TRANSCRIBED FROM THE ARKADELPHIA DAILY NEWS AUGUST 26, 1919 P. 1
Paris, France
August 9, 1919
Dearest Mother and All:
I suppose you think I have forgotten all at home, but it is not so bad as that; as I have been quite busy here of late.
You will be surprised to hear that I am discharged from the army, and have been for over two weeks, having secured my discharge at Gievres, France, to enter the consular service here in Paris. I have a real nice position in the office, and am enjoying my work very much.
Another surprise for you mother dear. I have the nicest little wife in the world, and am just as happy as a June bug. Have been married since June 3rd, and like it very well, for now you see me go to my little home every night, and no staying out at nights for me any more.
My wife is very desirious of coming to America to meet all the home folks, but she did not want to come here a few weeks ago on account of her mother being very sick, with the chances she would not live. Her father has been very good to me, as he gave her a real beautiful home, just thirty minutes ride from the city here on the Marne. It is certainly a most beautiful place and I like to stay there as much as possible. At the present time we have rooms at one of the hotels near her mother’s home, and take our meals with my French dad and mother. If you will remember some time back I wrote you several letters of my visit to Paris and the family I stayed with at that time. Well, it is that same young lady.
With the consular service here I am getting a very good salary, and have sufficient to live on and put away a nice little sum, at least I will be able to every month. My father-in-law wants me to go in the brokers business with him, which is his business, but I do not desire to, as I do not like to make my business too much of a family affair. At the hotel we only pay 250 Francs for our rooms, and that is with our chocolate or coffee for breakfast. Not very expensive. The people here do not live very much in private homes as we do in the States. As they mostly all live in apartments, and just as soon as my mother-in-law is better, Germaine and I intend to rent us some apartments, and the reason we are staying at the hotel is because it is near her mother’s home, and she stays with her mother during the day while I am at the office. My hours are very good here at the office. I go to work at 9:30 in the morning and have from 12 until 2 for lunch, and quit work at 4:30, so you see I have lots of time for pleasure and a little study. On Saturdays we work from 9:30 until 1:00 and do not go back to work until Monday morning. Suppose we will go to the country home this evening and stay until Monday, as I prefer to be there to here in town as it is too noisy to suit me. Seems a little like I want to write French on this machine as I have been practicing very much on it. I have to know quite a good deal of French in my work.
It is now after 1:00 o’clock, mother dear, and I must be on my way to the little home, so write real soon, and address my letters care of the American Consul in Paris.
With bushels and bushels of love from your son and new daughter-in-law.
Always your loving son,
Doyle
NOTES: James Doyle Phillips was born in Friendship, Arkansas on March 5, 1896 and died in Los Angeles, California on August 23, 1937. He is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. He departed Hoboken, NJ on August 22, 1918 onboard the De Kalb. He was serving as a Private in Outpost Co. C 114 Field Signal Battalion. He was writing to his mother and father, Garvin Franklin and Cassie Phillips.
TRANSCRIBED BY SHANNON SOUTHARD
Paris, France
August 9, 1919
Dearest Mother and All:
I suppose you think I have forgotten all at home, but it is not so bad as that; as I have been quite busy here of late.
You will be surprised to hear that I am discharged from the army, and have been for over two weeks, having secured my discharge at Gievres, France, to enter the consular service here in Paris. I have a real nice position in the office, and am enjoying my work very much.
Another surprise for you mother dear. I have the nicest little wife in the world, and am just as happy as a June bug. Have been married since June 3rd, and like it very well, for now you see me go to my little home every night, and no staying out at nights for me any more.
My wife is very desirious of coming to America to meet all the home folks, but she did not want to come here a few weeks ago on account of her mother being very sick, with the chances she would not live. Her father has been very good to me, as he gave her a real beautiful home, just thirty minutes ride from the city here on the Marne. It is certainly a most beautiful place and I like to stay there as much as possible. At the present time we have rooms at one of the hotels near her mother’s home, and take our meals with my French dad and mother. If you will remember some time back I wrote you several letters of my visit to Paris and the family I stayed with at that time. Well, it is that same young lady.
With the consular service here I am getting a very good salary, and have sufficient to live on and put away a nice little sum, at least I will be able to every month. My father-in-law wants me to go in the brokers business with him, which is his business, but I do not desire to, as I do not like to make my business too much of a family affair. At the hotel we only pay 250 Francs for our rooms, and that is with our chocolate or coffee for breakfast. Not very expensive. The people here do not live very much in private homes as we do in the States. As they mostly all live in apartments, and just as soon as my mother-in-law is better, Germaine and I intend to rent us some apartments, and the reason we are staying at the hotel is because it is near her mother’s home, and she stays with her mother during the day while I am at the office. My hours are very good here at the office. I go to work at 9:30 in the morning and have from 12 until 2 for lunch, and quit work at 4:30, so you see I have lots of time for pleasure and a little study. On Saturdays we work from 9:30 until 1:00 and do not go back to work until Monday morning. Suppose we will go to the country home this evening and stay until Monday, as I prefer to be there to here in town as it is too noisy to suit me. Seems a little like I want to write French on this machine as I have been practicing very much on it. I have to know quite a good deal of French in my work.
It is now after 1:00 o’clock, mother dear, and I must be on my way to the little home, so write real soon, and address my letters care of the American Consul in Paris.
With bushels and bushels of love from your son and new daughter-in-law.
Always your loving son,
Doyle
NOTES: James Doyle Phillips was born in Friendship, Arkansas on March 5, 1896 and died in Los Angeles, California on August 23, 1937. He is buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. He departed Hoboken, NJ on August 22, 1918 onboard the De Kalb. He was serving as a Private in Outpost Co. C 114 Field Signal Battalion. He was writing to his mother and father, Garvin Franklin and Cassie Phillips.
TRANSCRIBED BY SHANNON SOUTHARD