FPK to Peter Keyes, November 12, 1933
Dublin Core
Title
FPK to Peter Keyes, November 12, 1933
Description
Letter from Frances to her son, Peter Keyes while she was staying at the Carlton Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq. The letter outlines her travels and her concern for her sons recent date. Describes Baghdad as,"terribly dirty, and there are no buildings of any special interest, but it really has a great charm." Mentions visiting archaeological sites with American and German archaeologists and audience with king.
Creator
Frances Parkinson Keyes
Source
From the collection of Frances Parkinson Keyes Papers, Special Collections, University of Vermont Library.
Date
1933-11-12
Contributor
Digitized, transcribed and encoded by Eric McDowell
Language
English
Type
Document
Identifier
Box 1: Folder 1-22
Coverage
American Northeast
Vermont
Vermont
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
Carlton Hotel, New Street, Baghdad (Iraq) Telephone: Baghdad 242, Telegrams: Carlton Baghdad. Proprietor & Manager: Wajih Namani
Baghdad, Nov. 12, 1933
Dear Peter -
The American mail came in just about an hour before Jon and I left Beirut, and in it was your letter of Oct. 19 - I am so distressed for your sake that the all important date had such an unfortunate ending. I know how much you looked forward to it, and I confess I cant understand why the young lady urged you to come and visit her of she had "fallen for a boy from Yale -" I should think it would have been much better to break it to you in the course of time earlier as, [than to?] point of asking you with great cordiality to stay with her only to deal you a shattering blow! However, I do not know all the circumstances, of course, and I no wish to judge her harshly. Did you give her the evening free just the same, I wonder?
I began to think In would never get away from Beirut, between the bad back and the equally bad inoculations which certainly were a caution! Five of them in ten days are not calculated to make anyone feel very chipper, and the cholera made me pretty sick (Jon got away better, being toucher and younger!) But finally we got off to Damascus, motoring up there from Beirut in one of the college cars. I certainly shall cherish pleasant memories of Beirut in one respect for everyone there was kind as possible
[Page 2]
to us, and this is dodge, the presidents wife, with I stayed, a most charming and kind lady.
We left Damascus at the timely hour of 7 a.m Tuesday, which of course meant rising at 5:30, and had a fine flight, reaching here at noon, a journey which formally and not so long ago took weeks to make. We have really crowded a great deal into a very short stay. The city is terribly dirty, and there are no buildings of any special interest here, but it really has great charm. The hotel is not really as uncomfortable as I expected, and the American consul has been kind and co-operative. We had dinner at his house last night and among our fellow guests was Richard Halliburton who is also on his way to Persia (in his own plane, with a friend) I liked him very much. We have been through the [?], of which the sections devoted to copper and silver are very interesting the rest not especially so; we have been out to see the excavations at [Ctesarau], near here, in which Jon was much interested, as he had studied about them in fine arts and we were kindly received by the American and German archaeologists there and invited to stay to tea, and we have had an audience with the king, so altogether, as you can see, our time has been well filled we leave tomorrow morning for Teheran. Much love always, mother.
Baghdad, Nov. 12, 1933
Dear Peter -
The American mail came in just about an hour before Jon and I left Beirut, and in it was your letter of Oct. 19 - I am so distressed for your sake that the all important date had such an unfortunate ending. I know how much you looked forward to it, and I confess I cant understand why the young lady urged you to come and visit her of she had "fallen for a boy from Yale -" I should think it would have been much better to break it to you in the course of time earlier as, [than to?] point of asking you with great cordiality to stay with her only to deal you a shattering blow! However, I do not know all the circumstances, of course, and I no wish to judge her harshly. Did you give her the evening free just the same, I wonder?
I began to think In would never get away from Beirut, between the bad back and the equally bad inoculations which certainly were a caution! Five of them in ten days are not calculated to make anyone feel very chipper, and the cholera made me pretty sick (Jon got away better, being toucher and younger!) But finally we got off to Damascus, motoring up there from Beirut in one of the college cars. I certainly shall cherish pleasant memories of Beirut in one respect for everyone there was kind as possible
[Page 2]
to us, and this is dodge, the presidents wife, with I stayed, a most charming and kind lady.
We left Damascus at the timely hour of 7 a.m Tuesday, which of course meant rising at 5:30, and had a fine flight, reaching here at noon, a journey which formally and not so long ago took weeks to make. We have really crowded a great deal into a very short stay. The city is terribly dirty, and there are no buildings of any special interest here, but it really has great charm. The hotel is not really as uncomfortable as I expected, and the American consul has been kind and co-operative. We had dinner at his house last night and among our fellow guests was Richard Halliburton who is also on his way to Persia (in his own plane, with a friend) I liked him very much. We have been through the [?], of which the sections devoted to copper and silver are very interesting the rest not especially so; we have been out to see the excavations at [Ctesarau], near here, in which Jon was much interested, as he had studied about them in fine arts and we were kindly received by the American and German archaeologists there and invited to stay to tea, and we have had an audience with the king, so altogether, as you can see, our time has been well filled we leave tomorrow morning for Teheran. Much love always, mother.