adventures and letters-第80章

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st　of　daughters。　　I　am　a　proud　husband　and　a　proud　father；　and　soon　I　will　be　a　HAPPY　husband　and　a　HAPPY　father。

Good…night；　dear　heart。

RICHARD。


PARIS；　December　28th；　1915。　DEAR　OLD　MAN：

Hurrah　for　the　Dictator！　　He　has　been　a　great　good　friend　to　me。　　I　will　know　to…day　about　whether　I　can　go　back　to　the　French　front。　　If　not　I　will　try　the　Belgians　and　then　London；　and　home。　　I　spent　Christmas　day　in　Rome　in　the　catacombs。　　I　could　not　wear　my　heart　upon　my　sleeve　for　duchesses　to　peck　at。　　It　is　just　as　you　say；　Dad　and　Mother　made　the　day　so　dear　and　beautiful。　　I　did　not　know　how　glad　I　would　be　to　be　back　here　for　while　the　trip　East　led　to　no　news　value；　to　me　personally　it　was　interesting。　　But　I　am　terribly　tired　after　the　last　nine　days；　sleeping　on　sofas；　decks；　a　different　deck　each　night　and　writing　all　the　time　and　such　poor　stuff。　　But；　oh！　when　I　saw　　Paris　I　knew　how　glad　I　was！　　WHAT　a　beautiful　place；　what　a　kind　courteous　people。　　We　will　all　be　here　some　day。　　Tell　Dai　she　must　be　my　interpreter。　　All　love　to　her；　and　you；　and　good　luck　to　the　syndicate。　　YOUR　syndicate。　　I　have　not　heard　from　mine　for　six　weeks。　　They　have　not　sent　me　a　single　clipping　of　anything；　so　I　don't　know　whether　anything　got　through　or　not；　and　I　have　nothing　to　show　these　people　here　that　might　encourage　them　to　send　me　out　again。　　They　certainly　have　made　it　hard　hoeing。　　Tell　Guvey　his　letter　about　the　toys　was　a　great　success　here；　and　copied　into　several　papers。

Goodbye；　and　God　bless　you；　and　good　luck　to　you。

DICK。


PARIS；　December　31st；　1915。　DEAR　OLD　MAN：

To　wish　you　and　Dai　a　Happy　New　Year。　　It　will　mean　a　lot　to　us　when　we　can　get　together；　and　take　it　together；　good　and　bad。　　I　am　awfully　pleased　over　the　novel　coming　out　by　the　Harper's　and；　in　landing　so　much　for　me　out　of　The　Dictator。　　You　have　started　the　New　Year　for　me　splendidly。　　I　expect　I　will　be　back　around　the　first　of　February。　　I　am　now　trying　to　〃get　back；〃　but；　I　need　more　time。　　I　can　only　put　the　trip　down　to　the　wrong　side　of　the　ledger。　　Personally；　I　got　a　lot　out　of　it；　but　I　am　not　sent　over　here　to　improve　my　knowledge　of　Europe；　but　to　furnish　news　and　stories　and　that　has　not　happened。

I　am　constantly　running　against　folks　who　knew　you　in　Florence；　and　I　regret　to　say　most　of　them　are　in　business　at　the　Chatham　bar。　　What　a　story　they　make；　the　M's　and　the　like；　who　know　Paris　only　from　the　cocktail　side。　　One　of　our　attaches　told　me　to…day　he　had　been　lunching　for　the　last　18　months　at　the　grill　room　of　the　Chatham；　where　the　〃mixed　grill〃　was　as　good　as　in　New　York。　　He　had　no　knowledge　of　any　other　place　to　eat。　　The　Hotel　de　l'Empire　is　a　terrible　tragedy。　　They　are　so　poor；　that　I　believe　it　is　my　eight　francs　a　day　keeps　them　going；　nothing　else　is　in　sight。　　But；　it　is　the　exception。　　Never　did　a　people　take　a　war　as　the　French　take　this　worst　of　all　wars。　　They　really　are　the　most　splendid　of　people。　　I　only　wish　I　could　have　had　one　of　them　for　a　grandfather　or　grandmother。　　Bessie　writes　that　Hope　is　growing　wonderfully　and　beautifully；　and　I　am　sick　for　a　sight　of　her；　and　for　you。　　Good　night　and　God　bless　you　and　the　happiest　of　New　Years　to　you　both。

Your　loving　brother；

DICK。


These　postcards　are　〃originals〃　painted　by　students　of　the　Beaux…Arts　to　keep　alive；　and　to　keep　those　students　in　the　trenches。　　They　are　for　Dai。


PARIS；　December　31；　1915。　DEAREST　ONE：

The　old　year；　the　dear；　old　year　that　brought　us　Hope；　is　very　near　the　end。　　I　am　not　going　to　watch　him　go。　　I　have　drunk　to　the　New　Year　and　to　my　wife　and　daughter；　and　before　there　is　〃a　new　step　on　the　floor；　and　a　new　face　at　the　door；〃　I　will　be　asleep。　　Of　all　my　many　years；　the　old　year；　that　is　so　soon　to　pass　away；　has　been　the　best；　for　it　has　brought　you　to　me　with　a　closer　tie；　has　added　to　the　love　I　have　for　every　breath　you　breathe；　for　your　laugh　and　your　smile；　and　deep　concern；　that　comes　if　you　think　your　worthless　husband　is　worried；　or　cross；　or　dismayed。　　Each　year　I　love　you　more；　for　I　know　you　more；　and　to　know　more　of　the　lovely　soul　you　are；　is　to　love　more。　　Just　now　we　are　in　a　hard　place。　　I　am　sure　you　cannot　comprehend　how　her　father；　her　〃Dad〃　and　your　husband　can　keep　away。　　Neither　do　I　understand。

But；　for　both　your　sakes；　I　want；　before　I　own　up　that　this　adventure　has　been　a　failure；　to　try　and　pull　something　out　of　the　wreck。　　If　the　government　says　I　CAN；　then　I　still　may　be　able　to　do　something。　　If　it　says；　〃NO；〃　then　it's　Home；　boys；　Home；　and　that's　where　I　want　to　be。　　It's　home；　boys；　home；　in　the　old　countree。　　'Neath　the　ash；　and　the　oak；　and　the　spreading　maple　tree；　it's　home；　boys；　home；　to　mine　own　countree！　　This　is　Hope　and　you。　　So　know；　that　in　getting　to　you　I　have　not　thrown　away　a　minute。　　I　have　been　a　slave…driver；　to　others　as　well　as　to　myself。　　But　you　cannot　get　favors　with　a　whip；　and；　the　French　war　office　has　other　matters　to　occupy　it；　that　it　considers　of　more　importance　than　an　impatient　war　correspondent。　　So　long　as　you　understand；　it　will　not　matter。　　Nothing　hurts；　except　that　you　may　not　understand。　　The　moment　I　see　you；　and　you　see　me；　you　will　understand。　　So；　goodnight；　and　God　bless　you；　you；　my　two　blessings。　　Here　is　to　our　own　year　of　1915；　your　year　and　Hope's　year；　and；　because　I　have　you　both；　my　year。　　I　send　you　all　the　love　in　all　the　world。　RICHARD。


January　5；　1916。　MY　DEAREST　ONE：

WHAT　PICTURES！　　WHAT　HAPPINESS！　　What　a　proud　Richard！　　On　top　of　my　writing　yesterday　that　I　had　had　no　sketches　of　yours；　and　no　kodaks　of　Hope；　eight　came　to…night；　and　oh！　　I　am　so　proud；　so　homesick。　　What　a　wonderful　nurse　and　mother　you　are！　　Was　ever　there　anything　so　lovable？　　And　that　she　should　be　ours；　to　hold　and　to　love；　and　to　make　happy。　　These　last　eight　days　in　Paris；　in　and　out；　have　made　me　so　homesick　for　those　I　love；　that　you　will　never　know　what　the　delays　meant。　　I　felt　just　the　way　poor　women　feel　who　kidnap　babies。　　In　the　parks　I　know　the　nurse…maids　are　afraid　of　me。　　I　stick　my　head　under　the　hoods　of　the　baby　carriages；　and　stop　and　stand　watching　them　at　play。　　And　tonight　when　all　these　beautiful　pictures　came；　I　was　the　happiest　father　anywhere。

The　delay　was　no　one's　fault；　not　mine　anyway；　nor　can　I　blame　anyone。　　These　people　are　splendid。　　They　are　willing　to　do　anything　for　one；　but　it　takes　time。　　When　they　are　fighting　for　their　lives　and　have　not　seen　their　own　babies　in　a　year；　that　you　want　to　see　yours　is　only　natural　and　to　oblige　you　they　can't　see　why　they　should　upset　the　whole　war。　　But　now　it　looks　less　as　though　I　would　have　to　call　it　a　failure。　　And　Hope　may　be　proud　of　me；　and　you　may　be　proud　of　me；　and　I　will　have　enough　ammunition　to　draw　on　for　many　articles　and　letters；　and　another　book。

It　has　been　a　cruel　time；　and　when　I　tell　you　how　I　worked　to　get　it　over；　and　to　be　back　with　you；　you　will　understand　many　things。　　The　most　important　of　all　will　be　how　I　love　you。　　Only　wait　until　I　can　lay　eyes　on　you；　you　will　just　take　one　look　and　know　that　it　couldn't　be　helped；　that　the　delay　was　the　work　of　others；　that；　all　I　wanted　was　my　Bessie　and　my　Hope。

How　heavy　she　will　be；　if　she　is　anything　like　the　picture　of　her　on　the　coverlet；　she　is　a　prize　baby。　　And　if　she　is　anything　like　as　beautiful　as　in　the　baby　carriage　she　is　an　angel　straight　from　God。　　I　want　to　sit　in　the　green　chair　and　have　you　on　one　knee　and　her　majesty　on　the　other；　and　have　her　climb　over　me；　and　pull　my　hair　and　bang　my　nose；　and　in　time　to　know　how　I　love　you　both。

Goodnight；　dear　heart；　I　wish　you　had　had　yourself　in　the　picture。　　I　have　three　in　the　summer　time　with　you　holding　her　and　that　is　the　way　I　like　to　see　you；　that　is　the　way　I　think　of　you。　　I　love　you；　and　I　love　her　for　making　you　so　happy；　and　I　love　her　for　her　sake；　and　because　she　is　OURS：　and　has　tied　us　tighter　and　closer　even　than　it　has　ever　been。　　I　love　you　so　that　I　can't　write　about　it；　and　I　am　going　to　do　nothing　all　spring　but　just　sit　around；　and　be　in　everybody's　way；　watching　you　together。

How　jealous　I　am　of　you；　and　homesick　for　you。　　Of　course；　she　knows　〃mamma〃　is　YOU；　and　to　look　at　you　when　they　ask；　〃Wher