And to-day my heart is filled with
remorse and my head is filled with fears lest you should think your
dear godchild is ungrateful, fickle, and flighty. I want to tell you
how every detail of your life--from knob-polishing and bug-swallowing
to poetry-writing is dear and precious to me. How I wish I could do
the same! How I live in eager expectation of your letters; how I gloat
and ponder over them when they come; and how deep is the gloom into
which I am plunged when they do not come! Mr. Teddy knows all that,
because I have somehow expressed it, and if I had striven to hide my
thought he would have guessed it, for he knows full well what goes on
in the hearts of little maids and gallant lads.

Therefore have I asked him to voice my deepest feelings in a poem that
will answer yours:

"IDEALIZATION"

By Andree Leblanc and
Yankee Teddy.

"_Though our eyes may never meet,
To me you're more than bread or meat,
You are the proud and noble knight
That I pray for every night.
You could stand up on burning decks,
While others ran to save their necks,
You would not fear the dreadful Hun,
In Freedom's cause you'd fire a gun.
A lad who never gets cold feet
Was not destined to know defeat,
But oh! thou child of many pray'rs
Beware of Jealousy's deep snares!"_

From your affectionate godchild,
Andree Leblanc.

Greenville Falls
Oct. 10, 1917.

My dear Mr. Teddy,

Jimmy has just brought me your letter, in great excitement, and I am
taking the liberty of answering it myself, as I don't think he could
do himself justice under the present circumstances. Mr. Teddy, did you
ever have a soft spot for a little girl, when you were about eleven
or twelve? I had one for a little boy; he was older than I, about
fourteen; his name was Robert, and he had freckles; I think he
squinted, too, and he teased all the girls a great deal. I am sure
he was a very horrid little boy, as I look back, but at that time I
thought he was wonderful, and it almost broke my heart when he said
he had no use for little yellow-haired girls and took a girl with two
brown pigtails to a big children's party, instead of me.

Jimmy has a very soft spot for his godchild, and it is more than
a passing fancy with him. You see, his family, while not actually
poverty-stricken, are not as well off as they used to be, and Jimmy
has practically supported Andree himself all the year, through
countless little odd jobs. I ha