and it is a +fine bus, I tell you if ever the Yankees come runnln over there you +wont see Kaiser Bill fer dust. Do you like prisners base? What +grade are you in? Well, hoping you are well and that some day we +will meet somewhere in France, I will close.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your affecshunate godfather,</p> + +<p>James Prendergast Jackson Jr.</p> + +<br> +<p>P.S. If ever we go to war, and I inlist and go to France I mite +take you back to New York on firlow.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>16 Dec. 1916.</p> + +<p>Dear Benefactor,</p> + +<p>I thank you with the bottom of my heart for your kindness unto +me. Maman and me have been so content to receive your letter and +your donation generous! Your succour will sweeten the times +difficult that we are traversing; and the silver<a name= +'FNanchor_1_1'></a><a href='#Footnote_1_1'><sup>[1]</sup></a> you +send will permit me to eat of the meat and be forceful to aid maman +she has so much of labor and of pain! I will tell you, dear +benefactor, that I am not the most robust But I take the oil of +liver of cod-fish all the days for make myself high and +good-carrying.<a name='FNanchor_2_2'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_2_2'><sup>[2]</sup></a> Yes, dear benefactor, I will +forget never what you do, and all the nights I make a prayer for +you be happy in the life.</p> + +<p>I cannot to read your letter very well alone, because I know not +sufficient the English. But I have one aunt, she is dead, she know +very well the English, and she teach me of it and my great sister +also; she is a dactylographer,<a name='FNanchor_3_3'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_3_3'><sup>[3]</sup></a> and she know the English very +perfect, and she me aids so I do mistakes not at all. And I serve +me of the dictionary also. Maman say your letters will make +complete my education. But some words I comprehend not. What is, +for example, the kid? I search and I see only it is the offspring +of a goat. I am sure in the book is the mistake, for my dear +godfather will not make the pain to me and my Maman in calling me +the offspring of a goat.</p> + +<p>Dear godfather, I am also surprise that you be so much heavy. I +have 11 years like you, and I am only 39 kg heavy. But in Amerique, +Maman tell me, all is big, big! It is droll, so big little boys. +Sometimes I ask myself if you are veritably a little boy. Perhaps +it is to make laugh you tell me you are one infant. Perhaps you are +the old gentleman.</p> + +<p>Tell me dear godfather, what is it the Sunday-school? In Paris +we go not to school the Sunday. We rise more lately, and we dress +more pretty than the days of week, and for breakfast we eat the +cacao in lieu of soup of potato left of last night. And we go to +the grand mass with Maman. Little brother Jean is one infant of +choir at the church. He do nothing but balance and smoke the +incense, and be pretty like one angel; because his hairs are like +the gold, and his eyes like the heaven when the sun make shine. All +at the beginning he was not content because the smoking make him to +sneeze, and he did cry, and he wanted not to indorse<a name= +'FNanchor_4_4'></a><a href='#Footnote_4_4'><sup>[4]</sup></a> the +dress white, with lace; he say he resemble to a girl; and he +believe all the world in the church was regarding him. But now he +is habituated, and he become more sage. It is very necessary he +become sage, because he is so devil. Yesterday, for example, Mr. le +Curé give him a pretty card postal with the image of angels +and tell him he must apply to resemble to them; and Jean responded, +"no I want not to be the angel and have wings like one hen!" Mr. le +Curé say it is Satan that commands the wicked words like +that, and when he go to fall in temptation Jean must say, "Vade +retro Satanas," and that make Satan go behind. And Jean say, "yes +but then Satan go at my back and push hard, so I fall!" It is very +sad little Jean be so much bad.</p> + +<p>I will tell you, dear benefactor, that I effort myself to work +and be very sage so little brother take model on me. I go to +catechism two times by week, and I am on the table of honor, and +for Christmas Mr. le Curé give me a pretty shawl for hold my +neck and shoulders warm when I go to school.</p> + +<p>For Christmas Jean put his shoes in the chimney for the little +Jesus fill them like all the years. But Maman say to him: "This +year the little Jesus carry nothing, because with all the sous in +the world he want to get our big victory so the dirty boches kill +no more our dear Papas."</p> + +<p>But, grace to you, the morning of Noël the shoes were all +of same remplished. There was apples red and some chocolate and +stockings with long legs. We make many of holes in our stockings +and all the time there is no more cloth in places, so Maman cuts +them down. So in the beginning they are long, then 1/2 long, then +socks. It was socks all the winter, dear benefactor, but when your +silver come, the legs come long again.</p> + +<p>In the after-dinner Noël we make a promenade in the woods +of Boulognes. Now it is the vacancies<a name='FNanchor_5_5'></a><a +href='#Footnote_5_5'><sup>[5]</sup></a> of Noël and I aid +Maman, she make me some black aprons new for go to school, and I +sit myself down on the side of her. She loves not that I play in +the streets, because she desire that I be well elevated <a name= +'FNanchor_6_6'></a><a href='#Footnote_6_6'><sup>[6]</sup></a>. And +it is much snow in Paris; it make so cold that I love not to go +out.</p> + +<p>Dear benefactor, you demand what grade I am. I comprehend not. +Only the officers have grade. Are you an officer? I think yes, +because you talk so much the submareens, etc.</p> + +<p>I have nothing more to say at you, but Maman joins herself to me +to pray you to agree, dear benefactor, the expression of our +sentiments the most distinguished and respectuous.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your godchild,</p> + +<p>A. Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls. N.Y.</p> + +<p>Jan. 2, '17.</p> + +<p>Deer Miss Secretary,</p> + +<p>There is something off about my godchild, you no the one you +give me to suport, well dad rored when he saw the letter but I +think he is a nut and mother sez he is two elevated fer me, so +hoping you will get me a nuther one I will close hoping you are +well.</p> + +<br> +<p>Yours truly,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> +<br> + <br> +<p>P.S. I will rite just the same to this one till you get me a +nuther one.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls. N.Y.</p> + +<p>Jan. 2, 1917.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild</p> + +<p>How are you? I got your letter al-rite and what I wood like to +no is what in thunder is that goat stuff you are drivin at? I didnt +call you no names excep dere godchild and kid and you are both, and +a godchild is a godchild and sometimes a kid is a goat and +sometimes a goat is a kid and if you dont stop your kiddin you'll +get my goat see? Mebbe you didn't mene to be fresh and if you didnt +will call it square and say no more about it, ennyway I guess you +use that bloomin dickshunary two much. Dickshunaries is like girls +and is al-rite in there line, but I aint got much use fer them and +you had best chuck yours out the window. I guess 85lbs. is a good +ole wait but 39 is something feerce, why even Heloise aged 5 ways +45 and she dont eat enny of that codfish liver, and say what does +it test like ennyway? I bet it tests like ole get out. I told +Mother you wade only 39 and she sed, my goodness he must have +tuberculosees, and dad sed, no, he has not had enuf meat, but I sed +no but he is going to have some now I am suporting him. What do you +think? I got enuf money to suport you fer too weaks, and if you +will cross your heart not to tell because I promist I woodnt and +you must do the same, I will tell you how it hapened, well it was +this way, I was readin the Motor Boys Under the Sea beehind the +portyares and its great, when in walk Carl Odell the young feller +across the way and Amanda aged 16, and they set down and didnt say +much and bimby Carl he takes Amandas hand and sez, Amanda you no +how tis with me? and she sez, why no how is it Carl? and he sez I +love you, and she sez to Carl, this is so suddin, and he sez, +little girl will you be my wife? and she sez, o Carl I dunno, and +he sez, I demand an answer yes or no, and she sez well I dunno but +as I will, and he sed, sweatheart what day shall it be? And I stept +out and sed, Hold on, dont go and make it Tuesday becaus Amandas +promist to go fishin and dad wont let me go to Frost Lake without +her, caus its 16 feet deep, and you should have seen them jump. +They was scart plump out of there wits, and Amanda she sez, If he +tells dad I shall dye, and Carl he grabd me by one ear and sed, +Jim, I give you the choyce of keepin quiet and gettin $1.50 or +squealin and being skinned alive, and I sed, Well I am suporting a +kid, I mean a boy, in France so I will take the coin, so I crost my +heart and sed hope to dye if I squeal and you must do the same, +caus bimby if the Yanks come runnin over there you mite mete a +frend of Carl Odells and hed tell a nuther frend, and bimby all the +Yanks wood no it and it wood get back to Carl Odells ears. I bet +that Jean is some brother, say hes al-rite, all excep his name, +coodnt you make it Buster? Say what you want to go wearin a shawl +fer, fust thing you no all the boys will call you girly, and I dont +intend to have no godchild of mine cald that, no siree, not if I +have to skin them alive fer it. I no its hard when things are give +to you not to wear them, last yere the Sunday-school teacher give +me a baby-blew tie and darn if I didn't have to wear it every +Sunday till Lady Evelin Jack Burtons fathers best bull dog found it +and et it. But you go eezy on that shawl. Never you mind about +Sunday-school, just you be glad you dont have to go to it, though I +dont no but goin to see that balancin stunt of Jeans is just as +bad. And dont you be askin two many questions about me, mebbe Im an +officer and mebbe Im not, and mebbe I no something about submareens +and mebbe I don't but I woodnt let it sprize you if I come ridin in +in one of those busses one of these days, and if I do and I like +you I mite even take you back with me to New York, and then +goodnite—you'll see some sites. Say whats that dope on sage? +Hoping you are well and will rite to me soon I will now close +hoping you are well.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your affeckshunate godfather,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<br> +<p>P.S. I made Carl Odell give me the money rite off becaus he is a +Red Indian fer cheatin. Did you get the Christmas presents I sent +you?</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>18 rue d'Autancourt, Paris.</p> + +<p>4 Jan. 1917.</p> + +<p>Dear Godfather:</p> + +<p>The big paquet from Amerique come late but I receive it to-day +and I thank you very much. You are very good to think so much of me +and it is very pretty, dear benefactor, There is one glove only, +and I am fearful that the other rested on the road<a name= +'FNanchor_7_7'></a><a href='#Footnote_7_7'><sup>[7]</sup></a>. But +it makes nothing<a name='FNanchor_8_8'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_8_8'><sup>[8]</sup></a>; I have not business<a name= +'FNanchor_9_9'></a><a href='#Footnote_9_9'><sup>[9]</sup></a> of +two, because one is enough big for my two hands, and it is a muff +very warm; but veritably, dear godfather, you are big like giants, +in Amerique! The little cage is very commodious also, and very +pretty. Jean believe it is a muzzle for dog, but no, I comprehend +it Is for suspend on the ceiling for to make pretty the house, with +plants green, climbing.</p> + +<p>Goobye, dear benefactor, I kiss you with the bottom of my +heart</p> + +<br> +<p>Your godchild all devoted,</p> + +<p>A. Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls. N.Y.</p> + +<p>Deer miss Secretary,</p> + +<p>Pleese you must do sumthing quick about my orphan he is awful. I +sent a baseball glove and mask for Cristmas and he used them fer a +muff and to hang plants in, and he wares a shawl and sits on the +table of sumthing, and now he is kissing me with the bottom of his +heart and that is the limit and he must cut it out because I wont +stand fer that. Hoping you are well and you will answer soon in +answer to my leter I will close.</p> + +<br> +<p>Yours truly,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>18 rue d'Autancourt, Paris</p> + +<p>18 Jan, 1917.</p> + +<p>Dear Benefactor:</p> + +<p>I thank you for your pretty letter so interesting. My great +sister Marie work very hard for to aid me read it, but it is very +difficult to comprehend. It is because you talk the American and +the dictionary talk only the English. I will try to learn the +American if you will to me give the instructions. Dear godfather, +you are not in anger against me? I make always attention to be +polite and genteel, because already I love you from far. But Marie +say there is the miss understand in our letters she cannot +explicate. For three nights I sleep not well because I search to +comprehend what is it that makes bad, then this morning I have it +the idea brilliant; there is on the place des Clercs the dentist +American. It is writ on his door, Dr. Yanket, and Maman go to sew +on the dresses of Madame. She talk very well with two tongues, and +Maman say she regard the letters then she laugh very strong. Then +she say to Maman: "Console your infant, it may sleep on the two +ears<a name='FNanchor_10_10'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_10_10'><sup>[10]</sup></a>, because the godfather is one +very genteel little boy." And then she write a little paper she +desire me copy for you very careful. Here is it: "Jimmy, in Uncle +Sam's name I am proud of you. You're the right sort keep it up and +don't get cold feet. For that godchild of yours is very much all +right, as you will very soon realize. But let me give you frankly +just one piece of friendly advice; don't tell your kid to 'chuck +the dictionary out of the window,' but rather get one yourself, and +polish up your English. Your spelling and your vocabulary are, to +use your own expression, 'something fierce;' how can you expect the +poor little French child to understand your slang?"</p> + +<p>There; I have made copy, and again I understand not very well. +But I am sure it go to make all arrange. And I know that you are +one little boy; I am so content!</p> + +<p>Dear godfather, it is very droll the fashion you do to make +silver in Amerique! But it is very dangerous, and never in Paris we +do like that. I see in my book of images English how the terrible +Red-skins scalp the enemy, "skin 'em alive," like you say, and I +see the image of the chef. He have long hairs black, with plumes +red and green; and chains brilliant suspended, and he carry in the +middle one little apron of fur; and he have not knowledge of the +bon Dieu. It is call: "trading with the Indians." Oh please, dear +godfather, do not for me trading with the Indians! I will permit +not that you risk to be skin alive. I make the promise like you +say, and I make like you the sign of cross, but I hope not to die +if I squeal; I cry not very often, but sometimes, and my poor Maman +will be to much desolated if I die.</p> + +<p>Goodbye dear godfather; believe at my sentiments the more +affectuous,</p> + +<br> +<p>Your godchild,</p> + +<p>A. Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>To Mr. James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<p>Dear Sir:</p> + +<p>I am much interested in the account of your correspondence with +your French godchild, and I would advise you not to be discouraged +if he does not seem, in every way, to be living up to your +expectations. You must remember that these fatherless children have +suffered more deeply and more courageously than you can possibly +imagine. If his letters sound rather effeminate I hope you will in +time realize that it is merely a difference of language and +convention that gives you that impression. The French are a very +affectionate and demonstrative people. You know that even their +"Papa Joffre" kisses his brave soldiers on both cheeks when he +decorates them.</p> + +<p>You are doing splendid work for a boy of your age, and I hope +you will not let small prejudices get in your way. Remember you are +unusually fortunate to have a child who can write in English.</p> +<br> +<p>With my best wishes and congratulations, I remain cordially +yours,</p> + + +<p>Secretary for the Junior Committee + +of the Fatherless Children of France.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls, N.Y.</p> + +<p>Feb. 3, 1917.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild</p> + +<p>How are you? Say will you do me a faver and cut out kissin me +with the bottom of your heart? If you think you ot to do it you can +kiss me on both cheeks if that is the custim I guess I can stand it +but I had ruther you did not kiss me at all if it is the same to +you as we shake hands in America. Say that missis Yankit is some +woman beleeve me and you had better keep away from her, fust thing +you no she'll be trying to make me go to school every day and buy a +dicshunary. What she no about the American languidge ennyway? what +she have to come buttin in with her too tongues between us? You are +my godchild and I am your godfather and if there is ennything you +dont understand I am the one to explane, and you tell that Yankit +woman she had better be helpin her husband with his teeth and let +us alone, and to put that in her pipe and smoke it. I am glad you +like the Cristmas presents I sent you and if you want to string the +mask from the ceilin you are well come to it, but it is ment to +keep your nose from gettin smasht when a hard ball comes bingin +through the air. Say, that must be some stunt sleepin on both ears, +I have slep on my stummick an on my back an on one ear, but not on +both. Last nite we had welsh rabit fer super and I did not sleep +enny way. It is a good thing I have that $1.50 Carl Odell give me +becaus I do not feel al-rite and Mother wont let me go out to work, +but I guess I will get out soon again so dont worry about my +suportin you. Say, thats al-rite about the Red Indians—corse +they aint as numrous as they was once but there still plentiful in +parts but dont let that worry you cause I been brot up with them +and no how to handle them. Red Skins is like snakes and is al-rite +if you keep your eye on them. Course I woodnt advise you to medal +with them, but I guess I can look out for myself. Say, how is Jean +and has he done enny more stunts? I have a sister Molly aged 6 and +she is going to rite plays and say she turns out some great stuff. +Yesterday she dresst Cecilia, you no the one aged 7, as a queen and +Molly she was the subjeck boughed before her and sed, Your majesty +to-day unto you a child is born, and Cecilia, I mean the queen sed, +Bring it in, and Molly the subjeck brot in Snookie the cat only it +was the child then and it was all rigged up in Heloises close, and +bimeby Heloise who was a wicked king come runnin in to kidnap the +baby and she sed, no I mean he sed because she was a king, That is +my child! and the subjeck sed, It is not! and the king sed, It is +too! and the sujeck sez as cool as a cucumber, Your majesty you are +a lyre! and then they had the darndest fite over that baby you ever +saw. Fust the king hit the subjeck bingo in the eye then the +subjeck he pincht the babys tail, you no Snookies, and bimeby +Mother come runnin in and stuck them all in bed, but it was a buly +fite. I feel auful queer so guess I will close hoping you are +better than I feel</p> + +<br> +<p>Your affeckshunate godfather,</p> + +James P. Jackson Jr.<br> +<br> + <br> +<p>P.S. Do you like rabit? I hate it!</p> + +<p>P.S. Dont ferget to tell that Yanket woman to put what I told +you in her pipe and smoke it.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>18 rue d'Autancourt,</p> + +<p>Paris,</p> + +<p>18 Feb. 1917.</p> + +<p>Dear Godfather:</p> + +<p>How are you? I hope you are no more fatigued. Very sure I will +send you the kiss cut out as you say if you prefer. And also I will +shake your hand. I will do all things American and all things that +make you pleasure. But, dear godfather, you demand that I tell to +Madame Yanket to smoke the pipe and I like not to say that because +she is one very great lady, very genteel. But Maman say that is +only a fashion of talk American and I must not make attention to +it.</p> + +<p>Yes, dear godfather, I like rabbit. When we live in the country +we have two, one white and one black, and at the end of time we +have 26! But not Welsh rabbits; French. They make not sick like +yours.</p> + +<p>Dear benefactor, I will write you not very long this day, for my +great brother Jules come tonight on permission of four days, and I +am much occupied to aid Maman arrange all things clean and pretty. +I will relate on him in my letter of the week next.</p> + +<p>I squeeze your hand, and envoy to you the kiss cut out with my +heart.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your godchild,</p> + +<p>A. Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls. N.Y.</p> + +<p>Feb, 5, 1917.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild</p> + +<p>How are you? It waznt the rabit it is the hoopincoff, I guess I +am goin to dye al-rite.</p> + +<br> +<p>J.P.J.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>18 rue d'Autancourt,</p> + +<p>Paris,</p> + +<p>Feb. 20, 1917.</p> + +<p>Dear Godfather:</p> + +<p>Your letter made me to cry. I will permit you not to die. When I +get your letter I go and break my tire-lire. It is the little dog +of porcelain with one hole in the stomach. Maman give it to me for +my fete, the Ste. Andrée, and she give me two sous for put +in the hole all the Sundays, and it come out nevermore until it +break, you comprehend? I guard<a name='FNanchor_11_11'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_11_11'><sup>[11]</sup></a> the little dog under my +pillow and it make bad in my heart to break it, but what will you? +My dear godfather who is only one child like me, work strong like a +man for make me happy and I would break not my tire-lire for to +save him from the death? Oh yes, a thousand times yes! So I take it +out in the court and open the stomach with one stone and I make to +fall out 26 sous! And I go to the store of objects pious, and I +demand one candle of 26 sous or two candles of 13 sous, but the +lady say 13 is a number of unhappiness so she give me one of 25 +sous, and one sou of paper of lace of gold to put around. And I go +quick to the church, and put up the candle to the Ste. Vierge, and +she will see it from the sky, and she will see you also in Amerique +and make you not to die, M. le Curé see the little flag +American that you send me and that I attach to the candle-stick and +he caress my head and say: "What for is it?" So I tell him and he +say I am very genteel. But all of a hit<a name= +'FNanchor_12_12'></a><a href='#Footnote_12_12'><sup>[12]</sup></a> +I melt in tears<a name='FNanchor_13_13'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_13_13'><sup>[13]</sup></a>, because I know I am not +genteel, dear godfather! I am very, very bad and wicked; I tell not +the truth and I conduct not myself well unto you. Perhaps you will +pardon me never! I go to confession and M. le Curé say for +my penitence I must also confess to you that I am one little girl! +Oh dear godfather, be not too much in anger! I am so sad! I +comprehend not how it arrived, but when you write to me and say you +love not the little girls I was afraid and responded nothing. Dear +godfather, I will tell you that when I was little I pray often the +bon Dieu make me one boy, because you know, for Him nothing is +impossible. But He wish I remain a girl, and now I have cheated and +He punish me very strong in make you so much fatigue you almost +die. I cannot write more this day because I am too much sad. But if +you die not please tell me soon because I am so much unquiet. I +assure you I will nevermore be so villain.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your godchild repentant,</p> + +<p>Andrée Leblanc.</p> + +<br> +<p>P.S. Maman say the Comité Americain put me like one boy. +It is the two "e" that make one girl.</p> + +<p>P.P.S. I search what is the hoopincoff, but I find it not. +Surely it is the very dangerous malady, but if you die, you go to +Paradise; M. le Curé promise me.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls. N.Y.</p> + +<p>Deer miss Secretary,</p> + +<p>The boy you give me is a girl What are you going to do about +it?</p> + +<br> +<p>Yours respekfully,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Dear Mr. Jackson</p> + +<p>In reply to your letter, we would state that the mistake was due +to the handwriting of the child's mother, making the name appear to +be spelt with one "e" instead of two, and thus making it a boy's +name.</p> + +<p>We will endeavor, as soon as possible, to repair our error, as +it was never our intention to deceive you.</p> + +<br> +<p>Very truly yours,</p> + +<p>Junior Committee of the Fatherless Children of France.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls. N.Y.</p> + +<p>Deer Miss Secretary,</p> + +<p>I didnt say you were deceivin, I just want to tell you the boy +you give me was a girl so you wood not make that mistake agen. It +is the limit when you have told the fellers you had a boy, to go +and get a girl, and when I shod the letter to dad he sed by jove +youre in a fine posishun you are and I sed how is that, and he sed +fust thing you no you will get yourself talkt about, ritin to a +girl in France and that would be fine woodnt it?</p> + +<br> +<p>Respectfully yours,</p> + +<p>J.P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls, N.Y.</p> + +<p>March 7, 1917.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild,</p> + +<p>I received your letter and I did not dye. Of corse you cant help +bein a girl insted of a boy and thats al-rite because Heloise and +Myra-Louise and Nelly the girl next dore and pretty nerely every +body wood ruther be a boy than a girl, but you were the limit to +fib about it and you have put me in a auful queer posishun, so no +more fer this time.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your godfather,</p> + +<p>J.P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<br> +<p>P.S. I will suport you just the same so do not worry.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Paris,</p> + +<p>21 March 1917.</p> + +<p>Dear Mr. James,</p> + +<p>I have your letter, and I perceive that you are very much +offensed. One time more I demand pardon; but I cannot be like you +want, and by consequence I can never more call myself your dear +godchild; if you love me not, and I am offensive, I have not +business of you and your silver. Please give it to one unhappy +little boy. It is worth better that I have hunger, it is worth +better that I be made dead by the boches, than to be like one +little mendicant. I demand to Maman if it is not true, and she say +yes.</p> + +<p>I thank you for all the pain you did take for me and I forget +never. When I become grand I will render to you all you pay for +me.</p> + +<p>Goodbye monsieur James. Receive the expression of my best +salutations,</p> + +<br> +<p>Andree Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls, N.Y.</p> + +<p>April 2, 1917.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild,</p> + +<p>Say what is the matter with you ennyway and why don't you want +me to support you enny longer? I am your godfather and you are my +godchild and it is a legal afare, dad sez, and if ennybody sez +ennything about it they will have to deel with me, see? Ennyway +mebbe I was kinder cranky about it, and you kinder fibbd, so lets +say we had a scrap and shake on it and let it go at that. Lots of +the fellers hear have scraps with the girls, and last weak Dinky +Odell who is Carl Odells yungist brother had one with Heloise +because he hollerd, Heloise go wash your feet, the bord of helths +across the street, at her and she cried, but he sent her a peach of +a poim to make up, and hear it is, "If you dont like me enny more, +then I shall inlist and go to war!" I guess Dinky is goin to be a +poit al-rite. You no I mite go to war two, lots of the fellers hear +are inlistin in forrin regimunts, theres Carl Odell who has joind +the Canadian Royal Fling Corpse, and Hanky Jones is goin to drive a +truck in France and I guess he will be some driver al-rite because +he has druv the new automobile hearse fer too years now, and say he +goes like the dickuns. Corse I aint sayin Im goin to inlist rite +away but I got some ideas in mind and Im thinking of raisin a +regiment of boy scouts or Red Indians, I guess the Red skins wood +be the best, and say woodnt Kaiser Bill look chepe if he saw a +bunch of Red Skins beatin it after him? I bet hed run to beat the +band, and I bet theyd catch him, and if they did, goodnite fer +Kaiser Bill. Say they woodnt do a thing to him exept mebbe scalp +him or skin him alive, and woodnt he look chepe then? Red Skins is +auful feerce when they get goin, and I dont rekon ennybody cood +stop them once they got started. We had an auful scare last nite I +had been suportin you all day by choppin wood and I was dead beet +but all of a suddin I was woke up by dad and he was yellin Murder! +Murder! and Amanda and Cecilia and Mother who had her hare in curl +papers rushd in, and there was dad having a buly fite in bed, and +he was punchin the pilo, and yellin Murder! Murder! and we was all +scart to go neer him because he wood punch us like the pilo, so +Mother took a pitcher of cold water and throo it in his face, and +that woke him up and he was mad as time, and sed, what you tryin to +do, drown me? And then he laft and told us his dreme and it was +this way, Max Dinkelheim, the shoomaker was a German spy and he was +trying to sell hot dogs with boms in them and no one new there was +boms in them exept dad. And he sed, you dirty Fritz cut that out, +and Max he grabd dad by the hare and dad he yankd Max by the ear, +and they was havin a buly fite when out come five more germans and +begun to paist dad on the head, and corse he coodnt manige the 6 of +them so he was yelling Murder! Murder! And then he got the pitcher +of water and that was all. I bet dad cood have lickd the stuffin +out of Max Dinkelheim al-rite, and I bet we are goin to have war +this weak and if we do, dad sez the Kaiser will find out he has bit +off more than he can chew, and you had better make up with me +because I think you are al-rite, and if we have war I mite be in a +posishun to help you. Thank you fer burning that candle fer me, we +have been burning some sulfur ones fer Heloise and Molly and they +seem to be gettin along nicely. Dont fergit when you rite to say if +you are not mad at me enny more.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your affeckshunate godfather,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<br> +<p>P.S. Hows your big brother been makin out?</p> + +<p>P.P.S. Thank you very much fer bustin that dog fer me. I have a +pig with a hole in it and if I ern enuf money next weak I will send +it to you.</p> + +<p>P.P.P.S. Who is that Mr. le Cure you talk so much about?</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>18 rue d'Autancourt.</p> + +<p>April 16.</p> + +<p>Dear Monsieur James:</p> + +<p>When I go to school the week past I see the flag of Amerique +floating well high! And all the world is content because you come +to aid us terminate by a peace victorious this war so terrible, and +be like one brother for the triumph of the Justice, and the +Liberty, and the Humanity. That is what the mistress of school +explicate to us, and we love and honor the Amerique like the great +sister Republique, and then she tell us get up and learn chant the +song of the Banner of Stars. Perhaps you have hear it? It begin: +"<i>Oh, dites, voyez-vous aux lueurs du matin</i>" etc. The +mistress write it all on the tables black,<a name= +'FNanchor_14_14'></a><a href='#Footnote_14_14'><sup>[14]</sup></a> +and we copy in lieu of the exercise of grammar, and it make us all +joyful. But all that make me think so much of you, that I cannot +empeche<a name='FNanchor_15_15'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_15_15'><sup>[15]</sup></a> myself even if you are no +more my godfather, to pin the little flag American that you give +me, on my heart, that save you from the death by the hoopincoff +when I attach it to the candle of the Ste. Vierge. And then, +pending the recreation of mid-day, I go home and the factor bring +your letter! And when I return at school I effort myself so strong +to read your letter, that I cannot make like it must<a name= +'FNanchor_16_16'></a><a href='#Footnote_16_16'><sup>[16]</sup></a> +my chart geographic. But I promise Isabelle Gaveau, the little girl +of the merchant of shoes, that if she will to aid me, I will lend +her my pretty handkerchief new, for go to church the morning of +Easter. So we be all content and I have very much the time to +reflect and respond at your letter.</p> + +<p>Dear Monsieur James, I comprehend that you want I continue be +your dear godchild. I demand to Maman what I do, and she say: "Take +the silver, and make no more infantile foolishness. Only one onion +cost five sous now, and the life is very hard, but Amerique have +the great heart to help us and give us the hand, and we work all +the two for the Patrie." So, dear godfather, we be not mad at +ourselves any more, and I promise I make no more the fib, and you +make no more the cranky, is it not? I must to make many progress in +American for when you come I reckon you come like the dickuns, like +yellin thunder, with the skin'em alive Red-skins and the hot +dogs!</p> + +<p>Dear benefactor, what is it the hot dogs? My great sister say it +is a species of machine-gun American.</p> + +<p>It is very funny your Papa make the wicked dream! You have the +very beautiful family. Me too. Great brother Jules is already the +corporal and he is like the Chevalier Bayard without fear and +without reproach. One day, he tell me, a great <i>éclat +d'obus</i> take off his hat, and he pick it off the ground and say: +"Ho Fritz! I wanted not be so polite and salute you!" And my great +brother tell me many things important on the war. But I write them +not, because the censure would scold me; perhaps put me in +prison.</p> + +<p>Pending his permission of four days, he teach little Jean the +chants of the regiment. Some are not for the little infants, Maman +says, so he whistle them. But Jean love the military chants much +more than the ones of latin he learn to sing in the church, and I +hope he mix them not. Dear godfather, tomorrow is Easter and I am +making an egg for you. It is a surprise so I tell you not what is +in it.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your affeckshunate godchild,</p> + +<p>Andrée Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>May 5, 1917.</p> + +<p>Greenville Falls, N.Y.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild,</p> + +<p>Gee whiz but Kaiser Bill is in fer it! Gee whiz, you ot to see +how Uncle Sam is fixin up fer him! Jo Kelly and Walter Daly and lot +of the felers are going in fer aviashun and Bill Wilson's +scout-master and organizin a crack bunch of boy scouts and we have +a home Deefence and dad has got a uniform and a wooden gun and he +sez it is a pretty good bunch of felers, but he cood do more with +them if he was captin insted of mister Larkin, who is a good feler +but a bum eaptin. I aint sayin much but I got a few idees and I +woodnt let it sprize you if I was to invent something one of these +days, but I cant tell you what it is becaus the censer wood cut it +out. I got your egg and I thank you fer it, but say it got me in +dutch al-right, it was this way, the postman brot the packidge just +as I was going to school and I didn't have time to open it so I +took it along and we was havin some speshul exercises fer a kernel +Dudley who was to talk on, Do your bit to help win the war, and Bug +Hadley was recitin the getysberg adress and I opened the packidge +and their was your egg all smasht up. I guess them cardboard eggs +aint very strong, or mebbe the censer didn't handel it gently, +ennyhow it was smasht and the curl inside it was there alrite only +it was kind of mixt up with the cream candy and I was unmixin them +when Lily Graham who set beehind me whisperd to Erny Dinkelheim, +who is Max Dinkelheims youngist son, Jimmy Jacksons girl in France +has sent him a curl! and Erny started to laff and say, O you +Curly—Curly Jackson! and I sed, You shut up! and he sed, O +pooh-pooh—pooh-pooh—and I sed, Dont you pooh-pooh me! +and he sed, Who will I pooh-pooh then? and I sed, Pooh-pooh the +Kaiser, and he sed, The Kaiser wont let me pooh-pooh him and you +leave him alone! And I sed, The Kaiser is bughouse, and Erny he +made a grab at me and landed me one on the chin, and I paisted him +one on the eye and Bug Hadley he stopt sayin the getysberg adress, +and miss Davis she was jumpin up and down hollerin O boys, O boys, +stop them, stop them! and kernel Dudley he hopt off the stand and +pulld us apart, and miss Davis was fer puttin us on the platferm +with our arms on each others shoulders, but the kernel sed, No, it +is that other boys falt, send him home. So they sent Erny home and +he was mad as time. Then the kernel give his talk and sed how the +girls cood help by making the bandiges and how the boys cood find +out who was fer the guvernment and who wasnt. I bet Erny and his +father isnt, and I am going to keep my eye on them. Then we sang +the french nashunal anthem and it is a fine him, and it goes this +way in English: Ye sons of France awake to glory, the day of +victory has come, your childrens wives, and sires horny, behold +there tears—and thats as far as Ive lernt, we have got to +lern all of it, and their is a buly part that goes, March on. +Yesterday the fife and drum corpse plaid it and the Star Spangled +Banner and some of the boys lafft becaus the fifes sort of sqweekt. +I dont see how ennybody can laff when they play the Star Spangled +Banner. Did you get my pig? I suported you this weak by polishin 10 +door handels at 7 cents each, some of them was already polisht but +the folks was real nice about it and let me give them an extry +polish. Say why dont you tell me who that Mr. le Cure is? I have +askt you too times now, and say if I was you I woodnt say, come +like the dickens or skin them alive or enny of that kind of talk. +It is al-rite fer boys who are used to ruffin it, but it is not +nice fer girls so if I was you I wood go easy on it, and hot dogs +aint machine guns, they are sausidges that are made from those +low-down german dogs that heve short legs, but say they test buly +in a roll. The vilets and pollywogs have come and I wood send you +some but I guess they wood dry up before you got them. Ennyway you +neednt worry much about the war now that Uncle Sam is in it we will +lick the stuffin out of him together, I mean out of Kaiser +Bill.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your affeckshunate godfather,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<br> +<p>P.S. Bug Hadley sez it is lucky fer him Erny and I had that +fite, because he had fergot what come after, and dedicatid to the +proposishun.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>June 3, 1917.</p> + +<p>18 rue d'Autancourt, Paris.</p> + +<p>Dear Godfather:</p> + +<p>It is great damage that the pretty egg of Easter I sent you be +smasht up! But I regret yet more that to receive my paquet make you +dispute yourself in dutch, like you say, with the little villain in +school. All the same I am content you landed him one in the eye (I +comprehend not what you want say by that, but I am sure the little +boche comprehend) and you are one valiant patriot.</p> + +<p>Dear godfather, why say you the girls must go easy to learn the +American? I effort myself to be instructed with the words in your +letters the dictionary contains not but if they are nothing but for +little boys I pray you to tell me the pretty words for the little +girls. I am sure my dear godfather serves himself not of villain +talk. Jean was put in penitence yesterday because he say one word +that is for Poilus only, and Maman turn him against the wall in the +corner with the hands behind; and do you know what he do when we +regard him not? He lick the paper on the wall and make it to come +off. So Maman give him the spank. Dear godfather, I am happy to +make you a little pleasure in sending you my portrait. I think it +is well succeeded and very resembling, and will you have the +obligeance to envoy to me the one of you?</p> + +<p>Dear godfather, I make to you a list of words American I +comprehend not, and I hope you will have the obligeance to +explicate them to me. What is, for example, gee whiz, felers, boy +scouts, bum, home defence, kernel, getysberg adress, mebbe, +pooh-pooh, bug-house, the dickens, pollywogs, and lick the stuffin +out? I effort myself very strong to find them, but it is not worth +the pain to search any longer in the dictionary.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your affeckshunate godchild,</p> + +<p>Andrée Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls, N.Y.</p> + +<p>July 5, 1917.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild,</p> + +<p>How are you? I dont see that their is enny fun in life enny +more. I erned $1.56 pickin cheries off the Burtons black chery tree +and I thot that wood make 70 cents fer you and I would spend the +rest on fire crakers, well Toby that is the Burtons mastif that is +always chened up, broke loose and I guess he remembered when Johnny +Smith and me had swiped some cheries last yere when he was chened +up, becaus he give one yip and come and set rite under that tree, +and he set their and grinnd at me all afternoon, and bimeby their +was a thunder shower and I had on my blew pants that was made from +dads that had got too tite fer him, and I thot when it begin to +rain Toby wood beat it, but he just set their and didnt move till +bimeby mister Burton come along and yankt him away by the color. +Well I had pickt the cheries al-rite but I was soked clear through +and the color had come off my pants and on my legs. It is feerce to +have blew legs. Well I thot I wood stop and boy a canon craker and +a pistol and I wasnt going to fire them off before the 4th. but ole +Max Dinkelheim was walking kind of slow in front of me and I thot I +wood try the pistol just once to see if it workt, so I walkt a +little faster and shot it off bingo and you shood have seen ole Max +jump! He give one flop in the air and hollered, A bom! A bom! I +guess he thot I was a submareen, and when he saw it was me beat it +after me and we run all the way home, and Max he run rite into dad +and sed, Where is that boy I will teech him to molest a peaceful +citizen. And dad sed, What has he done? And he told him and sed, I +am going to give him the best lickin of his life, and dad rolld up +his sleeves and sed, Not till you lick me first! And Max kind of +lookd at dad just like in the dream and I guess he was scart, so he +sed, If you will promise to see he is punisht I will leve it to +you, and dad sed, I promise, and Max left and dad he come up and +was mad as ole get out, and he took my pistol and canon away and I +had ruther he had give me a lickin because after too days you can +set down and are al-rite again. We have just herd the Yanks have +landid somewhere in France. Say, if you want to see a bunch of rele +fiters you just go take a look at them, and you mite tell your +brother Jules to take a look at them two as he might get some idees +from them. I cant tell you what all those words mean, gee whiz is +just gee whiz and a feler is a guy who is about 12 or 18, and a bum +is a feler or something that is no good, and a pollywog is a animal +that is going to be a frog, and pooh-pooh is pooh-pooh, and +bughouse means you have rats in the upper story, and you had better +find out about the getysberg adress and the boy scouts and mebbe +and the dickens yourself but I wood go easy on them if I was you. +What you want to go askin me all those things fer ennyway? I aint +askin you what the vacancies, or all of a hit, or pending, of enny +of those things are, am I? I got your photo and I like the way your +hare curls and your eyes two and everythin, and I am glad you are +not laffin. Girls that giggle are the limit. I have only one photo +of myself and I look as if I wood dye grinning becaus the man that +took it was jumpin up and down and sayin, Look hear! Look hear! Say +wood you relly like to have it? I dont think you wood, I dont see +what good I am ennyway. I am two young to inlist and I dont think +you relly like me. I guess mebbe I had better go to sea or +something.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your affeckshunate godfather,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<br> +<p>P.S. I went butterflying to-day and had good luck.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>18 rue d'Autancourt, Paris.</p> + +<p>August 2, 1917.</p> + +<p>Dear godfather:</p> + +<p>You know what it is the "cafard?" In the dictionary it say it is +a "roach" and that is the little beast black like your pollywogs, I +think. But in the Poilu talk it means not that. When there is no +more fun in life, and I am not good for anything anyhow, like you +say, that is what they call to have the "cafard." And it is very +bad in the army. It is to have a bad morale and we must wind +ourselves up.</p> + +<p>Dear godfather, you must be content because I love you much. And +you take so much pain and you labor so hard to entertain<a name= +'FNanchor_17_17'></a><a href='#Footnote_17_17'><sup>[17]</sup></a> +me, I want make you happy in your heart so you have no more the +"cafard." Dear godfather, I will tell you the American Poilus have +come. On Monday last we hear the music on the road and the mistress +tell us this afternoon all the children must put on aprons clean, +and we go to see pass the Americans. And Maman give me five sous +for purchase a bouquet for give them in souvenir of my dear +godfather, and the fleuriste give me two roses red and I envelope +them in a paper wet for hold them fresh. And all the little girls +march in rank like soldiers, two by two, on to the road where the +Americans come. And the gendarmes march before us to make spread +open the crowd so we come. And we stand in rank and it make a very +long line and shake the flag American and wait. The sun was +brilliant and very hot and after a very long moment, we hear the +big music come around the corner, and all bodies were screaming: +"Vive l'Amerique! Vive les Etats Unis! Hurrah Sammies!" and the +gentlemen throw up their hats in air. And all of a hit we see the +banner of stars coming down the street, and I look and all the +little girls at a time kneel themselves on the sidewalk. And I make +the sign of the cross, and the little girls at back of me laugh and +mock at me, but the mistress say it is right; the sign of the cross +is good for the flag too. And when the flag is pass we arise and +say hurrah also, and one soldier American regard me with a smile. +Then I take my courage with two hands and cast away the roses on +him, and he catch and kiss me with his hand, and put the roses in +his coat. His name is Teddy and I love him much. I know because he +come see me, because I write my name (with two es) and adresse tied +to the roses. My Maman was very much surprise when she see Monsieur +Teddy come and ring to the door. He is very well elevated and very +beautiful. He has buckled hairs<a name='FNanchor_18_18'></a><a +href='#Footnote_18_18'><sup>[18]</sup></a> and a line on one side +and his figure is razed.<a name='FNanchor_19_19'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_19_19'><sup>[19]</sup></a> His uniform is the color of +the ground; it is not so much pretty as the French Poilus who are +the color of the sky. And his hat is tied, like a bonnet of old +woman, with a shoe-lace in the back. But I love him all of same. He +take me on his knees and say: "Parlez vous français" and he +begin to recite the verb "avoir," because he know nothing more of +French. And so I say I know very well the American and I talk at +him and he laugh very strong. And he give me a piece of bonbon very +droll. It is mint but it is like elastic; I eat a great number of +pieces because I want not to offence him, and Teddy all of a hit +become very much frightened: "What," he say, "You did swallow the +chewing gum!" And I say: "Naturally I swallow the bonbon!" And +Teddy say a bad English word and run away without his hat and he +come back with a bottle of ipecac and I will not take because I +know what it make do. And poor Teddy was very much desolated; he +come every day to get of my news, and to-day he bring the bonbons +French that we swallow. To-day he ask me will I be his little +adopted girl the year next when you have finish with me and I say, +"Mebbe I will." And he say, "Bully for you, you're a peach!" I make +him write because it is the American and not in the dictionary.</p> + +<br> +<p>Goodbye, dear godfather,</p> + +<p>Your affeckshunate godchild,</p> + +<p>Andree Leblanc.</p> + +<br> +<p>P.S. I am surprise you ask who is M. le Curé. Only the +pagans have not knowledge of him. Are you one pagan? I think you +say that to make laugh. It is very bad to mock yourself of M. le +Curé.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>To Mr. James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<p>Dear Sir:</p> + +<p>Due to the great confusion and delay existing in the mails at +the present time, we have not until now been able to repair our +error concerning your godchild. We take pleasure in announcing that +we are now in a position to supply you with a boy as formerly +requested.</p> + +<p>As to the little girl, we can no doubt provide for her until +other arrangements can be made. Elderly gentlemen, we find, are +particularly fond of adopting little girls.</p> + +<p>Hoping you will pardon our delay, and inform us as soon as +possible concerning your wishes in this matter, we beg to +remain,</p> + +<br> +<p>Sincerely yours,</p> + +<p>The Junior Committee for The Fatherless Children of France.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls, N.Y.</p> + +<p>Deer Miss Secretary,</p> + +<p>It is more than kind of you to bother about changing my girl +into a boy, but it cant be done because I have changed my mind +about it, but I thank you all the same. You see it is this way, at +fust I wanted a boy and I was kinder sore after setting my heart on +one to get a girl, but the girl you give me is diferent from most +girls, she seams to have a lot of rele sense, and I have got kinder +used to her, and, well I woodnt like to have her unprovided and +waitin fer a old gentleman to adop her. Some old gentlemen are +auful cranks. Old Sam Burton who is our naybor is the limit. He has +had 5 wives and Mother sez Lord only nos what he has done with +them, enneway we dont. And she has sort of been takin it ezy while +I was suportin her and the change wood come hard to her, I mene my +godchild not Sam Burton's wife. Ennyway the yere is most over and +you no how folks talk. Fust thing I new they wood say, young +Jackson's a fikle feller. Thot he'd adop a orfan and now hes swaped +his girl fer a boy. You no how people will talk, so I guess I can +stand my godchild fer this yere ennyway, and after that we shall +see. Of corse I was simply sterilized when I lernt she was a girl, +but even a girl is preferable to a boy that wore shawls and sed +everything was prety and kist you with the botom of his heart. She +has cut that out now, and I am gettin her in prety good shape. +Explaning whats what to her and every thing. So I guess we can +manige but I am obliged to you fer the asking.</p> + +<br> +<p>Yours truly,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls, N.Y.</p> + +<p>Sept. 5, 1917.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild,</p> + +<p>Your letter reeched me safely, and I was releeved to here the +boys had got safely "over there." Of corse we have had some few +notes, pertikerly from Hanky Jones you no the feller that drove the +hearse I tole you about. Well he is drivin somewhere over the top +in France, not a hearse but a truck, and oh boy, he sez the +swellest funeral he ever drove fer cant hold a candel to drivin a +truck with Fritz bulets bingin all round you and he sez, I received +the kit you sent me and It is a great comfort (the kit is not a cat +but a assortment of handkerchiefs and tooth brushes and everything +a soldier gets and Mother sent him his and so he rote to thank her) +an he sez if I go over the top with the best of luck and get enuf +leave to come home I will give Myself the pleasure of calling on +you, and showin you what a Greenville soldier looks like. My +reciprocity shall never end. And he goes on tellin how french +cookin agrees with him and the censer didnt cut that out, but he +cut out the best part I guess. Ennyway the censer must have a soft +spot fer you because he never cuts enny part of yours out. I guess +ennyway you must be a pretty poplar girl you have so many frens, +that think a lot of you, theres your brother Jules and that Mr. le +Cure and that guy Teddy and me. I was sort of thinkin about you and +me the other day and I rote a verse of poitry about us and here it +is,</p> + +<br> +<pre> +<br> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>REALIZATION</span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'>By James Prendergast Jackson, Jr.</span><br> + +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>Im over here, and your "over there"</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>And I no not the shade of your eyes or your hare.</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>But this much I relize, from the land of the Free!</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>You are imbibed with mystery</i>!</span><br> +</pre> + +<br> +<br> + + +<p>I think that sums up the situation. I have supported you one +yere and you dont no me, and I dont no you, and mebbe you will +never mete me and mebbe I will never mete you, and while I am tryin +to think how I can get over there along comes that feler Teddy and +gets his eye on you and sez, Guess Ill have her for my godchild, +and Bully fer you your a peach! and you fall fer it of corse, and I +have to take a back seat. I guess that is life, but I tell you it +is pretty tuf sometimes and a feler who is twelve yeres old has +more trubbles than you think. But I guess if you want to be his +godchild I wont stand between you. Mebbe you wood like a list of +how I have suported you? Here is some of it, mindin chickins, +selling Mirrors, choppin wood, frezin ice-cream fer Crankit & +sons, pickin cheries, money from Carl Odell fer keepin quiet, +polishin door handels, a mud turtle to Sid Perkins, a jar of +pollywogs to Sid Perkins, he wants to build an aquarium, and I +washt the winders of missis Perkins big, white house one weak when +I was hard up, but I dont think I shall ever be hard up again as +mister Parker has ofered to take me on the Mirror staff whenever I +like, as he sez I talk like a book agent. I wish I cood leve school +and go into bizness or to war or something. I dont seem to get much +out of school somehow. Miss Davis sez to mother, Mebbe your son has +deefective eyes but she sez to me, You are a blockhed. I guess miss +Davis is off the trolly or something, Dad sez she has Fritz blood +because she is distently related to the Dinkelheims. I was sory to +hear you had swallerd all that gum, but was glad to see you got +away with it, that feler was the limit to give it to you, it is not +a thing to give to a godchild. Fust thing you no when he is your +godfather he will feed you a shoestring or something, and you will +be two polite to say no and you will dye. I hate to think of you +ending that way it dont seem rite somehow. Say what does he want to +buckle his hare and line it up one side fer? He must think his hed +is a race track. Gee whiz I hate to think of the Yanks comin runnin +over there with felers like that among them. I have been in swimmin +with Dinky Odell in old Frost Lake to-day and he stumpt me to +swaller a skipper and sed I bet a quarter you will not, so I +swallerd one and it didn't test ennything at all, only it kind of +crawled up and down my throte fer awhile and o Boy! didnt he tickel +though! The next time I swaller a skipper I shall chew him fust, if +you dont they walk inside of you as if they was saying "where do we +go from hear?" Say you were pretty smart about catching on about my +jokin about Mr. le Cure. Corse I dont no him as well as you do, +caus you no and I no he has lived on the other side more than hear, +but I guess if we was to pass on the street, we wood no each other +well enuf to say, Hello, old top, how are you to-day? Say, I have +got your Christmas present all pickt out, do you no what I wish you +wood give me fer mine? See if you can guess.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your affeckshunate godfather as ever,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>18 rue d'Autancourt, Paris.</p> + +<p>September 21, 1917.</p> + +<p>My dear godfather:</p> + +<p>I thank you for your long letter, and I give it to Monsieur +Teddy so he read and see how much you are genteel. He regard the +letter and regard me and his figure become very droll, like he want +laugh or cry very much and he dare not and must retain himself, and +he demand if he can keep the letter in his pocket for tomorrow, +because he desire to envoy you a response with mine. He is very +amiable and charming, think you not? He come to my house all the +days now and always he bring something. Sunday he bring a +paté like we eat on days of féte before the war; and +he remain for aid us eat it. And yesterday he bring a great ribbon +all white for tie on my hairs. He say in Amerique all the little +girls carry on the summit of the head a ribbon big like a hat. He +want not I keep for the Sundays but he tie me up and then he say I +am pretty—jolly he say, and he demand I show him to speak the +French. So he commence to read my book of when I was little, the +"Lectures Enfantines" and I make him say the little poetry that is +on the page 3 and it say: "Cher petit oreiller," and then my great +sister enter and she have on her bodice of Sundays and very much +the powder of rice on the nose. And she say: "Go in the bed-chamber +and amuse yourself, and I talk with this Monsieur Americain." And I +want not to go, and I cry, but she say if I obey not she will tell +Monsieur Teddy come back never again. She is a villain, my great +sister. I will defend that she aid me to write my letters to you; I +have not business of her. I have as much as her knowledge of the +English, and the American also. And Monsieur Teddy love me, nothing +but me. When he get up to go away he call: "Where is that child of +the gods?" (He make that game of words because I have perhaps two +godfathers) And I come, and he console me. Thursday last it was my +birthday. Monsieur Teddy devined it because he ask me how much age +I have and I say I will have twelve years the 18, and he say in +Amerique it is always a great feast and I must to eat a cake very +big with snow and ice on it and candles, and so he bring it. I was +washing the vessels,<a name='FNanchor_20_20'></a><a href= +'#Footnote_20_20'><sup>[20]</sup></a> and he come in the kitchen +and make many foolishness. He whip me (to make laugh) twelve times +with a little stick so I grow very big all the year. And then he +make me hide my eyes in my apron, and when I open them, I see the +cake, big and white like—oh like I know not what—and +the twelve candles pink were illuminated and there was my name with +the two es writ in chocolate on the snow. And Monsieur Teddy bring +also the cold cream; it is rose like the candles and perfumed with +vanilla and strawberries. Oh dear godfather, I wanted you be here +and have some! Only one time before when I was little I did eat the +cold cream and never when it is the war did we eat cake. And it is +good like to be in Paradise!</p> + +<p>But alas! Monsieur Teddy soon will go beat himself<a name= +'FNanchor_21_21'></a><a href='#Footnote_21_21'><sup>[21]</sup></a> +with the boches! It is terrible to think because he is so good and +beautiful! I told you he have little wings white on him, because he +go up in the air?</p> + +<br> +<p>Goodbye, dear godfather,</p> + +<p>Your affeckshunate godchild,</p> + +<p>Andrée Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls, N.Y.</p> + +<p>October 6, 1917.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild,</p> + +<p>I am sending you this letter in anser to yours quick, becaus I +think if you are not careful that Teddy will poison you with his +eats. The gum was bad enuf and I was jokin when I sed what I did +about the shoestring, but cross my heart and hope to dye, that +feedin you cold cream is the wust I ever herd, and what makes me +feel so bad is there is no one to warn you and he is stringin you +on. Gee whiz, it makes me sick to think of it! I have not been able +to eat fer two days, yesterday we had pancakes fer brekfast and I +cood not eat enny and mother sed, I wonder what ales James? And dad +sed, In the spring a yung mans fancy, and mother sed quick, It is +not spring, Prendy, it is fall, and I think it is his stummick that +is turned and dad sed, No it is his heart I have found his poitry, +and mother sed, Well you may be rite but I shall give him a dose of +caster oil, You no the oil of the caster, just like you had the oil +of the codfish only this tests like sam scratch see? Well I had to +swaller some and it was feerce and fer too cents I wood twist that +teller Teddy's nose and stick my finger in his eye. Gee whiz, and +he wares white wings dose he, and jumps up in the air. Some angel +beleeve me, say mebbe he is a angel that has fallen from the sky? +or a acrobat from Barnums? only I guess if he comes from Barnums he +must be a freak al-rite. Ennyway until this yere ends you are my +godchild and I am your godfather, and I forbid you to tuch enny +more of that Teddys eats, understand? If you are hungry you just +tell me, and I will send you the proper food; and it will not be +gum, or cold-cream or candels ether, I can tell you. Why even Mr. +le Cure wood no enuf not to give you enny of those things. That +Teddy is not fit to have a godchild, and that is the hole story in +a nutshell. I dunno just what I shall do if he rites to me. Mebbe I +will anser and mebbe I wont. I guess I shall tell miss Betty about +it. Have I ever tole you about her? She lives in the big house on +the hill next to Sid Perkins and she has hare like, well like what +you sed about Jean's, like gold and sunshine, and big blue eyes and +the cutest little chin with a dimple rite in the middle, and when +she smiles she makes me think of the ferry queens you read about in +books. I guess miss Betty is the prettiest girl on earth al-rite. +She was one of the folks what let me give there dorenobs a extra +polish, and she nos all about you and now I have tole her about +that Teddy, and she sez, I no just how you feel about him Jimmy. It +is a grate comfort to have someone understand you if your family do +not. And I askt her if she new enny poitry in french I cood send +you by way of conversashun, and she sez, I remember just one, and +here it is,</p> + +<br> +<pre> +<br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>"Je vous aime, je vous adore,</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>Que voulez vous done encore?"</i></span><br> +</pre> + +<br> +<br> + + +<p>I thot that was kind of short but she sed if I sent this to you +you mite send that feler Teddy packin, but I guess you wont. I dont +no when I have had so much bad luck as I have had lately. Fust +their was the hoopincoff, then my blew legs, then I lost my +firecrakers, and now I guess I am going to lose you al-rite. I +fergot to tell you their is a new preecher hear called Herbit +Hoover and he is a minister of the gospel of the Clean Plate, and +all us school boys have been distributin little papers about it, +the idee is, if you do not beleeve in it you eat meat and wheat and +everythin, and if you beleeve a little you have meatless days and +eat rye and no wheat, and if you get the religion rele hard you +lick your plate clean and eat pretty near nothing at all. Ennyway +nobody must eat sugar. Dad sez it is becaus sugar has turned to +dimonds, so we have sirup insted and it is pretty good, the +pancakes I was tellin you about was made with that. Mother sez the +sugar situashun is going to be rele bad. I hope their is some left +fer my birthday which is near Thanksgiving day. Say, you and I come +near bein twins do you no that? Just too weaks more and we wood +have been born together, only I wood have been your twin over here +and you wood have been my twin over there. Say woodnt that have +been funny though! Stranger things have happined though. It does +seem sort of strange to think those too weaks have made me your +godfather and you my godchild insted of us bein twins. I tole +mother about it and she sed she thot it was better the way it is. I +have saved up 47 cents fer your Christmas present I am not going to +tell you what I wish you wood do fer mine. I am going to see if you +can guess it.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your ever affeckshunate godfather,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>18 rue d'Autancourt, Paris.</p> + +<p>September 24, 1917.</p> + +<p>My dear godfather:</p> + +<p>I am afraid this letter can't be in my own style and handwriting +this time, for Mr. Teddy is here and I have asked him to help me +with my English, in exchange of my helping him with his French. My +mind is troubled and I think he can express my thought, so he has +taken the pen in hand, and I, sitting on a little stool at his +feet, and gazing up at him, try to make him understand what is in +my mind.</p> + +<p>But first of all Mr. Teddy wants to ask you to forgive him, if +he seems to be "butting in" and spoiling the game between you and +your godchild. Honor bright, he didn't mean to do it. It was fate. +Just blind, mysterious, and merciless fate that decreed that things +should happen as they did. Mr. Teddy may be a blessing in disguise, +anyway he couldn't be helped, and he has no excuse to offer, +except, perhaps, that he is alone in the world and homesick in a +foreign land. He is sorry you and he can't fight a duel over the +situation, but I am very glad. And Mr. Teddy wants to tell you, +very seriously that he takes off his hat to any little fellow of +your size who can do the plucky thing you have done, and keep it up +so well. If grown up men all had more of your spirit, he says, the +war would be over long ago.</p> + +<p>The object of this letter is as follows: I (your godchild) wish +to make amends. I wrote you yesterday, and didn't answer your +letter. Not a word did I say about it, except that I had received +it, then I prattled away all about another would-be godfather for +whom you, naturally, have no earthly use. And to-day my heart is +filled with remorse and my head is filled with fears lest you +should think your dear godchild is ungrateful, fickle, and flighty. +I want to tell you how every detail of your life—from +knob-polishing and bug-swallowing to poetry-writing is dear and +precious to me. How I wish I could do the same! How I live in eager +expectation of your letters; how I gloat and ponder over them when +they come; and how deep is the gloom into which I am plunged when +they do not come! Mr. Teddy knows all that, because I have somehow +expressed it, and if I had striven to hide my thought he would have +guessed it, for he knows full well what goes on in the hearts of +little maids and gallant lads.</p> + +<p>Therefore have I asked him to voice my deepest feelings in a +poem that will answer yours:</p> + +<br> +<pre> +<br> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>"IDEALIZATION"</span><br> + +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>By Andree Leblanc and</span><br> +<span style='margin-left: 1em;'>Yankee Teddy.</span><br> + +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'>"<i>Though our eyes may never meet,</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>To me you're more than bread or meat,</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>You are the proud and noble knight</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>That I pray for every night.</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>You could stand up on burning decks,</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>While others ran to save their necks,</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>You would not fear the dreadful Hun,</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>In Freedom's cause you'd fire a gun.</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>A lad who never gets cold feet</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>Was not destined to know defeat,</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>But oh! thou child of many pray'rs</i></span><br> +<span style= +'margin-left: 1em;'><i>Beware of Jealousy's deep snares!"</i></span><br> +</pre> + +<br> +<br> + <br> +<p>From your affectionate godchild,</p> + +<p>Andrée Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls</p> + +<p>Oct. 10, 1917.</p> + +<p>My dear Mr. Teddy,</p> + +<p>Jimmy has just brought me your letter, in great excitement, and +I am taking the liberty of answering it myself, as I don't think he +could do himself justice under the present circumstances. Mr. +Teddy, did you ever have a soft spot for a little girl, when you +were about eleven or twelve? I had one for a little boy; he was +older than I, about fourteen; his name was Robert, and he had +freckles; I think he squinted, too, and he teased all the girls a +great deal. I am sure he was a very horrid little boy, as I look +back, but at that time I thought he was wonderful, and it almost +broke my heart when he said he had no use for little yellow-haired +girls and took a girl with two brown pigtails to a big children's +party, instead of me.</p> + +<p>Jimmy has a very soft spot for his godchild, and it is more than +a passing fancy with him. You see, his family, while not actually +poverty-stricken, are not as well off as they used to be, and Jimmy +has practically supported Andree himself all the year, through +countless little odd jobs. I have seen him on the coldest winter +days, chopping wood or going from door to door asking to shovel +snow, and his fingers were so red and frozen he could scarcely hold +the shovel; yet he was always ready, with a smile, to do more work +for his "kid in France." Andree is his godchild, his sister, his +whole family to him; and he shoulders the responsibility of looking +after her with all the seriousness of a little old man. Now, right +in the middle of this flourishing state of affairs you come, with +your big American pockets filled with elastic candy and bon-bons, +and at a moment's notice you produce cold-cream, perfumed with +strawberry and vanilla, and snow-covered cakes such as Jimmy can +never hope to equal. What little girl would not turn fickle to her +first love in the presence of such a display? At first Jimmy was +filled with natural jealousy at your intrusion. He was all for +going over there and giving you a piece of his mind; but since +receiving your letter he has, almost incredibly, come to feel sorry +for you because, as he says, "it must be pretty tuf to be all alone +over there, and I guess he thinks my godchild is a peach, all +right." And Jimmy is right; you must be so very very lonesome! And +yet couldn't we manage to cheer you up a little without taking +Jimmy's godchild away from him? I don't know of any little godchild +I could give you in exchange, but I do know of a girl who lives +with an invalid mother in a big white house on a hill, and who +would only be too glad to have a soldier for a godson and send him +little packages of cigarettes, and pictures of movie stars (of +which she has a great collection) and—oh tell him about home +and friends and people and everything.</p> + +<p>I am sending you this letter care of Andrée Leblanc; if +you would care for the arrangement I suggest, would you let me +know?</p> + +<br> +<p>Sincerely yours,</p> + +<p>Elizabeth Winslow</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>18 rue d'Autancourt, Paris.</p> + +<p>November 2, 1917.</p> + +<p>My dear godfather:</p> + +<p>Jules has received a wound, and he is very joyful because it +make him not to die; on the contrary it make him cited at the order +of the day and decorated with the Médaille Militaire. He +make two boches prisoners and catch them with one hand because the +other had the very bad hurt. And then he fainted himself on the +ground and the Cross Red pick him and conduct him at a great +hospital in Paris. And Tuesday Maman and Marie go to see him and +take him the lemonade. And yesterday Monsieur Teddy ask Maman the +permission to take me to see him also and she say yes and we go. We +ride in the tramway pending a long time and I give Monsieur Teddy a +lesson of French, and he say nothing but, <i>oui, oui</i> and +<i>chic alors—zut alors</i>! And all the travelers regard us +and laugh and Monsieur Teddy laugh also. But when we arrive at the +hospital he laugh not at all. He take my hand and I keep it very +tight because I am frighten. It is very beautiful, the hospital. +There is the great garden with trees and flat bands<a name= +'FNanchor_22_22'></a><a href='#Footnote_22_22'><sup>[22]</sup></a> +and the soldier sentinel at the door. Inside it is all white and +dark, a little like the church, and it smell of pharmacy and nobody +make a noise. A lady white conduct us up the stairs and open a +door, and I see a great number of beds in lines with Poilus in +them. When they see the uniform American some make the salute +military and I feel myself very proud. Jules was so content he say +it make his hurt to go away immediately. And Teddy sit on a chair +and give cigarettes and try to make conversation with his hands. +And I sit on the bed and make talk with two tongues and ten fingers +also. And Teddy say he will come again see brother Jules all the +Sundays and Thursdays and console him until he go to fly away. Very +sure he is one angel, Mr. Teddy! And he go up in the heavens with +the wings! Oh little foolish godfather! Understand you not he is +one aviator? And you must not be in anger when he give me the good +things to eat. Perhaps in Amerique the cold cream is bad, but in +Paris it make you not sick, on the contrary. I show not your letter +to Mr. Teddy because you say for two cents you twist his nose and +his eyes and it is not very genteel, dear godfather. When you think +wickedness the bon Dieu punish you. It is because you think +wickedness of Mr. Teddy that you become sick and cannot to eat the +pancakes, and must drink the oil of the caster.</p> + +<p>I am content that the Miss Betty understand you and you tell her +all things, and she is like the ferry with the twisted hairs. Hairs +like gold is very pretty for little boys like Jean, but on ladies +it look like the sun have fade the color. Thank you for the poetry +she make. But my great sister see it and she say to Maman: "These +infants write great foolishness all the time. If it continues we +must give Andree no more stamps of five sous. We will make the +economy and send only a card postal all the three months when the +Comité Americain send the silver of the godfather."</p> + +<p>And I am very unhappy because Maman will not permit me to polish +door-knobs like you and gain silver for the stamps of five sous. +But little Jean come squeeze my neck and console me, and say he +will work and become rich to purchase the stamps of five sous. Poor +little! He know not what it is the life, but he is one brave little +man, and I think he will resemble to you, dear godfather. Oh, I +forget, in my other letter I write when Mr. Teddy come, to say I +desire very much your portrait where you are grinning, like you +say. I love much the grinning godfather. I will place you above my +bed, under the branch of blessed box. My Papa is there also, and I +embrace him all the nights, before I lie down.</p> + +<p>Dear little godfather, I am very recognizing<a name= +'FNanchor_23_23'></a><a href='#Footnote_23_23'><sup>[23]</sup></a> +that you guard 47 sous for my Christmas. Alas, I can never enough +say thank you for all you do, and I can never render it to you! It +make me full of sorry when I think that. With Maman I essay to +guess what you want I do. I will make something with my proper +hands, and Maman will aid. You will love a pair of slippers +embroidered, or a shawl (I want say a scarf) or a bonnet of +aviator? Tell me, I pray of you,</p> + +<p>I shake your hand affectuously.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your godchild,</p> + +<p>Andrée Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Greenville Falls</p> + +<p>Nov. 18, 1917.</p> + +<p>Deer godchild,</p> + +<p>How are you? I got that mister Teddy's letter, and I was goin to +anser it but I dident no just what to say, so I gave it to miss +Betty and she sed she wood anser it herself. And you needent worry +about my twistin his nose and stikin my finger in his eye, because +if you like him I will leave him alone fer your sake. I had quite a +good birthday. Miss Betty found out when it was, and she gave me a +bully party, but we had a feerce time gettin sugar. You no mister +Hoover the new minister I was telling you about? Well he has got +reel exited about sugar, and he has told the shopkeepers they must +give only one pound to itch family, and miss Betty she wanted more +than that to make my cake, because she sez it is hard enuf to cook +with things but it is the limit to cook without them. And she +dident no what to do until she had a brite idee. She sent Molly to +Butler's store and she got some mapel seerop and mixt it all up +with the sugar and a lot of other good stuff. And I had a bully +cake. It was kinder soft to have candels on it, but miss Betty made +it all herself and that is more than your Teddy did, and it was a +bully cake just the same. And she let me ask Dinky Odell over to +have some and we had hot chocolate and a fust rate time. I am sorry +your sister dident like the poitry. Some peeple dont no a good +thing when they see it. Carl Odell has writ to Amanda, and he sez, +"I am writing this in the midst of falling shells and boms busting +in air, but if ever I come out al-rite little girl I'll come back +to you." Carl Odell must have been sent to the front pretty quick +al-rite as he has only been gone too weaks, and he sez he has a lot +of inside inflammation, but he is afraid the censer will cut it +out.</p> + +<p>And now I come to the bizness part of this leter. Fer one yere +now I have been your godfather and you have been my godchild, and +we have hit it off pretty well I think, and now the yere is drawing +to a close, and next month it may be all will be ended between us. +Little girl, what I have been wishing you wood do fer Christmas is +not a scarf, or slipper or ennything but this. Will you be my +godchild fer a nuther yere? I guess mebbe you mite do better fer +yourself and get a more classy godfather. I dont seem to be much +good at school somehow, and I guess that missis Yanket was rite +when she sed what she did about my spellin bein feerce. I guess +mebbe you rite better than I do, and I no that mister Teddy dose +becaus miss Betty saw his letter and she sed it was a fine letter. +Somehow I guess Mr. le Cure and missis Yanket and all your frens +rite and spell better than I do. But I bet I can polish dore +handels and wash winders and sell Mirrors and suport you as well as +enny Body. Mebbe I am cut out fer plane bizness. And so I say, if +you think you like me, and wood like to keep on having me fer your +godfather, say yes and I will be much obliged. But if you think you +wood be hapier with Mr. Teddy, dear godchild why just say so and +never mind about me. I guess I can live it down.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your affeckshunate godfather,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Paris, Dec. 4, 1917.</p> + +<p>Dear godfather,</p> + +<p>I say thousand times yes, and the bon Dieu give you benediction. +Oh dear godfather, you did make the foolish when you believe I want +veritably monsieur Teddy to me adopt! He is full of gracious +goodness, Monsieur Teddy, but he is not like unto you. He did not +the work, and he beat himself not with Red-Skins, to succour me and +give comfort in the modest interior. Mr. Teddy very sure will be +one hero in the war, but you are already one hero with heart more +big. And my dear Papa, that did die for the Patrie, is well content +to behold that. We are loving all the Amerique; but Maman and me +say yesterday there is not in the world entire a boy so much +remplished of sentiments delicate like my grinning godfather. (I +call you like that because your photography is come; you are more +beautiful than Mr. Teddy and it rejoice the heart to look upon +you.)</p> + +<p>Dear godfather I will tell you Mr. Teddy is departed to the +front. He come one day, late, and he say not he go away the +tomorrow; he only sit by the stove, and take Jean upon his knees +and caress the hairs of gold; and he smile very nice but speak not +much. And when he go, he tell me, very quiet, he have in his pocket +one beautiful letter of the miss Betty. And she is his ferry +godmother, and you are my ferry godfather and all things are +al-rite, al-rite! You say all the time that word, you other +Americans, al-rite, al-rite. Maman say it is because you have +confidence in the bon Dieu, and you know that He will make the bad +world all over like that: Al-rite, al-rite!</p> + +<p>Happy Year! dear little godfather. Permit, one time, that I +embrace you very affectuously, and shake your hand.</p> + +<br> +<p>Your godchild for the life,</p> + +<p>Andrée Leblanc.</p> + +<p> </p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<p> </p> + +<p>Deer Miss Secretary:</p> + +<p>After some consideration I have decided to keep my orfan fer one +more yere. Of course she is still a girl and I wanted a boy, but +she is used to me and I am used to her, and it mite go hard with +her if I left her fer some one else to adop, so if you will just +put me down fer one more yere I will be much obliged to you.</p> + +<br> +<p>Yours truly,</p> + +<p>James P. Jackson Jr.</p> + +<hr style='width: 65%;'> +<h4>NOTES</h4> + +<br> +<a name='Footnote_1_1'></a><a href='#FNanchor_1_1'>[1]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Silver <i>(argent)</i> money.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_2_2'></a><a href='#FNanchor_2_2'>[2]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Good-carrying (<i>bien portante</i>) healthy.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_3_3'></a><a href='#FNanchor_3_3'>[3]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Dactylographer (<i>typist</i>).</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_4_4'></a><a href='#FNanchor_4_4'>[4]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Indorse <i>(endosser)</i> to put on</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_5_5'></a><a href='#FNanchor_5_5'>[5]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Vacancies <i>(vacances)</i> vacations.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_6_6'></a><a href='#FNanchor_6_6'>[6]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Well elevated <i>(bien élevée</i>) well bred.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_7_7'></a><a href='#FNanchor_7_7'>[7]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Rested on the road (<i>resté en route</i>) went +astray.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_8_8'></a><a href='#FNanchor_8_8'>[8]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>It makes nothing (<i>cela ne fait rien</i>) it does not +matter.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_9_9'></a><a href='#FNanchor_9_9'>[9]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>I have not business (<i>le n'ai pas besoin</i>) I do not +need.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_10_10'></a><a href='#FNanchor_10_10'>[10]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Sleep on two ears (<i>dormir sur les deux oreilles</i>) to sleep +like a top</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_11_11'></a><a href='#FNanchor_11_11'>[11]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>I guard (<i>je garde</i>) I keep.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_12_12'></a><a href='#FNanchor_12_12'>[12]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>All of a hit (<i>tout d'un coup</i>) suddenly.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_13_13'></a><a href='#FNanchor_13_13'>[13]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Melt in tears (<i>fondre en larmes</i>) burst into tears.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_14_14'></a><a href='#FNanchor_14_14'>[14]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Tables black (<i>tableaux noirs</i>) black boards.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_15_15'></a><a href='#FNanchor_15_15'>[15]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Empeche myself (<i>m'empêcher</i>) I cannot help.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_16_16'></a><a href='#FNanchor_16_16'>[16]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Like it must (<i>comme il faut</i>) nicely.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_17_17'></a><a href='#FNanchor_17_17'>[17]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>entertain (<i>entretenir</i>) to support.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_18_18'></a><a href='#FNanchor_18_18'>[18]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Buckled hairs (<i>cheveux bouclés</i>) curly hair.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_19_19'></a><a href='#FNanchor_19_19'>[19]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>His figure is razed (<i>sa figure est rasée</i>) his face +is shaved.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_20_20'></a><a href='#FNanchor_20_20'>[20]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Washing the vessels (<i>laver la vaisselle</i>) washing the +dishes.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_21_21'></a><a href='#FNanchor_21_21'>[21]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Beat himself (<i>se battre</i>) to fight.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_22_22'></a><a href='#FNanchor_22_22'>[22]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Flat bands <i>(plate-bandes)</i> flower beds.</p> +</div> + +<a name='Footnote_23_23'></a><a href='#FNanchor_23_23'>[23]</a> +<div class='note'> +<p>Recognizing <i>(reconnaissante)</i> grateful.</p> +</div> +<br> +<br> +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 13125 ***</div> +</body> +</html> |