Over Periscope Pond : $b Letters from two American girls in Paris October 1916-January 1918Root, Esther Sayles
History
Over Periscope Pond : $b Letters from two American girls in Paris October 1916-January 1918
Root, Esther Sayles
World War, 1914-1918 -- Hospitals; World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
Then out to Neuilly with the bed. The poor little woman that we took it
to was overjoyed, as she and her children had taken turns sleeping on
the floor ever since theirs had gone from their home là-bas.
Finally to Maison Ford just outside of Paris. We left the car, walked
back to the gates of Paris, and started to go home in the Metro. We
happened to notice that it was twenty minutes of eight and home three
quarters of an hour away.
So we went to Premier's, one of my favorite places. Marje gave me the
dinner of my life: lobster and real ice cream. I began talking about all
my different birthdays, especially the one at college when I took my
last exam and my ring came. I shall never forget that afternoon. Maidie
and I had dinner at Rahar's, where we were forbidden to go without a
chaperon, and she bet me the dinner that I wouldn't dare go up to the
head of the philosophy department, whom we didn't know at all, but who
was there, and ask him to chaperon us. Of course I did, and of course he
was lovely, and came and sat with us a few minutes and said he hoped
we'd take his courses some day when we grew up--and I a senior!
Then I told Marje about Bailey's and Stetson's and the ocean and
everything. Gee! but we had a great time--I've almost stopped saying
"Gee."
After dinner we found a horse cab in front of the restaurant and drove
home. It was late twilight, and as we crossed the Concorde, we saw a
tremendous big yellow full moon rising over Notre Dame. I nearly always
stop when I'm driving over the Concorde bridge because I love that view
down the river so, but the cab went so slowly we didn't have to. It was
all purple and gold, with the yellow moon and reflections in the Seine.
I never saw such an evening.
The next morning I received your dear cable and that pleased me more
than anything else. Thank you all for thinking of me. I've never been so
far away before, have I?
The other night we returned home late and very tired and we were too
late for dinner,--for a change,--so we went out and gave a farewell
dinner to ourselves: four omelettes and lots of strawberries. Home and
to bed early--we were tired and excited and happy all at once. We left
Miss Curtis's car beside the house in an open space behind the sidewalk,
having taken everything takable out, and disconnected two spark-plugs.
We were barely horizontal between the sheets when tat-tat-tat--came at
the door. Madame, backed by half the pensionnaires and the concierge,
were in procession. We were taking such a risk in leaving the car
there--such vandalism mauvais gens could commit. It was unthinkable to
leave a car there, la la, and, anyway, we would have a procès verbal
brought against us.
If it had been our car we would have taken the risk, but we didn't dare
with some one's else. Up we got and dressed as hurriedly as possible. It
seemed like a nightmare. Back we put the spark-plugs and the other
things and started off.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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