Charles E. H. Bates Family Correspondence, 1899-1930 - 5

727 Paru Street March 3rd 1919

My own dearest Edward. Your latest letter dated Feb 1st Myer Va. arrived last week & in it you told of seeing unusual call charges today only two [underlined] days later the lace arrived - consisting of two beautiful Irish lace collars. and one "centrepiece" as we call it made of [inserted:] a very fine "Cluny" or "Florentine" lace. They are all [underlined] beautiful [underlined] dear! of a lovely quality - especially the centrepiece (for table) you [underlined] called it spread - & so I thought you meant

a bed-spread until I saw it perhaps the French call these table centres "spreads" but in the US it is "Centrepiece" or a small "luncheon cloth" - It might be called for it is nearly large enough At any rate it is a beautiful [underlined] thing dear & you were not deceived as to its quality - Nor were you in the "Irish Crochet" either - they are both [inserted] & all beautiful [underlined] work - especially the larger one - the one with the great big irises or wheeleffects on the dege it [underlined] is what is called "baby Irish" which means a very [underlined] fine & dainty [underlined] quality. Not that it is intended

for a baby to wear - not that it is a very [underlined] fine weave - It [underlined] is beautiful [underlined] and everyone raves about it, and we all wonder how it was you were able to pick out such good [underlined] lace. It's easy for a man to be deceived about lace because they have so little real knowledge of it that they can easily be deceived and sold cheap machine made lace. Do you remember Dick told us when the midshipman were taken on that European Cruise the Chaplain on board warned them all not to buy lace at Schalter unless they knew [underlined] what they were doing

There is a beautiful Maltese lace sold there but unless you knew something about it you were likely [underlined] to be sold some cheap imitation -- However dear. I don't know what you were charged for this lace you sent but it is the real [underlined] thing and of a beautifully fine quality so you did very cleverly in choosing it. I can't tell you dear how deeply I appreciate you thinking of it for me and know I shall treasure it always. [underlined]

I hope you have not spent a great deal of money for it dear - especially if you are coming home soon - but

it will not be wasted for I enjoy showing it to everyone, & am planning to have a dress made. I don't know yet what kind but something with which I can wear one of these beautiful collars!!! In the same letter dear you spoke at some length about feeling uncertain about whether you should apply to come home or not? Of course you know what we [underlined] would like best of all - yet we would not want you to give up the service if you really like it - and it is a difficult question in a way