The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-04-14
LETTERS FROM FRANCE SHOW
 APPRECIATION

Of late quite a few letters have been received by those in Fairbanks who have adopted French orphans for year. These are usually writ ten in the French language and re- Quire translation. Mrs. c. H. Clegg, instructor in French in the public schools. kindly assists in the trans lations by turning the letters over of her pupils to be translated. The following letter was received by Mrs. John E. Pegues whose two lit- tie sons. Jack and Jim. are making donations to the orphan fund, and was translated by Edna Lewis. one of Mrs Clegg's pupils:
 "Doazit, February 12, 1919.
 Dear Madam: am answering your letter of December IS. am very much overcome by the evi. dences of good will that you are showing to me as well as to my children.
 'In the name of little Lucy. who doesn't yet know how to write, thank you for having taken her as your little goddaughter. Here are the details which you desire. that concern her: Lucy Is five years old; she has light hair and blue eyes and she is very tall for only Ax,a tS St. Jean. He is seven and is also fair. with blue eyes. He has just been adopted last week. Here is the name of my sons American benefactor: Mr. A. c. Johnston, 53rd street and Cornell avenue. Chi. cago, Illinois, U. s. A.
 You will be good enough, Madam, to convey a message in the name of little Gaston. to the charitable lady, your neighbor. who sent him five francs. thanking her in his name and also in his mothers.
 Many thanks also, Madam, to your two babies, Jack and Jim. on behalf of little Lucy. for the ribbons and the flags that they sent her.
 Please accept also, Madam, my sincere gratitude for the fifteen francs that you have agreed to send me each month.
 May heaven recompense you in abundant blessings for you and your family in return for the sac rifices your must be making, :, am, to help little French children made orphans thru the war.
 live alone with my two children in 6 little house in the country. I work at farming as much as l can to earn a little money for the three of us to live on. Everything is very expensive in France and certain ar ticles cannot be procured, so the poor people have to suffer in con sequence. Clothes and shoes are high ill price and the winter is very severe, making it impossible to send my poor children to school every day; it is some distance from my home and my children haven't enough wraps nor are they strong enough to withstand the cold wealth CT.
 Yes, Madam, l am discouraged and tired out. Here are the dreadful misfortunes that have broken my heart: am 34 years old. At the age of 20 was married to young man of 24. In my 18th year my poor first husband died from heart trou- ble. We had no children. With my poor father. we occupied large leased farm belonging to a Mr. de Hgetman. In my 27th--year mar ried again. a young man of 29. whose name was St. Jean. Then it was that was so happy. with our two children, Gaston and Lucy, hav- ing a good and tender father. My God, what a disaster, never to see him again!
 He left for the war in 1914. and was killed in Turkey August 2, 1915, on the peninsula of Gallipoli. My husbands name was Jean Baptiste St. Jean.
 My father was dead and the of1- cial notice of the death of my hus- band came only in 1916. had worked harder than my strength al- lowed, in the hope of my husbands return. But once l learned that he no longer lived, abandoned the farm. embrace you all. Please accept, Madam, with my thanks, the token of my respect.
 Yours gratefully and respectfully,
 WIDOW ELIZA ST. JEAN,
 Al DOazit Iandes France"