Paris, Oct. 31, 1945
Darling
The Cezenne has finally appeared, and I have a copy. Twelve rather good plates: the same series as the Picasso two-faced period, and the Matisses, and rather good color reproductions. I went down to Braun and Cie, and got two some other color plates whi
 I’ll include in the next package I’ll send.
 I also got some good lithographs: Daumier’s, including one of the first period, tiny Cheret posters, and some other things I hope you like - including a Lhote, but not a cubism; one of the earlier things in which you can see him working toward cubism.

 It begins to look now as though I may start on the long redeployment next week, which is OK by me. Once I leave here and go to a category 4 unit, it’s 3 to 4 weeks to the port, and then home. I feel safer about that pre-Xmas prediction today t
n I have for the last two weeks. But keep your fingers crossed yet. You know what army’s like.
Got another letter from Oscar, about how much he liked you and baby, which makes me feel rather good, of course. Why is that other’s people’s letters take only five days to come, and ones I really want to get take 10 to 15 days?
 Kiss Lynn, sweetheart. I’ll be there soon to do for both of you. I love you very, very, very, very, very, very, very, much.
I adore you.
  Lawry

   Paris, Nov. 5, 1945
Darling:
 I’m finally started on the slow journey home. As of today I belong to the 129 AAA Gun Bn., and I’ll probably leave Paris some time tomorrow. I love this town, but I leave it a very very happy man, and damn glad to be on the way. The Bn. is scheduled to
eave Europe before the end of the month, so you’ll be seeing me at home during the first wee of December - a civilian at last.
 I’ve been packing a miling stuff with a fine frenzy -  all the things I’ve acquired on the Continent in a year and a half - mostly books, and I had no idea there were so many. About seven or eight packages, in toto, some of which will make you throw yo
 hands up in despair. But I don’t throw them out till I get home - we’ll throw them out together.
 And today, during the last minute shopping tour, I finally got something for your dad - a pair of sterling silver cuff links - don’t tell him about it. I’ll bring them home with me. I still haven’t gotten some things I meant to get, but I guess we are
ll enough off without them. We can get them when we come back together in a couple of years. I thought I’d be sad leaving Paris, but I wandered around the Latin Quarter and the Montmarte for a last nostalgic look before leaving, and there was nothing bu
elation at the thought. God, how I’ve missed you. I wouldn’t go off again for anything.
 Fred Davis - a 71-pointer with a son he had never seen - is in the same shipment with me, as also three others from this office, and we’re planning to make the most of the trip back. If we’re lucky and get a cruiser for only a five-day crossing - but I
uess it’ll be a 10 day Liberty ship like Oscar. So expect me at worst by mid-December. I could lynch the whole damn general staff for cutting out redeployment by plane so they could give the c-47’s and 56’s to private airlines. But I guess I’ll be out o
their clutches soon enough. You can imagine how the rest of this office, the low 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s feel watching us make the last minute preparations.
 This is too rambling - forgive me. It’s an exciting prospect.
 Kiss Lynn for me. Soon I’ll be doing it myself.
 I love you. I adore you. O how I miss you. Get ready to spend a week in bed
  Lawry

   Wednesday, Nov.7, 1945
My darling sweetheart -
I just got your letter with your new status of 73 points and I feel positively jubilant. If the two bottles were here now, I know I’d start the celebration early. Oh darling how wonderful. I was getting to a stage where I didn’t want to discuss your com
g home. It was painful and nague once more but this new turn of events is wonderful. Oh my darling, you may even be home for the 2nd Thanksgiving. I hope you get a fast boat.
 I’ll check on those trip to New Mexico and I had thought of New Orleans which isn’t quite as far, and also warm. Maybe they’ll have a Mardi Gras. I’m so glad you want to go away. It isn’t the way I’d planned it but my meeting you in New York is an impr
tical thing unless you knew you’d be discharged within 6 or 7 days. I know how they work things. You’re released from wherever you choose to be - you go there first, then are given a 30 day furlough - or about 3 or 4 days if you are to be discharged imm
iately, then you report back at the end of that time. Thus if you were at ????, you’d have to go back there, which in the case of 30 days would be very impractical. If you only had some indications of what would be done with you, we could plan according
.
It’s just a romantic notion to see you privately at first, privately insofar as the nights are concerned though it doesn’t matter too much if we are going away together. my only apprehension about coming home first is that you won’t want to leave Lynn o
e you’ve seen her, for which I couldn’t blame you.
Oh darling I love you so much, it’s almost incredible to know that it’s really happening. The first real indication that you’re coming. I’m so excited even now though it will subside. I love you
  Mildred

   Nov.15, 1945
Darling:
Still waiting. And it’s hell. Now I’m beginning to doubt the 15th date, and will be quite satisfied to be home by Xmas. the enclosed clippings will give you an idea of what’s going on while the War Dept. continues to issue bright cheery announcements an
congress makes speeches and stalls on action. The only good news of effective action has been Curran’s declaration that seamen would strike unless more ships are forthcoming for redeployment, and we are all hoping that he doesn’t back down.
 Here’s the situation as of today. there’s a big backlog of troops at Le Havre, and it looks as though we won’t move there for ten days. Then a wait of two to three weeks, and at last the ship. Unless more transportation, which means more ships, come he
 than now scheduled. Unless that is, Curran’s threat works, or Congress gets down to business.
 Keep your chin up, darling. Even at worst I should be home for Lynn Z’s birthday, and when I do get home, it’ll be to stay for keeps. I know it must be hard on you, and probably just as much as it is on us, but it’s one day closer every day that passes
Meanwhile, some telegrams to Congress, and letters to editors won’t hurt. It’s the only hope of hundreds of thousands of high-pointers marooned over here while low-pointers get discharged at home.
 Meanwhile, too, I’ve been sending some stuff, which should reach you gradually, including, what I trust will be enough perfume to last until we can come back here together, some years from now.
And keep writing, darling, because that’s the only break in each dreadful day. And keep remembering that I love you, so very, very much, and I want you, and want you, and want you, all the day and every day. I love you
  Lawry
And meanwhile, don’t forget the apartment and the trip. And kiss Lynn Z.

   January 2, 1946
Dearest Mom and daddy
But especially mom, we got your wonderful letter today and I think its time I gave you a good bawling out, you deserve it you know. What do you mean by thinking we laugh at your letters? You have mentioned that in innumerable letters and it is so far fr
 the truth you cannot know. You know you do not write perfect letters grammatically but your letters are the best I have ever received. The art of writing letters is to put a piece of yourself in them and you succeed in doing that better than anyone I k
w. Daddy’s letters are wonderful but he follows a pattern. Your letters are very interesting, you tell anecdotes of people, describe them and actually have a talent for writing believe it or not. You bring a part of yourself and your life into them so t
t they are very interesting. When I say they should be two pages longer I mean that they always seem so short because they are interesting. remember Reuben used to tell you the same thing. If you would stop worrying about your grammar and just write wha
you have to say that is all that is necessary. Grammar and spelling are mechanics and the most perfect grammar and spelling (and Dora Breger has that but writes the dullest letters I have ever read) do not make for interesting writing. For the last time
 will tell you, I really love your letters and I mean that Lawry and I do fight to see who gets them first because they are always interesting and make wonderful reading.

As for your indirect lecture on friends, I do not know what you mean, unless Sidney and Bella. But believe me, I have been very nice to them, you know I don’t have to tell you. However I have found one thing to be true while I have been here, there is n
friend like an old friend, and not one person I have met here means anything to me except the Metels who are I can’t describe what wonderful friends they are. Also the friends we do make can’t last long because most of them are here for a short time onl
 Like Bethsabee, Arthur and others. It’s a life here that is not permanent. So what is the result, that I find I do not need people like before. I am happiest with my husband and my child and I am grateful for them.

I miss my friends at home, even Norma and Joe. they are real people or maybe it is that we understand each other but mom my husband replaces anyone else even though I am now a mench as you call it, I know how to entertain, I know how to serve, I know wh
 things are important to be a social success, I am more sure of myself than I have ever been. People you will find are on the whole very self centered, and they all have their faults. For instance, I have mentioned the Katzenders, Howard and Shirley. I
ked them very much. Shirley is the type I have always feared, very self assured, very attractive, very smooth. However after I got to know her, I don’t care for her at all. She is so spoiled, so selfish and self centered that I see her assurance comes f
m ignorance and stupidity. People are people and there are not too many wonderful ones.

Mrs. Deinstein probably priced the earrings mentally, or maybe she just likes old things. I paid a lot for them but they are not the same quality one could get in America. As I said the next package will contain some more gorgeous stuff, really mom. I s
t that because I wanted to send you something and that was all, but after this I know just what to send. I really feel guilty and obligated to send so many things to everyone who has been so nice to us and will in a few months. Now however I am going to
oncentrate on getting some new clothes. I will have a new suit from the material you sent me. The dressmaker will come Jan. 10. At the same time I will have several dresses made and a blouse or two by the time I get home I will have a real Parisian ward
be.

I got a letter from Betty yesterday. I suppose their life is not so easy anymore. It sounds like she is not very happy.
I am going to have the Metels write for us in Russian to Moishke and to Surkeh. That’s all for today dearest parents. I love you very much.
  Mildred

   January 4, 1946, Saturday
Dearest Mom and daddy
 We got the other package yesterday, the one with the jumper and blouse and birthday cake trimmings that came too late. The jumper is perfect for the baby. All we have to do is shorten its you can imagine how she’s grown. The blouse I must put away for
ring. She can’t wear it now, it’s not warm enough. Winter here really does mean warm clothes believe it or not. At home one can wear spring and fall clothes all year round. Not here. One must wear strictly winter clothes or freeze. For instance no one w
rs house dresses here, always warm woolen dresses. However Lynn Z has plenty of sweaters to wear with the jumper so she really looks cute in it.
 Also all the chocolate bars!
It was a wonderful package also the baby has enough pajamas now - thank you for those and for all the packages you send all the time. I will never be able to tell you how much they are appreciated and how much they mean to us.
 Not much else is new. the baby is getting better and better in her dancing. It’s such a pleasure to watch her, she is wonderful.
 She is very sensitive. I hollered at Lawry today because he moved his foot or something and she started to cry. I asked her why she said “you hurt my feelings” I said where, she said “here, in my tears” - she got over it. She is so beautiful, and so cl
er. She corrects my French now when I don’t pronounce a word correctly.
That’s about all the news for now.
I love you.
  daughter

   January 11, 1946
Dearest Mom and daddy
Received your two letters, from each of you, daddy’s of December 28 and mom’s of Dec. 28. I hope you know that the air mail service is badly delayed because of bad weather. There are few planes going out of Paris, and few coming from the U.S. We had not
eceived mail for seven days because of this, and yesterday we received many letters, and you can see by how long it took, 2 weeks, that their service is not reliable now. However don’t send it regular mail because I received a letter from Sedlelle regul
 mail that she mailed on December 8. A whole month.

Now I am going to answer each letter word by word and will start with daddy’s because it upset me quite a bit. Thank you again for the bottle of oleopercomphor. I wrote you the same day I got it to tell you when it came. I hope you got   those letters b
now. It came in perfect condition. The box was open at the top, apparently the French Post Office was curious to know what it was but I didn’t have to pay any duty on it, but it was in perfect condition. I must have gotten it in less than a week because
 remember haven written only the week before to ask you for it. Believe me I think it does the baby a world of good. I was pleased to note that the postage was only one dollar and a half which I don’t think is too expensive considering what they charge
re for similar things.
As for baby’s art work I shall faithfully send everything she does. I mailed you the little book she made in school by regular mail right after the teacher gave it to me. I suppose it has not come yet.
As for my own drawings, I am just beginning to make some improvement. I feel the improvement myself and I am very pleased. I am far away from a good artist but by next week I might make something good enough to send to you. You see I am only drawing wit
pencil in that class, not painting and that takes a good deal of skill to master. Most of the time I make simple line drawings but now I am beginning to shade in so that it has a more finished look. As soon as I do a very good one like that I will send
 to you, so if you happen to show it to someone which I hope you don’t, it will look like something.
 As for Lll’s five spot, it will take a good deal more than that to buy baby’s coat but I can supply the rest, thank you very much for your offer. when you see her this spring she will be all dolled up like a little doll in her gorgeous new clothes, bel
ve me.
 Lorr is going to write a letter to you today to tell you all you want to know. I will tell you one of baby’s hochmas. You know the two pair of flannel pajamas you sent her. They are quite big on her and not too well made. She wore them several nights a
 couldn’t sleep because her foot went trough the feet as it was not too tightly sewn. Last night she woke us in the middle of the night to go to the toilet and was wearing her old pajamas which she had insisted on putting on the night before even though
he others were clean. She said “Mommy I can’t wear the pajamas that grampa and gramma sent because they are torn but I will sew them myself tomorrow and it will be all right”.
This morning mitinderrinnen she started to call me “Modder” for mother instead of Mommy. Where she got that idea I don’t know.
 As to the baby’s so called catholic education, I am very much surprised at you. In the first place she doesn’t go to a catholic school. It is a private nonsectarian school. Second I am sure there are other Jewish children in school, third it was their
y of celebrating Christmas. The baby is much too young to have the vaguest notion of what it is all about, it was done as a play, not a religious ceremony/ I too hate and despise the Catholics as much as you do believe. The Baron’s grandchild was suppos
 to go to the same school as the purpose is for the children to have companionship and to play and to sing songs and dances. She learned all her French songs in school, she learned to color picture and to cut, and also to play cooperatively with other c
ldren where the teacher told me she is a little doll now where she was very difficult when she first started the school. That is important. The other thing is incidentally. Never fear, your grandchild is very far from becoming a Catholic or even gentile
there is not a chance in the world of such a thing/ I don’t think Susanne has ever thought of wether or not we are Jewish. I doubt if it has ever occurred to her to wonder. To her as to all French people we are Americans, not Jews. They never stop to as
more nor so they care. As Americans we are rich, respectable and that’s all. I don’t discuss my nationality with her or any of my personal life, so you don’t have to worry. We are Americans here and it is all. It to be them a sufficiently great thing to
e wether Jews or not.
END OF DADDY’S LETTER, BEGINNING OF MOMMAS
I got your letter and though it was not full of all the gossip, I still enjoyed it, As why I enjoyed your letters, I wrote you very fully and at length about the subject the other day in a letter. That is that you should not worry about grammar and spel
ng because it is not important, the contents of your letters are always very interesting and very good. You write as you talk, and you know you have always been an interesting conversationalist. So from now on I will, do as you ask and comment on your l
ter the first thing. Most of the time I write because I want to not because I am answering your letters. It should be a bigger compliment to you that I want to tell you all the small things that happen to me rather than to wait and answer your letter qu
tions by question which actually shows I have not much to say to you myself. but from now on every word will be answered, I promise you.

As for the packages, I always acknowledge received of them every time they come. the last package containing the baby’s dress and blouse was wonderful. I told you she wears the jumper with a sweater but will have to wait until spring to wear the blouse
cause it is not warm enough for it here.

The shoes fit perfectly and look beautiful. She wears them to be dressed up and I save them for going out. I make good use of everything you sent me. The radio tubes were perfect, our radio is now working like it never worked before. Remember it had a b
 tone before? All it needed I guess, all the time were new tubes.

Thank you for the new package you sent. I am greatly looking forward to it as I do all the packages you sent. I am expecting the dressmaker to come this week to start the material you sent me for a new suit.

As for what to serve, they serve very differently here in the French homes than we serve at home. For instance a treat is Hors doevres but they are not the same thing we call Hors doevres at home. The table is set and on the table already prepared a sel
tion of about 6 or 7 different things. Hard boiled eggs with mayonnaise, the eggs are cut in two and the mayonnaise piled on top is one plate. Another is potato salad, only it is boiled potatoes cut with onions and seasoned and then oil and vinegar. The
they will have cold meats and some sardines, also on another plate will be some boiled or fired mushrooms, all sorts of things, something like Smorgasbord. one eats a little of each, also pickles, olives and things like that. Then the next course will b
the meat, potatoes and vegetables, though here they don’t usually serve the green vegetables with the potatoes. Then after that the salad. Then the dessert which can be a number of things. Here fresh fruit, apples or pears which are now in season and pe
le eat them with a fork and knife, or cheese which they eat with bread and butter then coffee. For a special dessert they have a pastry which can not be bought, very rich and good in addition to the fruit and cheese. Cheese is never served here as an ap
tizer as we do at home. Or instead of the hors doevres they serve a fish course, regular fish served cold with mayonnaise too, and very very seldom they have soup. Soup is here a national dish and is not considered too nice to serve when one has guests
t can be served before the fish course. Also no meal is complete without wine. A red sour wine for the meat course and a white wine for the fish. The way the French do things is a lot of trouble and work and many dishes. The table is very seldom full of
ood. they don’t understand to serve the meat and the salad at one time, so it takes longer and you think you are eating much more. And that’s all for this letter. I hope I have answered all your questions to the way you want them.
We were out to dinner last night at another Americans, Herman Blumenfeld and his wife. He is director of editing for Fox Movietone News here. We met them at Polly’s. We had such a good time that we stayed till two in the morning. Lawry is still sleeping
nd I must get ready to go call for the baby in school.

His moving pictures deals may still turn into something but please say nothing to anyone. Letters and cables every day from Hollywood. All that needs to be done now is for Bregstein the guy who is putting up the money to see the picture and then they wi
 start to talk money. There is a lot of money to be made in that business and as a side line for Lawry it is a very interesting proposition as many French movies are much better than Hollywood’s. It only depends on the money offered and that the produce
here will accept. Otherwise it will be a success.

That’s all for today. I hope you are satisfied with this letter.

I love you and don’t want to make you displeased. However believe me I have sense when it comes to a few things will you please daddy?
  Your daughter
P.S. Bethsabels father is Baron Eduard de Rothschild. This is from this weeks Time Magazine.