The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-11-27

the Question for Me Ever to Travel
Again."
the Baedeker In the fire right now
l never want to see a red cover or a
green string or an index again as long
as live. What's that? No. sha'n't
want it to look over and recall things
by; can recall more than / want to
just by the way l feel. / don't need
any guide-book to remember what I've
been through since left Paris. re-
member too much. l remember so
much that am rejoiced to think that
muscles over which have no control
will prevent my having to go out to-
day and see anything else. 1t seems
little hard to think of having sight
seen so hard that you never want to
see another sight. but I'm perfectly
content. And I don't want a DOCTOR,
either; I've no faith in French doc
tors. 1t would be just like one to
hypnotic me and set me going again,
and don't want to go. / want to lie
right here, and thank the Lord that
hoNC hnOHCy CnouSl " diiOW iuc W
lie heee forever. If feel like it. was
thinking this morning what horrible
existence tramp must 1ead-always
going on to new places. Thank
heaven. can just settle down in this
old one and stay on indefinitely. /
want you to go down to the office and
ask what rate they'll make for this
room by the year. want this same
room right along. It's the first restful
spot I've struck since my trunk went
smash into that ship. Yvonne, did
you notice the way they handled those
trunks when we landed-as If they
were eggs? tell you. the baggage
system at home is burning disgrace.
That's one reson l like Europe So
it's quiet and peaceful / heard some
goats go by this morning; I'd like to
know hotel In America where you
can listen to goat. And then that
wallpaper. what tranquil pattern
basket of sunfiowers upside down al.
ternately with single palm upside
up! What contrast to the paper on
that room / sailed from! 1t looked
more like snakes doing physical cul-
ture than anything else.
"Yvonne, 1 was thinking it all over
as lay here this morning waiting for
you. and the truth is. we've been trav-
cling too fast. l wanted you to see
all there was to see. and overlooked
myself completely. Don't feel badly,
child. because l know you never
meant it; but it is the truth, and, as
consequence, here lie paralyzed. Yes,
we've been travelling too fast It's the
vice of the American abroad; it's the
terrible secret drain upon the strength
of our better classes. We come over to
rest, and If we don't do two countries
a week we feel we've wasted our
money. The idea of leaving Paris in
the morning and doing Charities and
Dreux and getting to Argentan that
night! Why, Hercules himself would
have been used up. And then that
castle at Falaise. No, I'm not sorry
Yvonne, there was something about
that castle that I'll never get over. l
tell you those were the days to live
In! I was thinking about it while
was waiting for you this morning
VIII you consider what 1t must have
been to put on suit that you couldn't
be punched through, and then get out
with an ak that faced two ways and
have full freedom to hack at people
you hated. I tell you, child, should
have been one of those who barricaded
themselves behind the dead bodies
they had killed and kept on firing over
the top And to-day my armor would
be hanging up somewhere all full of
dents and rusty blood-stains. and I'd
be sight in some cathedral with your
Aunt Jane wearing a funnel and an
accordion beside me. We'd both be in
marble. of course. some worn by time
and Clipped by tourists-ah. well!