October 16, 1944
Epinal, France
Conclusion of No. 60
Dear Folksies,
The other night when Wally, Carroll and I worked straight thru supper and finally went over to the Mess at about 9 P.M. to find what they said they had kept hot for us was plenty cold, despite the fact that they had had the stuff sitting on the stove – the big coal stove had been allowed to go out. We were pretty griped, but then I skipped upstairs and got a can of deviled ham and one of the cans of asparagus – and boy, what a change that made – what a difference!! Wally and Carroll express their very great thanks to you!! And, naturally, so do I. I didn’t realize, even when I asked you for them, how really good those asparagus taste. More, please, oui!! Hope, too, that you’ve been able to get some of those baby-artichokes, i.e. hearts, for they will, too, improve any meal 1000% if used in the same circumstances as we used the asparagus.
Speaking of food, however, we have had a couple of good meals lately, no meat other than from the cans, but our French cooks have tried their best to disguise the regular stuff and have done a fairly good job of it. They made a regular meat-pie yesterday with corned-beef stuffings and it wasn’t bad at all when mixed with the creamed peas & carrots. They gave us a real treat one noon, however, when they came out with some honest-to-goodness French pastry. It was somewhat like a Napoleon with some custard filling, and was it good!! Of course, as Fadley said, it cost a fortune to make it – some 10 lbs. of butter, beaucoup flour, baking powder, etc.
Bobsy, Yeow, you amaze me when you say you have read some of my letters to your students! And, for goodness gracious sakes alive, I’ve never expected to be accused of being an English teacher. What kind of dumb class have you, anyhoooo? It seems that my letters are getting a considerably wider distribution than ‘twas intended (not that I object), for Therese writes too, “All our friends know you intimately as we show your letters all around. In fact they keep asking, ‘Have you heard from René?’”
Loads of love,
.
