the
purple panoply of priceless years. She sleeps--PRISCILLA sleeps--and
down the palimpsest of age-old passion the lyres of night breathe forth
their poignant praise. She sleeps--eternal Helen--in the moonlight of
a thousand years; immortal symbol of immortal aeons, flower of the gods
transplanted on a foreign shore, infinitely rare, infinitely erotic.[1])

[1] For the further adventures of Priscilla, see F. Scott Fitzgerald's
stories in the "Girl With the Yellow Hair" series, notably "This Side
of Paradise," "The Offshore Pirate," "The Ice Palace," "Head and
Shoulders," "Bernice Bobs Her Hair," "Benediction" and "The Beautiful
and Damned."

CHAPTER FIVE

THE SPIRIT OF '75

LETTERS OF A MINUTE MAN

In the Manner of Ring Lardner

Friend Ethen--

Well Ethen you will be surprised O. K. to hear I & the wife took a
little trip down to Boston last wk. to a T. party & I guess you are
thinking we will be getting the swelt hed over being ast to a T. party.
In Boston.

Well Ethen if you think that why you will be a 100 mi. offen the track
because Ethen I and Prudence sent the kind that gets a swelt hed over
being ast any wares like some of are naybers up here when they are ast
any wares so you see Ethen even if we had been ast any wares we wouldnt
of had no swelt hed. On acct of being ast any wares.

Well last Thurs. I and Prudence drove old Bessy down to Boston Bessy is
are horse see Ethen which is about 13 mi. from here Boston I mean Ethen
as the crow flys only no crow would ever fly to Boston if he could
help it because all the crows that ever flew to Boston was shot by
them lousie taverin keepers to make meals out of Ethen I never tast
it nothing so rotten in my life as the meals they give us there & the
priceis would knock your I out. 3 shillings for a peace of stake about
as big as your I, and 4 pence for a cup of coffy. The streets sent the
only thing about Boston thats crook it. Them taverin keepers is crook it
to I mean see Ethen.

After supper I & her was walking a round giving the town the double O
when we seen that Fanny Ewell Hall was all lit up like Charley Davis on
Sat. night & I says to Prudence lets go inside I think its free and
she says I bet you knowed it was free al right befor you ast me & sure
enough it was free only I hadnt knowed it before only I guess that
Prudence knows that when I say a thing it is generally O. K. Well Fanny
Ewell Hall was pack jam full of people & we couldnt see no