um, where Mark Antony made his speech over Caesar's body. It is the
plant that gave Pericles the idea of the Corinthian column. You
remember. It was growing under a tile some one had laid over it--and
the yellow flower was on my table at dinner, so I send it, that we may
know on Christmas Eve we dined together.

Good-night, now, and God bless you. I am off to bed now, in a bed with
sheets. The first in six days. How I LOVE you, and LOVE you. Such
good wishes I send you, and such love to you both. May the good Lord
bless you as he has blessed me--with the best of women, with the best
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