[FB004AAE] Letter, June 1889

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Title

[FB004AAE] Letter, June 1889

Editor's Notes

My dear Mama, I suppose by this time you will begin to wonder why I have not written but I have really been too busy to write. I often start to write you in the evening but find myself almost too tired to hold a pen. We have seen about everything there is to be seen in the whole of Paris so now we spend about all our time at the Exposition. If I had to go home nect fall I would feel myself well repaid for coming over, the Edison part of the Exposition certainly does Papa and America honor.It certainly surpasses all my expectations. Mr Hammer deserves to be congratulated. The criticisms of the papers here are not very complementary to the American exhibits as a whole. The people seem very enthusiastic over the phonograph. No matter where you go you will always hear the Phonograph mentioned by people on every side. We [brunched? Lunched?] with Mr. Hammer this morning and drive with him to-morrow night. He has been more than kind to me and has already been the means of introducing me to many very nice people. This morning we meet the daughter of another man who lavished all kinds of attentions on me, it is certainly nice to live in an age when it is much better to be the daughter of a genius than to be the daughter of a Prince. To-night we go with Mres. Earle to hear Madame Bernhardt in [Camille?] they say Camille is a very immoral play but that makes very little difference as I do not understand one word of it. I have always been very anxious to hear her so I though I would make the most of my opportunity while here in Paris and see everything and everybody that there is a soubt of my not being able to see again. I consider that few have seen Paris more thoroughly than I. Ever since Miss Brigham has been with me we get up early in the morning and do not get home before six, you can imagine how much one can see going all the time. Mama I tell you very frankly and [kindly?] you have made no mistake in sending me to Europe. I never felt more like [becoming?] than at this present moment. Every one over here seems so refined and cultivated, few people know less than three languages and every moment of the day one sees things that evoke their interest to such an extent that they will take the trouble to read up all there is to be found about it. I do not see how one could help learn something here if they even never opened a book. One learns new French words every day in talking to people who do not understand one word of English. I am very much in love with Europe and if I could have my own way I would not leave one inch of ground untrodden. Of course I do not prefer it to American, it is the land of my birth and it is perfectlyu natural that with all it's faults I should love America best, but none the less Europe is the place to be educated even if here are some narrow minded people who say that it is not improving our home education by sending the children to Europe to be educated. I shall be a Frenchman before long if I stayed here. I am really quite proud of my French, some of my ancestors must have been French as French has almost become a passion. I suppose that is one reason why I am learning as fast because I am so very anxious to learn it. I am also taking German lessons of Miss Brigham in small [gramhichico?] she generally gets laughing so over my bold attempts at pronounciation that we have to give up one lesson make another day. Miss Brigham paints beautifully and she is going to teach me drawing. I bought a sketch book at the Bon Marche and I am going to commence as soon as I get a pencil. I think next week we will go over to London for a short time. I hate to leave Paris but I am simply crazy to see London. I have a very serious question to ask you, or at least it is serious to me, if you do not approve of it why then you must not say that I thought of such a thing as it would not be very pleasant for me if you did. I am VERY very anxious to see the British Isles so I have been thinking it over and if you are willing I would like to see what I can of them in a month instead of joining the girls up in Belgium. I do not think that the girls will leave [Lpa? Spain?] much before the last of June and if we join you in August that only leaves the months of July to travel. I am very anxious to join you in August but I cannot say that I care to travel in Holand. The girls take in only a little of Germany as they have seen all that before. I certainly would rather go to Scotland and England than go to places that I never heard of before and have comparatively little interest. Mrs. B is very interesting and can tell me a great deal about Scotland and of course England too. I meant to write you before so that you could answer my letter but I am afraid that you will have to answer my letter by cable. How Mama if you do not think it is best just cable "No" I know whatever you say will be for my good. My opinion is that one place is just as goo as the other but the only difference is that I want to got to Great Britain and I do not care to go to Holland. I do not want you to think for a coment that it is on the girls account that I do not care to go. We parted the best of friends and I would consider it a pleasure to travel with them. You can rely on Miss. Brigham, if she was not a responsible person she never would have been recommended by Mrs. Earle as such. You must not fail to cable me you no on the very day you get this as some few [preparations?] will have to be made. I had the pleasure of hearing Papa's voice on the Phone last evening. It was simply perfect. I wish he wouls send me a [cylinder?] I am very proud of both you and Papa, everyone who sees your picture likes your face. I have fully decided that I was very lucky to getyou for a step-mother. Miss B. had a step-mother and she says they are not all like you. She said you were one in a hundred, Much love, M
Supplied year and month

Date

1889-06-00

Type

Folder/Volume ID

FB006-F

Microfilm ID

161:104

Document ID

FB004AAE

Publisher

Thomas A. Edison Papers, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University
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