Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/100/1 - February 1918 - Part 3

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must say this people

of Paris does not

stint itself in / matter

of dinners like London

has to. We had a dinner

at wh one wd almost

have shied even in time 

of peace - ending with

a huge square o / most

delicious pastry &

butter cream. Unquestionably

 - unquestionably it is

/ people of England wh

is bearing the biggest stress

in this was at / present

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31a

moment. Their sacrifices

are very real of

late. Here in France

bread & most other foods

seem abundant.

I was ever so glad

to go to / Folies Bergeres

It was a light entertainment

 - not different from that of

/ London music halls -

but the interest in it

ws / crowd in the 

cafe' in / interval. I

suppose / world will

never see it again -

There ws every nation

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101

under / sun & you

cd tell them each

(wh you cd never do

a peace) by their

uniform. There were

French civilians

& their wives & sweethearts

& cocottes. There were

Americans - scores &

Scores of Americans offices

in their khaki tunics

with stiff high collars,

there were spruce [[trimed?]]

polished British officers,

French officers & men

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33

in their grey - blue, &

in their peace time blue

& red; there were

big Yankee soldiers in

their long over coats & [[rounded?]]

hats, almost like

so many monks : x

there were Canadians

 - rather like British

soldiers except for the by

square patches of colour on their

back or arms; there

were a few British Tommies

(though, poor old fellows, they

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34

have  not the money

for the Folies Bergeres

for the most part-

nor even for Paris; nor

the education to wish

to go there, I think - many

of them - or perhaps they

prefer always to go to their

homes; & -

There were our old

Australians ; not so many

as / Americans, but still

a good sprinkling. There

they were in their dashing

up turned hats & look

easy fitting uniform ; it

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35

was not any fancy 

of mine tt they looked

so easy - they were

marked amongst all /

rest of their easy,

frank natural manners;

Their confident walk;

their free unrestrained

enjoyment. They made

their way through these

Paris crowds - either

with a mate or with

a girl - a woman they

had picked up, no doubt,

but often very quite respectable

in appearance as these

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36

Paris cocottes often

are - they made

their way through

Paris exactly as if it

were Sydney or Manly

or Warrnambool -

It was an Australian,

up in front of the nigger

orchestra, who was 

waving his cane to the 

music - dancing a half

cake walk - laughing

chatting with the French

men & the Canadians

around - he was not

drunk - & keeping a 

third the folk about

 

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37

him merry - The

Americans were stiff

& cold & restrained

 - our men were there to 

enjoy themselves & were

living every minute.

If a we were nation

with so frank & fire

& soul does not add

something of great value

to / world I shall be

xx - it will belie all

its appearance & its

promise.

We went to the American

mission to get our

passes. We found inside

/ door an xx orderly

in a niche, with his

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107

feet ( true to type)

up on / ledge tt took its

place. I am not sure

tt he ever took them

down. xxx They seemed

 big lot of fellows

& capable - curt but

keen enough to help.

Their xxxx military

police are not camouflaged

in / least - they carry

great batons like a

baseball stick.

1039

Feb. 17th. Sunday.

We cannot get

away till tomorrow -

Cadge ws right.

So we went to Notre

Dame & Versailles & the Trianons.

I never saw the great

Western Arch & window

Of Notre Dame look so

wonderfully restful

& beautiful - the

Equisite simple line o

/ arch against / deep

soft shadows & / rich

colour & half guessed
tracery] o / huge rose

window above. There