Norwich bulletin., 1918-07-16
LETTERS FROM ADOPTED
 FRENCH WAR ORPHANS
Express Appreciation to the Norwich
 Art Students Association.


 of the association Mrs Grace J. Birge. !! One letter is from Simon Jordie, aged | If, and the other is from the mother of i Faul Ponsard. The fathers of both | the children were killed during the i early months of the war, one havinS | received promotion for bravery and | the other receiving the war cross. Mrs | Ponsard also encloses clipping from 1 a French paper which is as follows:
 With regard to the American troops i we have received the direct witness of | a French officer who has seen them fighting We can freely say that these | troops are magnificent. of an un- shaken bravery. of an extraordinary 1 coolness. And they tell us that one ought to see these baseball players throw the grenades."
 The letters follow:
 Jan 27, 1918.
 We have just received letter from the "artistes FranctIs" telling us the good news that your society wishes to adopt me for a god daughter. 1 am very grateful to you and I thank you with all my heart. I am fourteen years old. I usually live in Paris with mamma. I go to school at the Victor Duruy grammar school and I am in the second year.
 My poor papa before the war was a painter; he left for the war a sim ole soldier, and when he was killed in 1915 he was non n-commissioned off cer. Having always seen him make lovely pictures I like drawing very much and I hope to become an artist Like him one day. We live in Paris but just now we are in Brittany on an island. I have been in bed almost two months with scarletina. Mamma and are with friends; we have a home on this island but since papa's death we do not live there we rent it. At Paris we have little bit of an apart ment composed of large studio which makes us a fine parlor, a din ingroom, bedroom and little kitchen. 1 We are on the sixth floor and it is very tiring for mamma as naturally | there is no elevator. and mamma, who | is very delicate, finds it terrible to do her -errands.
 l You tell me you have a nephew in France. If ever he comes to Paris or to Brittany he can come to see us. We shall be very pleased to know him. There are an enormous number Of | Americans in Paris and it treasures | ls to see all these fine soldiers: inn mediately our courage comes back to us I have looked on the map for the state of Connecticut and have found it
 April 21, 1918.
 Mamma and I are installed on this ] island for I do not know how many months, for with the bombardment of Paris, Mamma does not wish to eX- l pose me- to the cannon, especially as our quarter is in the dangerous zone. ] Mamma has been to Paris for two days to get papa's pictures, the most precious things which we possess. am going to work af -, city an hour by boat from our island. l will go to take private lessons twice a | week and besides that l am going to work alone. I am very sorry to leave Paris and my school which I liked ST Y much.
 It is now the Americans who from q military point of view direct our re- zion. When one wants to go to the neighboring city on the boat there is an American inspector who requires passports. All the hotels are full O.
 American men and even American women. the more they came the more contented and treasured we are. A , the island they are preparing baking ovens to make bread for the Ameri- 1, cans who will come this summer, as they expect many.
 They are arriving every day 1T enormous quantities; quite at the bot tom of the gulf one can see numer- ous American boats coming in. We have had storm on the sea and sev- eral little boats ShaVe been lost. It l: : very sad.
 I embrace you very affectionately
 sIAIONE JORDIC. April g, 1918. You ask me, Madam, what you cal send my child; why, anything vol
 like; he is three years old, a tall boy :. 1 slender and attractive, and I know il | advance that I shall be delighted witt ] it. At the same time 1 should like | ask you if you have any clothes whicl you are not using. for me, for il 3 France materials are so unobtainabl 5 that it is very difficult for a lady t U dress herself in a decent fashion. 3 We have had very cold weather, wit 5 much snow, but just now it is mildel l and let us hope that it will continu ] so until spring to facilitate the diff 3 l cult task of our dear American friend s and of our brave French soldiers. I must tell you also that little Pau ' ! draws things, very archaic, and love ! color; he also is fond of music. I ar c happy to see that he has a pretty lit s sle soul, delicate and sensitive.
 Jan. IS. At this moment we are saddened b c the unfortunate victims of the bonn T bardment of Paris; there is now | slight letup but a few days ago W f did not pass day or @ night withou o receiving bombs and shells. Littl | Paul has suffered from the descent | into the cellar, both from the cold ( | these places and from the interruptio
 to his sleep.
 Some of the bombs fell very nea
 my home, at the turning of the stree 7, where 1 live; they caused great ma n terial damage and there were numeI
 ous victims; it is perfectly frightfu
 At present the weather is disagree
 able and rainy and for this reason " = have had a certain tranquility, bl # what do these barbarians reserve fC k us when the fine days have mofpletel n returned!
 s l am leaving at the end of u ,t month for Normandy with little Pau n the sea will do him good and then tt dear little one will be sheltered fro = the murderous shells. 1 have dor is the impossible to avoid for him Il a dangers of Paris. You cannot imae
 inc, dear Madam. my suffering and u
 horrible fear when every moment
 heard the shells falling in Paris.
 am much more afraid of the long rans st cannon than of the night raids n Gothas;;' in the night the sirens S ,, through the streets and warn the pol IL ulation to go to the shelters, and it le very simple; the cannon is mo- n traitorous, for the shells fall and kt o1 blindly in the midst of the life ar K circulation of Paris
 n I am placing at the top of this lett, e clipping from an important pap
 and l am happy to send it to pro'
 to you my deep sympathy and admir-;
 ton for the bravery of the America