DBBearman 

Friends Emergency War Victs Rlf Cttee

53 Rue de Rivals,

Paris

8th Mear [Mar] / 20

Dear Père,

It is Monday morning now. The draft for £12.00 has just arrived — thanks very much. Thanks for your letter too which arrived last week. The weather here is still marvelously fine, but colder today.

Tuesday night I talked to Charles Owen & went to bed at 10.

Wednesday walked home long way round with Charles, discussing the problems & things in general. Received a very “gentil” note from Miss Ethel C Webb thanking me for a copy of my paper sent her by Mark. Went to Monthly Quaker Meeting at Brit where the question of Quaker Embassies was formally brought up.

Thursday (in morning) went to Opéra & procured tickets for the week for two nights. In afternoon I went off by myself to Malmaison (by tram from Port Maillot) went over Chateam, so dear to Joséphine, & to L’Aiglan, saw death mask of Napoleon & fine pictures of them all etc. I went for a delicious stroll into the Bois de St Cunufa [I think he refers to Cucufa?] & started to walk for St Cloud but realised that I should lose my dinner, so turned down to Rueil & caught tram there to M[??]ill.

It was a wonderful glimpse of French country in a lovely spring sunlight & twilight. The lake of St Cunufa was a dream. It was there that I asked my way of one of a big party of boys out with two mild young priests. I was immediately surrounded by the whole party of boys with their typically French friendly way — all anxious but unable to direct me to St Cloud.

Friday I wrote ltters to Mr T., & to Miss Smith (of the Commonwealth Assn).

Saturday I went with Vail[?] in the car up to the Louis Blam[?] garage, & then turned into the Butte Chaumont. Then in returning metro to the Luxembourg Musée & later wandered into the gardens.

In evening we had an Équipe Social at which the engagements of Miss Simmons, Miss Fletcher & Dorothea Jones were announced amid great amusement. I already knew the first. I had a very good idea of the last: but that of Miss Fletcher is of very recent & sudden development, to no other than Bennny Cooper, & took most of the people by surprise. Some of us think he deserved a better girl. She has great possibilities in her, but I personally doubt if he will ever touch them.

Sunday morning at 5 to 10 I met our friend Ethel C. Webb, & we attended a wonderful service at the Russian Church.

We then met Dorothea & Ms Shaw. We two returned to the Rue de Livres to lunch. In the afternoon we went to the Rodin Musée spending nearly a couple of hours there & returning to the Rue de la Sorbonne via Boulevarde Montparnasse & M. Meichel [? can’t find this].

She is a wonderful companion & the embodiment of fearlessness. One alternates between treating her as the slip of a girl she is & the keenly intellectual mind that she also is. Indeed her charm his [is?] in this very fine balance. One moment in her glee or in a more wistful mood she has something of the clinging way of a French girl: another moment you feel that she is complete mistress of the situation & of herself & is tactfully taking you into consideration. She always calls forth the best & highest thoughts in me, & any sentimental appeal is always subtle & subdominant in a way which surprises me greatly at times. She is something like Gerty Sandell, & like Gerty one of her most striking characteristics is a kind of courage. Amongst about a dozen of us at lunch she was just delightfully amused, but yet unlike an American girl in keeping rather quiet & seasoned, only joining in the general conversation when it touched her & speaking at length only when spoken to by myself or the chap the other side of her.

In evening I went to meeting.

But I must close.

Love to Mère & all

— Don