Hoping you will pardon our delay, and inform us as soon as possible concerning your wishes in this matter, we beg to remain,

Sincerely yours,
The Junior Committee for The
Fatherless Children of France.

Greenville Falls, N.Y. 
Deer Miss Secretary,

It is more than kind of you to bother about changing my girl into a boy, but it cant be done because I have changed my mind about it, but I thank you all the same.  You see it is this way, at fust I wanted a boy and I was kinder sore after setting my heart on one to get a girl, but the girl you give me is diferent from most girls, she seams to have a lot of rele sense, and I have got kinder used to her, and, well I woodnt like to have her unprovided and waitin fer a old gentleman to adop her.  Some old gentlemen are auful cranks.  Old Sam Burton who is our naybor is the limit.  He has had 5 wives and Mother sez Lord only nos what he has done with them, enneway we dont.  And she has sort of been takin it ezy while I was suportin her and the change wood come hard to her, I mene my godchild not Sam Burton’s wife.  Ennyway the yere is most over and you no how folks talk.  Fust thing I new they wood say, young Jackson’s a fikle feller.  Thot he’d adop a orfan and now hes swaped his girl fer a boy.  You no how people will talk, so I guess I can stand my godchild fer this yere ennyway, and after that we shall see.  Of corse I was simply sterilized when I lernt she was a girl, but even a girl is preferable to a boy that wore shawls and sed everything was prety and kist you with the botom of his heart.  She has cut that out now, and I am gettin her in prety good shape.  Explaning whats what to her and every thing.  So I guess we can manige but I am obliged to you fer the asking.

Yours truly,
James P. Jackson Jr.

Greenville Falls, N.Y. 
Sept. 5, 1917.

Deer godchild,

Your letter reeched me safely, and I was releeved to here the boys had got safely “over there.”  Of corse we have had some few notes, pertikerly from Hanky Jones you no the feller that drove the hearse I tole you about.  Well he is drivin somewhere over the top in France, not a hearse but a truck, and oh boy, he sez the swellest funeral he ever drove fer cant hold a candel to drivin a truck with Fritz bulets bingin all round you and he sez, I received the kit you sent me and It is a great comfort (the kit is not a cat but a assortment of handkerchiefs and tooth brushes and everything a soldier gets and Mother sent him his and so he rote to thank her) an he sez if I go over the top with the best of luck and get enuf leave to come home I will give Myself the pleasure of calling on you, and showin you what a Greenville soldier looks like.  My reciprocity shall never end.  And he goes on tellin how french cookin agrees with him and the censer didnt cut that out, but he cut out the best part I guess.  Ennyway the censer must have a soft spot fer you because he never cuts enny part of yours out.  I guess ennyway you must be a pretty poplar girl you have so many frens, that think a lot of you, theres your brother Jules and that Mr. le Cure and that guy Teddy and me.  I was sort of thinkin about you and me the other day and I rote a verse of poitry about us and here it is,