File:Erica (Thorp) de Berry to Thorp family, 8 October 1918 (f9b0d3d4-8a0a-4000-b090-10d705fb750e).jpg

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Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1006/004.006.002-006#039

Lacaune
October 8, 1918
Dearest Family,
What times[?] we live in – To think that you probably know Wilson’s reply by this time, and we over here our[sic] biting our heads off in suspense! –
The news came to us Sunday morning. In the middle of breakfast the telephone rang (which in itself is always an event, bringing half the colony at full speed to “listen in”) and when I hopped cheerily to the receiver the voice of the Directeur de la Poste greeted me with “J’ai une grosse nouvelle
[page 2] à vous dire!!” I thought only of a sweeping champagne victory, or[?] fall of Cambrai, and when the news came that “les empires centraux ont demandé la paix au p[sic]résident Wilson” I let out a shriek [I cannot move this next phrase over to the left margin] that was taken up by 145[?] [??] [crossed out: in the courtyard outside] –
We all took leave of our senses for awhile, sauter-ing and embrasser-ing and tearing hair; and by the [?] time I’d got to the end of the playground, the “bruit” ran[?] that “la guerre est finie parce que les peaux[?] rouges américains ont fait peur au Boches!”
And the sweet Castres
[page 3] Sisters’ explanation is that it’s because Foch is a good Catholic and there are so many Catholics in the American army!! –
-- The rest of the day we could do nothing, -- nor even rest doing nothing. Dinner Time sitting—still was a torment, so toute de suite après the two kindergarteners & I nous sauvions—ed [?] for the hills and tramped & tramped till we’d got to the highest peak. There we tried to take it in with the view before us -- But it was impossible – as it is for everybody.
-- The French are so self-controlled. It’s a
[page 4] [[??] [crossed out: striking example] revelation of what the war has done to a demonstrative nation. [??] As one of our refugee mothers graphically expressed it, “nous avons oublié ce que c’est le bonheur. Nous ne le reconnaissons plus.” -– They are dazed and can’t believe, -- not only not daring to let themselves go in [??] [crossed out: thought] imagination of the end, but literally unable to do so, so firmly – established has become the habit of ?? endurance. We are perfect children beside them in our joy.
When I broke the news to one of the Sisters, she smiled for one brief moment, then sadly
[page 5] turned the conversation to mustard – plasters for our bronchial – [sic]. I wonder if they ever [??] [crossed out: again] will be able to ring bells and blow trumpets, even at the Arc de Triomphe.
What must New York have been – We groaned every second with longing to be there, & to be with you to rejoice. Do write me all about it – how you first heard & what everyone did –
The headlines announcing it in our local paper were on the third page, half an inch only in height. One would scarcely have noticed it en passant. –
Well – one can’t say much these days can one –
[page 6] Only wait and wonder if it can really come true.
The toasts that have been drunk to President Wilson and to us as being responsible for him! One would think that we had been through the four years agony – They are so incorrigibly generous –
Goodnight and dearest love – Would I were with you –
Your Bun.

• Keywords: long archives; henry w. longfellow family papers (long 27930); erica (thorp) de berry; document; correspondence; school; war; world war i; subject; places; europe; france; lacaune; Erica Thorp deBerry Papers (1006/004.006); (LONG-SeriesName); Outgoing (1006/004.006.002); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1918 (1006/004.006.002-006); (LONG-FileUnitName)}}

|date=1918-10-08 |source=

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This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1929.

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