Millet to Stoddard: June 24, 1877

[Letter 21: Letters of Frank Millet to Charles Warren Stoddard: May 10, 1875 - January 3, 1900

Oltenitza, June 29

My dear Chummeke: -- A letter from Paris just received tells me that you prolonged your stay there as, indeed, I hoped you would for a week or two longer than you named when I left. I wish you were there now – and I also for that matter for it is rather dull just now. I have seen two battles and thirst for more and where the Turks send only a half dozen shells this way every day it gets monotonous. Human nature is incomprehensible, it adapts itself much too easily to circumstances. Within two days after arriving in [page 2] a bombarded town one gets discouragingly familiar with the situation and ceases to look up when he hears a report. We are having a disagreeable species of Guerrilla warefare (sp) here. The ___are very close and a great number of outposts on each side keep up an almost continual rifle popping so that it is dangerous to approach the batteries and even rather unpleasant to stand on the edge of the town and watch the shooting a quarter of a mile away. I got out of it in a hurry once when I heard the “zip” too close. The division General a favorite officer here was wounded that way only two days ago. The Turks potted him in the shoulder.

[Page 3] Success in this kind of journalism is difficult. I was the first to get through a description of the battle & crossing at Galatz. I hope you read it in the Daily News. Great fun! I crossed over to Matchie with the soldiers and gobbled up a whole share of the booty…I am quite warlike now. You wouldn’t know me. White Russian cap, light grey uniform coat with silver buttons, riding breeches and tall boots with spurs. Immense get up! On my left arm I have to wear a gorgeous decoration of the Russian colors in silk (Black, yellow & white) with the double headed eagle and the word KoRRECNOHAEHTB (correspondent) and the number of my authorization No 42 worked I silver and gold bullion. Most stunning effect I assure you.

[Page 4] I am spooning frightfully with a young Greek here – Oltenitza.

He is a first rate fellow. I shall leave here tomorrow morning probably for Gingevo where things are now lively and I shall post this there because there is no mail from here until the Monday next. Give my regards to Miss Hardy if you see her. To Wetherbee and all the rest. I am at work some for the Graphic so you may unwittingly admire some of my illustrations – who knows? Write me, that’s a good boy and direct care of American Consul Bucharest

With much love Yours always Franceses

(In a hurry of course)

__ but he lives so far away that it is no use trying to see him often. There is nothing new to write you except that Anderson has gone to Spain. He is painting a picture that wants a religious poster in it like what they paste on the walls near churches could you get him one. An old one torn etc. would make no difference.

There must be an end to your visiting, before long, and then I hope to see you. Paris will soon be delightful and I hope to have leisure enough to enjoy some of it. It has cost me so much to fix the family here that probably I shall not be able to go away to stay this summer. However I hope to go for a short trip to the island of Sark and Normandy. If you could come along I should be happy. But all depends, of course, on my expected remittances.

Do write me.

Yours in some haste and with all my heart.

F. D. etc. No. 8 Rue de l’Orient ( Montmarte) Paris