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Erica (Thorp) de Berry to Thorp family, 15 July 1918
Manuscript letter
July 15th, 1918
My dearest Family,
So heavenly is it, this soft, cool, exquisite evening that I’m writing outdoors on the topmost balcon[sic] with the whole sweep of hills and sunset clouds before me. It almost might be greenings[?] —
The last two days have been full and happy ones. Mr. Jaccaci has come down at last, and we have had a peaceful chance to go over all the problems big and small, besides making serious preparations for the winter, the touglet [toughest?] of which has been the our heaviest weight. We’ve decided not to attempt to try it for the little ones, but to scour the country [p. 2] for a house not too far away in the real [midi?] climate where we can move 50 of them. With just the older boys left I think we can weather it. It means ^an^ enormous wood supply, which we can get as soon as we find the oxen to haul it. On these haying days none can be spared from the fields, so it’s quite a problem to get[?] started. However, Mr. Jaccaci’s presence on the scene helps things along, and especially with the Prefect who as a result, will give us, I hope, a fairly decent supply of coal, too. [p.1 margins:] I missed a visit from ^an^ American officer and his men when I was in Paris. They were in the region Top margin: bringing horses and came up to see us all the village turned out. The first soldiers americains ever seen in the [?]
We’re to have a resident carpenter and [p. 3 marked 2] shoemaker for older apprentice boys who will come for the winter, and will be probably a community with ourselves if the tales they tell us about snow are all true! x
[p. 3 margin:] x They say there are 6 months of it, and remembering April I can well believe it.
It was a happy coincidence Mr. Jaccaci’s arriving for the 14th, for to celebrate the day, I’d invited all the personages of Lacaune — the Mayor, Doctor Directeur de la Poste, etc. They all sent me lovely bouquets tied with tricolor ribbon for the occasion, and we had all our flags out on balconies, and entrance-gates & chalets, so that with [p. 4] little tea tables under the pine trees it made a very festive scene. The children drilled to the Marseillaise and we all drank toasts in Bordeaux wine and had a fine, jovial, chatty time.
Nothing was done in the village by way of celebration. Since the war they make very little of it because of the ^universal^ mourning, as all the also, in such a Catholic stronghold as this is it’s not ^even^ recognized as a fetê. One of the cure’s[?] assistants, whom I’d thought it only decent to ask, told me quite frankly that never would he take [p. 5 marked 3] part in a republican fetê. It all seems so strange, this bitter antagonism between church and state in these times of universal suffering and effort. I can’t get used to it even tho’ I’ve lived in the midst of it here for so long! If you could hear these Catholics run down the government! They believe absolutely that the war was sent as a scourge to France — and that she has deserved everything, also that victory will only come when the Sacré Coeur is emblazoned on all the army banners. They have suffered [p. 6] deep injustice from the govt, all most of the [???] and others, it’s true, but it’s strange, isn’t it, that such questions can’t be wiped out by the war. Far, ^far^ from it!
However, an effort is being made by la Signe Patriotique of which Maurice Barrès is president. It is sending speakers all over the country, especially to such out-of-the-way spots as this to talk to the people of their common duty to drop political and religious differences and work together for the whole[?] of the country. It forms committees composed of representatives [p. 7 marked 4] Of all sects, and chooses prominent men as speakers. One of them, a Monsieur St. Yves of the Academie, came here the other night to talk of the work of the Signe and more especially of “l’effort americain” It was very, very impressive and most beautifully done — the main idea of it is a plea to these self-absorbed mountaineers to drop self-seeking and follow an impersonal ideal, as America is doing. Of course they made us sit up on the platform and want to sink thro’ the [p. 8] floor with the feeling of unworthiness of the wonderful tribute they paid us all. One can’t say anything, so overwhelming are they in their gratitude and faith that the “effort Americain” can do all.
The letter from the “J. T.” has just come. Think of you all at the island — so unexpectedly and with old James! What an extraordinary chance. As [???] said, it doesn’t seem as if such things could somehow happen till “apres la guerre” — and yet why not —
A heartfull of love from your Bun.
My dearest Family,
So heavenly is it, this soft, cool, exquisite evening that I’m writing outdoors on the topmost balcon[sic] with the whole sweep of hills and sunset clouds before me. It almost might be greenings[?] —
The last two days have been full and happy ones. Mr. Jaccaci has come down at last, and we have had a peaceful chance to go over all the problems big and small, besides making serious preparations for the winter, the touglet [toughest?] of which has been the our heaviest weight. We’ve decided not to attempt to try it for the little ones, but to scour the country [p. 2] for a house not too far away in the real [midi?] climate where we can move 50 of them. With just the older boys left I think we can weather it. It means ^an^ enormous wood supply, which we can get as soon as we find the oxen to haul it. On these haying days none can be spared from the fields, so it’s quite a problem to get[?] started. However, Mr. Jaccaci’s presence on the scene helps things along, and especially with the Prefect who as a result, will give us, I hope, a fairly decent supply of coal, too. [p.1 margins:] I missed a visit from ^an^ American officer and his men when I was in Paris. They were in the region Top margin: bringing horses and came up to see us all the village turned out. The first soldiers americains ever seen in the [?]
We’re to have a resident carpenter and [p. 3 marked 2] shoemaker for older apprentice boys who will come for the winter, and will be probably a community with ourselves if the tales they tell us about snow are all true! x
[p. 3 margin:] x They say there are 6 months of it, and remembering April I can well believe it.
It was a happy coincidence Mr. Jaccaci’s arriving for the 14th, for to celebrate the day, I’d invited all the personages of Lacaune — the Mayor, Doctor Directeur de la Poste, etc. They all sent me lovely bouquets tied with tricolor ribbon for the occasion, and we had all our flags out on balconies, and entrance-gates & chalets, so that with [p. 4] little tea tables under the pine trees it made a very festive scene. The children drilled to the Marseillaise and we all drank toasts in Bordeaux wine and had a fine, jovial, chatty time.
Nothing was done in the village by way of celebration. Since the war they make very little of it because of the ^universal^ mourning, as all the also, in such a Catholic stronghold as this is it’s not ^even^ recognized as a fetê. One of the cure’s[?] assistants, whom I’d thought it only decent to ask, told me quite frankly that never would he take [p. 5 marked 3] part in a republican fetê. It all seems so strange, this bitter antagonism between church and state in these times of universal suffering and effort. I can’t get used to it even tho’ I’ve lived in the midst of it here for so long! If you could hear these Catholics run down the government! They believe absolutely that the war was sent as a scourge to France — and that she has deserved everything, also that victory will only come when the Sacré Coeur is emblazoned on all the army banners. They have suffered [p. 6] deep injustice from the govt, all most of the [???] and others, it’s true, but it’s strange, isn’t it, that such questions can’t be wiped out by the war. Far, ^far^ from it!
However, an effort is being made by la Signe Patriotique of which Maurice Barrès is president. It is sending speakers all over the country, especially to such out-of-the-way spots as this to talk to the people of their common duty to drop political and religious differences and work together for the whole[?] of the country. It forms committees composed of representatives [p. 7 marked 4] Of all sects, and chooses prominent men as speakers. One of them, a Monsieur St. Yves of the Academie, came here the other night to talk of the work of the Signe and more especially of “l’effort americain” It was very, very impressive and most beautifully done — the main idea of it is a plea to these self-absorbed mountaineers to drop self-seeking and follow an impersonal ideal, as America is doing. Of course they made us sit up on the platform and want to sink thro’ the [p. 8] floor with the feeling of unworthiness of the wonderful tribute they paid us all. One can’t say anything, so overwhelming are they in their gratitude and faith that the “effort Americain” can do all.
The letter from the “J. T.” has just come. Think of you all at the island — so unexpectedly and with old James! What an extraordinary chance. As [???] said, it doesn’t seem as if such things could somehow happen till “apres la guerre” — and yet why not —
A heartfull of love from your Bun.
Archives Number: 1006/004.006.002-006#028
U. S. National Park Service
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Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site; Archives Number 1006/004.006.002-006#028
Public domain
Erica Thorp deBerry Papers (1006/004.006), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Correspondence, Outgoing (1006/004.006.002), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1918 (1006/004.006.002-006), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Correspondence, Outgoing (1006/004.006.002), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1918 (1006/004.006.002-006), (LONG-FileUnitName)
Image
Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Code: LONG
Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
NPS Museum Number Catalog : LONG 27930
Title: Finding Aid to the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1972 (Bulk dates 1825-1950)
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#HWLFP
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#HWLFP
2018-11-29
07/15/1918
Manuscript letter in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Family Papers, Erica Thorp deBerry Papers, Correspondence, Outgoing. (1006/004.006.002)
Organization: Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
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