Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Jon Bouman to the Bouman Family

Bouman, Jon Anthony, 1873-1958

WWP23056

1919 August 10

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,

    When I went home from the office at 6 a.m. I didn’t think it was going to be the hottest day of the year; I saw that London had had a heatwave the day before, and now we’ve got it here. How you must have been enjoying yourself being grilled alive!

    I hope you got my card from St. Germain which I wrote on Friday after lunch at one of those nice French restaurants opposite the chateau. Afterwards I walked right through the Forest to Poissy, an attractive little place about half the size of Middelburg with a very ancient and interesting church and a statue of Meissonier the painter. I lounged around and had dinner on an open balcony on the Seine which is very beautiful just there. All around Paris the country is just lovely and you can get anywhere within reason for one franc or so. So that is just what I like, only I wish every time you were with me; you would enjoy it so much. This afternoon I went to the new Rodin museum (nodings to pay) which is in the old palace of the princely Biron family, one of those magnificent old French townhouses with unexpectedly large gardens. This is a noble edifice in the very heart of Paris spacious beflowered forecourt &c. Rodin certainly is a very great artist; all his productions breathe life and force; he strikes me like Wagner’s music, majestically splendid. I send you three postcards separately; all his works are there, exquisitely arranged.

    I found this in the Paris Daily Mail the other day and was much interested for young Brackley acted for Reuters at one time at the Press Bureau. He was a quiet gentlemanly young fellow and I liked him well. I am glad he has got on so famously. I remember seeing him when he had his uniform on the first time.

    Whenever I think of old Rooseboom I am reminded of the Scotch elders’ description of a church organ as a “Kist of whistles”. His fiancee’s name is Miss Kist. I am sending you the note he had written me just after which I came into the office. His description: “I have been asked in marriage” is too killing! Please tear it up after you have read it.

    Now that Bill has also sent me an “opstel” I will write the bairns a letter of their own. Thanks very much, boy, for your nice letter; I hope you will soon learn how to spell barnarners!! I see you are still an “ezelsveulen”.

    I return mother’s letter; this will be the good season for them, unless they feel the heat very much. It is not our old night office “boy” who is stricken with cerebral anaemia, but the day man, who is not yet 60. Fortunately he has a wife to look after him; no children. Old père Delanneau, who is close upon 80, is as perky as ever, and chuckles when I tell him that with fine old cocks like Clemenceau and Delanneau, France is not lost yet.

    I shall be very much interested to hear in course of time who is best at music. So Bill is really keen for once; he should not try too much to make up tunes of his own before he is through with the fingering. Did you have any reply from the Mayfield school?

    Herewith Estlin’s note back It is very Grundyesque. I don’t suppose he would ever pay the extra ten bob. Never mind. I am glad the instrument is in good order, anyway.

    Give my love to the bairns, and a far hug to yourself

[Enclosed: Undated clipping from the Daily Mail of Paris of the engagement announcement of Sir Edgar Jones, M.P for Merthyr to Miss May Brackeley of Harrington, North London. The clipping mentions her brother, Major Brackley, D.S.O., a famous aviator, who Bouman recalls in this letter.

Letter

Bouman Family