第8部分(第5/6 頁)

ause　I'm　awfully　weak　yet。　My　right　leg　was　taken　out　of　the　cast　a　couple　of　days　ago　and　it's　still　as　stiff　as　a　board　and　awfully　sore　from　so　much　carving　around　the　knee　joint　and　foot。　But　the　surgeon　whose　name　is　Sammarelli—he　is　the　best　in　Milan　and　knows　Beck　of　New　York；　now　dead；　and　one　of　the　Mayos—　says　that　eventually　it　will　be　all　right。　The　joint　gets　better　every　day　and　I'll　be　moving　it　soon。　I'm　enclosing　a　picture　of　me　in　bed。　It　looks　like　my　left　leg　is　a　stump；　but　it　really　isn't。　Just　bent　so　it　looks　that　way…

Now　Mom　you　may　not　believe　it　but　I　can　speak　Italian　like　a　born　Veronese。　You　see　up　in　the　trenches　I　had　to　talk　it；　there　being　nothing　else　spoken；　so　I　learned　an　awful　lot　and　talked　with　the　officers　by　the　hour　in　Italian。　I　suppose　I'm　shy　on　grammar　but　I'm　long　on　vocabulary。　Lots　of　times　I've　acted　as　interpreter　for　the　hospital。　Somebody　es　in　and　they　can't　understand　what　they　want　and　the　nurse　brings　them　to　my　bed　and　I　straighten　it　all　out。　All　the　nurses　are　Americans。

This　war　makes　us　a　bit　less　fools　than　we　were。　For　instance；　Poles　and　Italians。　I　think　the　officers　of　these　two　nations　are　the　finest　men　I've　ever　known；　There　isn't　going　to　be　any　such　thing　as　“foreigners”　for　me　after　the　war　is　won。　Just　because　your　pals　speak　another　language　shouldn't　make　any　difference。　The　thing　is　to　learn　that　language。　I've　gotten　Italian　pretty　well。　And　I've　picked　up　quite　a　lot　of　Polish　and　my　French　is　improving　a　lot。　It's　better　than　10　years　of　college。　I　know　more　French　and　Italian　now　than　if　I　had　studied　8　years　in　college　and　you　want　to　be　prepared　for　a　lot　of　visitors　after　the　war　now　because　I've　got　a　lot　of　pals　ing　to　see　me　in　Chicago。　That's　the　best　thing　about　thi