Your godchild,
Andrée Leblanc.
[22] Flat bands (_plate-bandes_) flower beds.
[23] Recognizing (_reconnaissante_) grateful.
Greenville Falls
Nov. 18, 1917.
Deer godchild,
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.
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.
Your affeckshunate godfather,
James P. Jackson Jr.
Paris, Dec. 4, 1917.
Dear godfather,
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.)
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!
Happy Year! dear little godfather. Permit, one time, that I embrace
you very affectuously, and shake your hand.
Your godchild for the life,
Andrée Leblanc.
Deer Miss Secretary:
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.
Yours truly,
James P. Jackson Jr.