18 rue d'Autancourt,
Paris,
Feb. 20, 1917.
Dear Godfather:
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[11] 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[12] I melt in tears[13], 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.
Your godchild repentant,
Andrée Leblanc.
P.S. Maman say the Comité Americain put me like one boy. It is the two
"e" that make one girl.
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.
[11] I guard (_je garde_) I keep.
[12] All of a hit (_tout d'un coup_) suddenly.
[13] Melt in tears (_fondre en larmes_) burst into tears.
Greenville Falls. N.Y.
Deer miss Secretary,
The boy you give me is a girl What are you going to do about it?
Yours respekfully,
James P. Jackson Jr.