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This morning I saw 20,000 French war orphans, who are supported by Americans4, march down the
Champ Èlysèe5 past our Ambassador6 and the President7 of France8, each carrying a little American flag, and many
carried a second flag with the name of the state in which their protector
lives. They seemed nice, healthy children, not forlorn orphans, and very
proud of they flag they carried. Certainly that flag never looked so
beautiful to me before. Twenty thousand children are a great many, and it surely that is a fine thing to do with
money! All those children will grow up loving our country9 and our people. After the parade I
stopped a number of the children and greeted them and one little boy would
point to himself and say "I am Michigan10", and a little Girl girl would say "I am Tex-ass11." The French always make the best of things, and
these youngsters are so proud of being protected by the citizen of a great
State, they regard it as a distinction as well as a charity, and they try so
hard to speak a few English words. One tiny boy said he had to come so
early, at eight oclock, tried to count the hours to me in English; got to
six and had to finish in french!
Today the American flag is flying on all the old palaces of the Kings of France, and on all the public buildings. I find all the french people kind and friendly. The American soldiers are much beloved, though Wilson12 is not. Roosevelt13 is still the great American name here. Next week I hope to get to Cantigny14. I have made several efforts to go15, but it is a difficult spot to reach as the trains in that section are few and irregular. Cantigny itself is not on any railroad line, and the railroads in that region are very much disorganized. In that demolished district there are now no hotels and no places to spend the night. I want to get there if possible in order to see it for you and to tell you about it when I get home16.
When I last heard from home17 you
were much better in health, and I pray that by this time you are almost well
again. I had a hard winter with two attacks of Influenza, but the sea voyage
did me a world of good and now I feel quite like myself again. After a few
more weeks in France I am going18
to Italy19 to spend the rest of the
summer with some friends20 who
have a home on the sea near Naples21.
I rather dread the long trip, as travelling over here now is difficult, with
waits and delays and poor service. Goodnight, my very dear Aunt. I wish you
could have seen the thousands of war orphans with their little flags. I like
to think of them and thousands more growing
in the remote parts of France, growing up with the feeling that that flag is
their friend.
This Fourth of July in Paris is the most American "Fourth" I have ever spent—no noise or row, but real feeling about something real, all the ceremonies solemn and beautiful.
Mrs. George P. Cather1 Bladen3 Nebraska U.S.A SAINTS-PERES2 5 - 7 20 9 40