Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958

WWP23055

1919 July 31

Letter from Jon Bouman to his family.

Gift of William C. and Evelina Suhler

Correspondence

Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920)

Rachel Dark

Denise Montgomery

Austin Shifflett

English

Evelina Suhler is the granddaughter of Jon Anthony Bouman and inherited the family collection of his letters from the years of World War I. She and her husband gave the letters to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum in 2013.

Dearest,

    Herewith I am sending you three £5 notes which I am using instead of the usual cheque because they are cheaper, strange to say; the difference being 7d per pound so that was worth saving.

    I hear that Collins has postponed his holiday till October, and Berry’s daily wails to be released from Amerongen have at last been hearkened to. I told you of our correspondent in Northern Russia, a Mr. Rennick. Well, he is to replace Berry. What a change from Archangel to Amerongen! a good title for a book! Rennick is quite a young fellow, in his twenties, and had only been married (in America) for a year when he was dispatched to the barren wastes of the Kola peninsula, much to the chagrin of his young wife, who, I hear, raised a big row in the office in New York about it. But he stuck to his job. There’s little Mrs. Hiatt today, she came in to ask if there was any word about her husband coming home from Vienna and Budapest; she looked so woebegone that I was rather sorry for her, and I could give her no comfort about her good man’s return. So if at any time you feel lonesome, think of the wives of Rennick and Hiatt who are thousands of miles from their husbands.

    Doubtless you have got the piano now, that will help you to pass some hours. I shall be much interested in the children’s progress in music.

    I want to thank Mary for her drawing of Bill reading The Rainbow, it was quite good. I thought it gave an excellent impression of his lanky legs pushed sideways anyhow. I am glad they had a nice day for the garden party. Today is the first day for many weeks that it has been really sunny and even now it is not really warm, as the earth seems to have been thoroughly chilled. However I am glad enough it is not broiling hot.

    Let me know at once, won’t you, the safe receipt of three notes, as I am always rather nervous of sending them even registered.

    With love to all,

P.S. F.G. just tells me he has received an - extremely rare - letter from brother Fred saying how sorry he was not to have seen me. But he lives out in the country now (Billericay Essex) so I would not have been able to see him anyway. The Savage Club must suffer! J. Any word from Auntie Pell?

Letter

Bouman Family