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[[three hand-drawn images - a bed, a chair and a chest]]
Paris, Nov. 8
My dear Mother,
Having a great desire to write to you and having the time, I will tell about my room for want of something more interesting. It is as comfortable a one as can be found in Paris [[,]] as far as I know. The house is across the way from that old palace of Luxembourg, and by going out into the entry, I can look down in to the garden. Besides[[,]] it is close to school, not more than half a mile, and on the same side of the river. Besides that, there is [[ strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] an arsenal or some such place right back of the house, and the soldiers of this place and of the Luxembourg wake me up at the right time in the morning with trumpets and drums. Besides that[[,]] there are no bugs and not even fleas which bother the Americans very much in Paris, I am told. So taking everything together, I am as well off as of my own home.  My room is not as large as my bed chamber at home, but it is large enough and has a big window in it, which gives plenty of light. The walls are papered, and the ceiling is nicely whitewashed.  The floor is of stone or rather a sort of  a brick painted red, but a big piece of carpet in the centre of the room covers half the floor of it. The grand houses still have [[w?ed]] wooden floors. They are very slippery, and I came near falling when I first went to the Luxembourg palace to see the pictures. Before trying to find a way in, I stopped and asked a soldier for directions. He said [[strikethrough]] it was [[/strikethrough]] they depended on what I wanted to see, so I told him the picture. Well then [[,]] you must go in that door and in the corner, but have you seen the throne, it is far more worth seeing. I told him no, and then he showed me [[where]] I must enter. I represented to him that I had rather see the pictures first, but he was eloquent for the throne. I had told him I was going to be a painter. He didn't say another word. I fell a hundred degrees in his estimation. I am yet ignorant about that throne and whose it was.

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from getting smoked.
When I came home yesterday, the old doorkeeper [[strikethrough]] [[?]] [[/strikethrough]] opened her little window and told me she had received a letter for me. I grabbed it and made for my room, and lit my candle as soon as I could. It was a miserable little business card. I had gone to Monroe's, American Banker, to [[get?]] a paper & had registered my name & address and then this man of business I suppose [[strikethrough]] these [[/strikethrough]] copies down all the names of all the Americans who come to Paris. Advertising is a [[great?]] thing, but it's carried too far when it takes the private letter form. I'll be careful as not to go to that store.
Last Sunday I was invited to go dine with the Moores and they proposed we should go before dinner to the Garden of the Plants. There is a splendid Menagerie there, probably the finest in the world. I can never get tired of seeing elephants[[,]] camels or monkeys. There is a little baby elephant & have a thing I never saw before. We had a pleasant time and then visited the Museum. I was glad when we got out of that, the rooms are such [[?]] of relics. The old lady must have a leaf from the [[strikethrough]] tall [[/strikethrough]] cedar of Lebanon. She couldn't get one for they were all too high but managed to brush off some bark. In the  minerals department there is a splendid quartz crystal. They tried their best to break off a bit when they thought there was no one looking. It would be so interesting to a son in California to have a piece of stone which comes from the French, it seems. After this we were closely watched and a man with a soldier cap on followed us till we got out. [[strikethrough]] They [[/strikethrough]] We went home in a carriage & they gave me a good dinner and we spent a cheerful evening talking about Philda [[Philadelphia]]. Old Mrs. Moore knows all the old families from our city, especially the quakers [[Quakers]]. They are all very fine people & their only fault so far is the true love for relics [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]]. 
When you write me don't forget about little Caddy and her progress and tell me about [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] Mrs. Lewis and Uncle Emmor's family.  [[/strikethrough]] her [[?]] [[strikethrough]]I am very anxious to receive my first letter from home. I expected one today but I'm afraid I have another week to wait. It's likely when the mail comes I'll get a bunch of them. How is Billy Crowell? I hope he didn't go home that rainy night. For he had been very sick. Have Max and [[Johanna]]

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taken supper at our house since I left. I have often used her present. I found no great difficulty in sewing buttons on. It was necessary to take a peep at the other buttons & remember the old civil engineering rule I learned at school that to gain stability you must widen the base and distribute evenly the strain. I have had a little darning to do too and I don't think I've done it badly. The hole wasn't very big though. I see it will require more talent to mend a stocking with big ones in it. When they get beyond darning and want patch work I'll go and buy a new pair for I remember that Aunt Eliza with all her experience was not always successful in this line although always brilliant. When you get this letter I suppose it will be Thanksgiving day. Of course they don't have any in France. We had a holiday here last week & they shut up the school. It is called the day of all the saints. Next day was the day of the dead and all Paris goes to the cemeteries to put wreaths on the graves of their [[?]]. Mrs. Moore says the Chinese carry food to their graves in California.



Transcription Notes:
FIRST PAGE STILL NEEDS TO BE FINISHED AT BOTTOM. NO IDEA. VERY DIFFICULT. - drawings are exquisite! YES! represented --to present again, or renew (Eakins desire to see the picture). Philad. -- Philadelphia Caddy -- Luxembourg Monroe's, American Banker Uncle Emmor Billy Crowell Question - is it "graves of their friends" or "of their family"?