You asked me whether I was sick because I didn’t go to work. Absolutely not. I was just disgusted and comfortable. Also it was a good move, though I didn’t realize it at the time. It seemed to tell more effectively than words that I was dissatisfied, and I don’t doubt that it was the immediate cause of my promotion.
This promotion thing came through Monday but dates as from Jan. 1. It is sort of anti-climactical but nevertheless I’m not turning down the extra hundred francs a month. I skipped the grades of corporal and sergeant so now I wear the thing on my right arm; And they all call me sergeant. Ain’t it grand? See what you get by being mechant once in a while?
Monday night I went to see the opera with Mme. Bellamy, her sister and b-in-l. We wanted to hear Battistini, an Italian baritone, in Rigoletto, but he was indisposed. So we heard “Romeo and Juliet”. Preserve me! M. Daniel is Italian and, of course had no use for the tuneless mediocrity of the thing. I thoroughly agreed with him. But before I lose interest in French operas I want to hear more of them here. “Louise”, for example, “Thais”, “Samson and Delilah.”
The opera is a very beautiful building and worth seeing. They have two sets of opera here. One is called the Opera, the other Opera Comique. Just what is the difference I don’t know. In a general way, though the grand opera is at the Opera, the rest at the Opera Comique. The cast was very ordinary in voice, but good in looks.
Rumors say we’ll move from here by the end of next month, but I doubt it, as yet. Even if we did, we’d spend at least six weeks in some cold, muddy camp before getting on the boat, so I can’t possibly be in America before May 1st.
At any rate, I am heartily sick of armies and war.
Next post January 28.
Letters from Sidney Friend During The Great War 