hear,
but I guess if we was to pass on the street, we wood no each other
well enuf to say, Hello, old top, how are you to-day? Say, I have got
your Christmas present all pickt out, do you no what I wish you wood
give me fer mine? See if you can guess.

Your affeckshunate godfather as ever,
James P. Jackson Jr.

18 rue d'Autancourt, Paris.
September 21, 1917.

My dear godfather:

I thank you for your long letter, and I give it to Monsieur Teddy so
he read and see how much you are genteel. He regard the letter and
regard me and his figure become very droll, like he want laugh or cry
very much and he dare not and must retain himself, and he demand if he
can keep the letter in his pocket for tomorrow, because he desire to
envoy you a response with mine. He is very amiable and charming, think
you not? He come to my house all the days now and always he bring
something. Sunday he bring a pate like we eat on days of fete before
the war; and he remain for aid us eat it. And yesterday he bring a
great ribbon all white for tie on my hairs. He say in Amerique all the
little girls carry on the summit of the head a ribbon big like a hat.
He want not I keep for the Sundays but he tie me up and then he say I
am pretty--jolly he say, and he demand I show him to speak the French.
So he commence to read my book of when I was little, the "Lectures
Enfantines" and I make him say the little poetry that is on the page 3
and it say: "Cher petit oreiller," and then my great sister enter and
she have on her bodice of Sundays and very much the powder of rice on
the nose. And she say: "Go in the bed-chamber and amuse yourself, and
I talk with this Monsieur Americain." And I want not to go, and I cry,
but she say if I obey not she will tell Monsieur Teddy come back never
again. She is a villain, my great sister. I will defend that she aid
me to write my letters to you; I have not business of her. I have
as much as her knowledge of the English, and the American also. And
Monsieur Teddy love me, nothing but me. When he get up to go away he
call: "Where is that child of the gods?" (He make that game of words
because I have perhaps two godfathers) And I come, and he console me.
Thursday last it was my birthday. Monsieur Teddy devined it because he
ask me how much age I have and I say I will have twelve years the 18,
and he say in Amerique it is always a great feast and I must to eat a
cake very big with snow and ice on it and candles, and