goin to dye al-rite.

J.P.J.




18 rue d'Autancourt,
Paris,
Feb. 20, 1917.

Dear Godfather:

Your letter made me to cry. I will permit you not to die. When I
get your letter I go and break my tire-lire. It is the little dog of
porcelain with one hole in the stomach. Maman give it to me for my
fete, the Ste. Andrée, and she give me two sous for put in the
hole all the Sundays, and it come out nevermore until it break, you
comprehend? I guard[11] the little dog under my pillow and it make bad
in my heart to break it, but what will you? My dear godfather who is
only one child like me, work strong like a man for make me happy and I
would break not my tire-lire for to save him from the death? Oh yes, a
thousand times yes! So I take it out in the court and open the stomach
with one stone and I make to fall out 26 sous! And I go to the store
of objects pious, and I demand one candle of 26 sous or two candles of
13 sous, but the lady say 13 is a number of unhappiness so she give
me one of 25 sous, and one sou of paper of lace of gold to put around.
And I go quick to the church, and put up the candle to the Ste.
Vierge, and she will see it from the sky, and she will see you also
in Amerique and make you not to die, M. le Curé see the little flag