File:Erica (Thorp) de Berry to Thorp family, 15 September 1918 (4651c327-908d-4dd7-8272-13f622ebf173).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1006/004.006.002-006#036

Lacaune
Sept. 15, 1918.
Dearest Family,
So many wonderful N.E. letters from you this week and Papa’s splendid farming pictures! I can’t tell you how glad I am to have them Please send more of any and every sort, for I love them so. In the same mail I had some from [Amy?], so [???] I am returning this sweet one you wanted back. The boys’ remark on seeing it was, “Jeus! Il a déjà ete blesse!”
[p. 2] I hadn’t noticed till then Bobby’s bandaged hand. Amy seems so glad to be in Washington, but I’m afraid Bobby will fret and fume at ^in^ an office after the air, won’t he.
Do let them know when Douglas arrives. They’re so crazy to have every detail Think of you seeing Douglas any day now! That seems almost the strangest of all that you should be seeing a “revenant” while the war is still going on. Poor Doug, he hated so to leave things —
The news of today and yesterday of the taking of the St. Michiel salient is [p. 3 marked 2] daring in its wonderfulness. Everywhere we go we are congratulated on “l’ offensive americaine,” and tho’ I thought before that I couldn’t be much prouder ^of them^, this makes one ^even more^ speechlessly proud —
It has helped so much these last days, for this week we had our first death in the colony. It was one of the little ones, a four year old who came down suddenly with an attack of bronchial pneumonia with [strange?] tonsils complications. The Doctor had seen only [p. 4] two or three others like it among soldiers at the front — all of them fatal. He had no fever at all, though he was delirious the last day and a half – wasn’t it strange. Though we often tried to imagine what it would mean to lose one of them[crossed out] the children It comes so unforgivable when they are entrusted to your care by fathers fighting at the front.
Just tonight as the father [???] arrived, so long does it take telegrams [p. 5 marked 3] to reach them. He is so plucky and fine — but his meeting with the little brother was the saddest [thing/time?] I have almost ever [known?]. He has been at the front since Aug 3, 1914, and the baby who died was born in October of that year. The mother died soon after.
According to the Catholic custom, he lay ^for a day^ in my little sitting room among all the flowers we could find in Lacaune, with the crucifix and candles at his head [p. 6] all around him the Sisters arranged white drapery with ivy beautifully entwined and garlanded, ^and^ white chrysanthemums and sprays of pansies on the little bier.
And the next morning the little brother was brought in to give a fast benediction with a spray of box plant dipped in holy water, the older boys carried the little coffin still covered with white flowers, and all the children marched behind in a [p. 7 marked 4] bodyguard of 150 strong silently, to the little village church.
Wasn’t it strange that it should have happened a week after Dr. Bugbee left, and that he should have been taken sick the day after the nurses left — I am hoping holding to the straw of a chance that Dr [Little?] the very [2 words??] one, may be able to come down here for the winter. We are working our hardest to get the Red Cross to let us have her and she wants to come if it possibly can be arranged —
[p. 8] Think of the luck for me and the strangeness of the coincidence! Oh, if only it can come to pass.
The days are getting gloriously autumnal, and some of the nights almost wintry cold. I love the peace and coziness of my little chalet under the pines, with the southeast wind from the ^sea^ sweeping down their branches, and wintry stars flashing through. Downstairs I have a little sitting room, “office,” and kitchen, the former two [p. 9 marked 5] opening into each other and, through French window doors onto the little grassy terrace in front. Upstairs is my lovely big balcony bedroom with a real fireplace in one corner and opening off it a sort of upstairs sitting room where I had the sick baby, and another bedroom. On the third floor there are even more rooms. In one corner of the “office” I have a medicine closet, ^for emergency use^ tho’ most of our supplies are up in [p. 10] the regular dispensary higher on the hill where the nurses used to live.
The children play in the yard outside, drop in at all hours to call and earn [???] of [???] by shoe-blackening, etc. so I am never too solitary.
I love the dispensary work. The two kindergarteners and I do it together, for it takes about all the morning, so many are the heads, fingers, mouths, etc. that have to have [p. 11 marked 6] special treatment. How Al would adore it! It certainly is the finest kind of experience, incidentally giving one a chance to see much more of the children and know them better.
If only we can stave off the terrible chilblains of last winter this year! They are such a terrible thing.
Speaking of winter, if Katharine Thaxter comes over this autumn after all, could you send with her the enclosed list, or as much of it as she has room for. Woolen things [p. 12] are almost impossible to get of the sort one wants and as for decent lisle stockings they simply don’t exist since Lille has been taken. The cheapest cotton cost 8 francs —
Thank you all for your wonderful letters, and the blessed island descriptions. How wonderful that you could go to Bakers’ on Papa’s birthday!
A heart full of love to you all and to any visitors, the maids and les bites — ^also my room and view!^ Your Bun
[p. 13] P.S. Dr Bugbee is going to come see you when she lands, and give you latest news of Lacaune. Papa, will you make her out a check for $18.70 if that is the exchange on 93.50 francs.
She got me some things in Paris just before sailing which I didn’t have time to reimburse her for. Thank you.
Her address is
[p. 14] Dr. Marion L Bugbee
Concord
N.H.

• Keywords: long archives; henry w. longfellow family papers (long 27930); erica (thorp) de berry; document; correspondence; war; world war i; europe; france; lacaune; education; health and illness; school; anne allegra (longfellow) thorp; joseph gilbert thorp jr.; events; death; family life; religion; winter; Erica Thorp deBerry Papers (1006/004.006); (LONG-SeriesName); Outgoing (1006/004.006.002); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1918 (1006/004.006.002-006); (LONG-FileUnitName)