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26 July 1922

Hotel Chateau Belle Vue, Sierre, Switzerland

There is a remarkable old talker here at present - an American, aged eighty eight - with his wife and daughter. The daughter looks about sixty five. According to the ancient gentleman, they have been on the wing ever since he retired at the age of seventy five, and they intend remaining on the wing for another fifteen years or so! He is full of fire still, dresses every night for dinner, plays bridge, and loves to start a gossip with "In the year 1865". Its very interesting listening to his memories of early Noo York and of American life generally 'way back. I think he mistook me for a young person home for the holidays. For he introduced himself with the words "Boys seem skeerce here. May be you wouldn't mind if I tried to entertain you a li'll". When he said boys, I thought at first he must be alluding to farm labourers, but then memories of American novels "put me right", as they say. [To Harold Beauchamp, 28 July 1922.]