84 Rue D’Assas,

June 10, 1890

My darling Father & Mother,

Here I am safe and well in this great and beautiful city.  I reached here last evening about 6.45.  One of the teachers from this school came to the station to meet me.  She is a pretty dark haired and eyed girl and seems very young.  she has been very kind & helpful.  This morning she went with me to see about my trunk. After what the Waterville boys used to call a great deal of red tape we went away with the promise that it should be sent me in the morning.  It had to be opened and examined to see if there were any article in it liable to duty.  The man put his dirty hands into my trunk and on my white dresses, but I had to bear it! and was glad to get off without any duty.  I had a comfortable journey from Cologne.  Miss Swan and I separated at 8.30- Strange was it not but our trains one for Paris ad one for Hannover left at exactly the same minute- she was  to reach it at about three and I Paris a few hours later.  you see  it was not a long journey here.  I got into a second class car with three ladies and one gentleman, all french, on one of which could speak a little German.  When we were  about two  hours ride from Paris we had to have our hand packages examined.  We were all obliged to go into one building where the doors were locked.  Then the officers after after our packages were examined went into every car and examined above and below for hidden goods.  It was absurd to watch them.  We took a carriage at the Paris station and came directly to the house.  I just heard a cry at my door a french mieux, I hastened to let my new friend in– It is a lovely Maltese angora cat with a lovely tail and dignified charming French manner.  You see how kind she was to come and call, knowing that I was a stranger here.  She is rolling in my lap trying to get my attention and some petting.  I think she won’t improve the looks of my blue dress.  I am delighted to find three cats here – Do you think it would ever be possible for me to be lonely in Paris with three cats.  I have already made friends with this one.When I came in last evening I found them eating dinner.  Dinner in Paris as about seven.  I came up to my room for a wash then down again to meet the mesmoiselles, mademoiselle is the singular.

I do not yet understand the family relations or how many are sisters.  One I knew because Miss Bell had told me that one was a dwarf.. She could speak a few words of English, but no German.  I find they dislike the German language and when I answer without thinking in German I think they would be better pleased if I answered in English or French.  They look upon the German as a common sort of people and think it is positively shocking that they eat their vegetables on the same plate with their meat.  Here the plates are changed for each course- potatoes  are not eaten with the meat.  I am sure I should never be so fond of the French as the Germans.  You, I am sure would like the kindly feeling among the Germans.

If you were her in my room and could look out from my window into mademoiselle’s  pretty little garden, see the chicken house at the end where she has a brood of small chickens.  And the large and fine trees and the grass plot,  you would never dream yo were in Paris. The air is very good here.  Far better than in H.   My room is on the third floor – not so many stairs to go up  as in H- Then Too my room is a very quiet one.  There are no noisy girls here.  I hardly hear a sound except the chattering of birds in the garden. and th distant sound of wheels.  We are not directly on rue d’asses, but are on a little alley leading off which is not a public street.  So we are very secluded, although in the very heart of Paris.  Only a half minute away are the beautiful Luxembourg gardens, which I went through this morning.  They are very, very large- I have no idea how many acres are laid out with walks and gardens and trees, statuary and fountains.  My Room is a comfortable size with a single bed which I found very nice last night., two upholstered chairs, one an arm chair which with my black walnut table is very convenient for writing, a stand near my bed for my queer brass candle stick, which stand also answers as a commode and stand for washing. A marble fire place and a wood  floor painted red and covered with two small rugs. There are three windows doors.  In the room on my right is an English lady who is here to learn French, and on my left a French girl.  The house is almost solemnly still, but the change from noisy Hannover is pleasant.  The scholars, I judge , are mostly day pupils and are very young.  The school room s are one storied pleasant, airy buildings around the garden.  On the whole I think I am very pleasantly situated.  Everyone is very kind to me and everyone who knew Miss Bell speaks in very high terms of her, and tell how beautifully she learned to spea French.  Mornings we have a bowl of chocolate and toast.  I think the chocolate will be better for me than coffee.

The tuition in the school is free.  I can go in and take what I choose without paying extra.  So is the wine free.  That wine be good for me.  I know, Miss Bell advises me not the drink the water here. She says it didn’t agree with her.  She drank the wine and advises me t (also.).  The English lady has been very kind and obliging.  We are going out to night after dinner to buy some stamps and mail this letter an one I have written to Johanne.  It was not the parting from Hannover which was hard.  It was leaving Johanne and her house, her land which was painful.  I feel an interest in all Germans for her sake.  I can not tell you what a dear true friend she is.  I have found in her a really sympathetic friend who understands me and whom I understand.

I found six letters awaiting me on my arrival- a postal card from Miss Swan an;d an announcement of  of the arrival of my trunk.  Two letters from you!  They were a sweet welcome on reaching this new city..  There was a lovely dear letter from Miss Bell, and two from Johanne. Miss Bell thinks of going to Nantucket this Summer.  She has not yet decided what she will do.  She and Miss Knight will go somewhere together I think…

I am going to find out soon from mademoiselle just when they go to their Summer home in Normandy.  I expect to leave Paris of course, when they go.  I think they go about the middle of July.  I will then go to London, and will probably be home about the 9th or 10th of Aug.  Just as soon as I know I will write to London to the agent who offered to give me students rates and engage my passage.

It is now only a short time before I shall see you .  When you receive, you probably only six or seven weeks will remain before I shall be home if all goes well.

I am sorry Rena is not well. Please give her and all the family my love.

I am glad the cod liver oil is doing you good, Papa.  You ;must be very fat and well looking when I come home.  I shall have so much to tell you that it will be necessary to be strong in order to bear all the history of my travels.  I have not time in this letter to tell you about my delightful trip.  But another time dears when I get settled and have more leisure.  My trunk comes to-morrow.  I shall be glad to be clean again.

Johanne gave me a picture of herself in Eystrup taken with her Leica which is very good.  I do not like the one of her I sent you – she has a fine face,  not pretty- but true and kind with sweet blue eyes and dark hair.  Her picture doesn’t do her justice.  My cat first retired to the carpet, but now has taken possession of the only other vacant chair.

The bell has just rung for dinner.

We had a nice dinner, roast beef, cauliflower, lettuce served with an olive oil dressing as I like it, and for dessert strawberries and little cakes.  We have wine always for dinner and I think for breakfast.  We have only three meals a day here. Chocolate and toast at eight, breakfast at twelve, and dinner at anywhere  between 6.30 to 7.30.

some things are peculiar.  I see I am expected to furnish my own light now that the evenings are so long.  I can manage not to have to use many candles a week.  I will go to bed and get up in the morning- if I am not too sleepy.

This English lady is very kind to me.  When she found I came in too late for breakfast because I had to go as it seemed to the to the other end of the city to see about my trunk, she ordered a lunch of eggs, bread and wine for me.  They also brought me a dish of cherries which I didn’t dare to eat.  I tasted one half a dozen or so  of the strawberries to night tasted very good.  The money reached me was here when I came .  The money Carl sent to 26 rue Gay  Laussal.  I owe Miss Swan all of the 20 lbs. except about 75 cents.  I will sign it and send it to her.  I have money enough for the next three weeks.  But I shall need more when my bills become due the 9th of July.  Would it not be better and easier then to send me enough to cover my expenses until I reach home?  I do not know exactly what my expenses here a month will be but I think I ought to have $150 more before I land at the No. Brookfield Station.  I have not reread this letter. But I trust you can make it out.  It is getting too dark to see well and I am saving of my small piece of candle.  Thank you for your dear letters So also to Grettie and all.

Write as often as you can.

I must close now on account of the dark and because the Eng. lady is waiting to go out with me.

With very much love to you both,

your own,

Harriett E. Risley.

I forgot to say that I am very well, indeed. I am not especially fat, but  my health is good, very good.