10. "That will be grand," I said. "I hope he will tell us _lots_ about the children. I want to know what they look like, what they wear, and what games they play." 11. Tom said he would rather not hear about children. He wanted to hear about savages and tigers and shipwrecks, and things like that. [Illustration: {Postman delivering a letter}] 12. A week later the postman brought us father's first letter. How eager we were to hear it! Mother had to read it for us two or three times. 13. Every week for many weeks the postman brought us letters from father. When he handed us a letter he used to say, "I'm glad to see that your daddy is all right so far." 14. This book is made up of father's letters from abroad. I hope you will enjoy them as much as we did. * * * * * 2. A LETTER FROM FRANCE. 1. MY DEAR CHILDREN,--I am writing this letter in a large seaport of the south of France. To-morrow I shall go on board the big ship which is to take me to Egypt. 2. Let me tell you about my travels so far. The train in which I left our town took me to London. Next day another train took me to a small town on the seashore. 3. About twenty miles of sea lie between this town and France. At once I went on board the small steamer which was to take me across. The sea was smooth and the sun was shining. [Illustration: The White Cliffs of Dover. (From the picture by J. M. W. Turner, R.A.)] 4. I stood on the deck looking at the white cliffs of dear old England. When I could see them no longer I found that we were not far from France. 5. In about an hour we reached a French town which in olden days belonged to us. The steamer sailed right up to the railway station. 6. I had something to eat, and then took my place in the train. Soon we were speeding towards Paris, the chief town of France. 7. I looked out of the window most of the time. We ran through many meadows and cornfields. Here and there I saw rows of poplar trees between the fields. 8. Now and then we crossed rivers with barges on them. On and on we went, past farmhouses and little villages, each with its church. The French villages look brighter than ours. I think this is because the houses are painted in gay colours. 9. I saw many men, women, and children working in the fields. All of them wore wooden shoes. Most of the men and boys were dressed in blue blouses. [Illustration: {People working in a field}] 10. There was a little French boy in my carriage. He wore a black blouse with a belt. His stockings were short, and did not come up to his knickerbockers. He was rather pale, and his legs were very thin. 11. The boy was about Tom's age. He sat still, and held his father's hand all the way. I don't think Tom would have done this; he thinks himself too much of a man. 12. After a time we crossed a broad river, and came to the dull, dark station of a large city. As we left it, I saw the tall spire of one of the grandest churches in all the world.