ecause Maman will not permit me to polish
door-knobs like you and gain silver for the stamps of five sous. But
little Jean come squeeze my neck and console me, and say he will work
and become rich to purchase the stamps of five sous. Poor little! He
know not what it is the life, but he is one brave little man, and I
think he will resemble to you, dear godfather. Oh, I forget, in my
other letter I write when Mr. Teddy come, to say I desire very much
your portrait where you are grinning, like you say. I love much the
grinning godfather. I will place you above my bed, under the branch of
blessed box. My Papa is there also, and I embrace him all the nights,
before I lie down.

Dear little godfather, I am very recognizing[23] that you guard 47
sous for my Christmas. Alas, I can never enough say thank you for all
you do, and I can never render it to you! It make me full of sorry
when I think that. With Maman I essay to guess what you want I do. I
will make something with my proper hands, and Maman will aid. You will
love a pair of slippers embroidered, or a shawl (I want say a scarf)
or a bonnet of aviator? Tell me, I pray of you,

I shake your hand affectuously.

Your godchild,
Andree Leblanc.

[22] Flat bands (_plate-bandes_) flower beds.
[23] Recognizing (_reconnaissante_) grateful.

Greenville Falls
Nov. 18, 1917.

Deer godchild,

How are you? I got that mister Teddy's letter, and I was goin to anser
it but I dident no just what to say, so I gave it to miss Betty and
she sed she wood anser it herself. And you needent worry about my
twistin his nose and stikin my finger in his eye, because if you like
him I will leave him alone fer your sake. I had quite a good birthday.
Miss Betty found out when it was, and she gave me a bully party,
but we had a feerce time gettin sugar. You no mister Hoover the new
minister I was telling you about? Well he has got reel exited about
sugar, and he has told the shopkeepers they must give only one pound
to itch family, and miss Betty she wanted more than that to make my
cake, because she sez it is hard enuf to cook with things but it is
the limit to cook without them. And she dident no what to do until she
had a brite idee. She sent Molly to Butler's store and she got some
mapel seerop and mixt it all up with the sugar and a lot of other good
stuff. And I had a bully cake. It was kinder soft to have candels
on it, but miss Betty made it all herself and that is more than you