27 May 1930
John Griffin to Mother and Father, Paris, France
Things here are going along about the same. I'm working hard in school and don't have much time for anything else. We got notice on the exams the other day and I found out that you get credit for everything you do. That is, they give you certificate in each subject. It takes four of these certificates to make a diploma. The diploma really has no particular value except to signify that you've passed 4 subjects successfully. The big universities in the east recognize the work here and give you credit for it. So with the French and the subjects that I've taken here, if I pass them, will amount to about a year's work at home. This will be a big help because I'll have about all my two years pre-law then. They have posted the last year's exam questions so as to give us an idea and they don't look so terribly hard. The only thing is having to write it in French without dictionaries.
Most of our Paris Mormon colony is leaving this weekend. I hear though that others are coming, among them, Alice Tauner and Frank Maurtensen's sister. That reminds me, last Saturday frere White arrived from Belgium. He is headed for Greece, Palistine, Morocco, etc. he is not sailing until the 8th of August and is going to travel all the time. I'll bet he gets tired traveling before it's over with. Rowland is going to school in Germany and Frank Maurtensen will be here today on his way to Spain. Then he'll go back with his sister.
The weather here the last month has been terrible. Yesterday afternoon the clouds cleared off and the sun came out, but this morning it looks like rain again, and besides it is cold as can be. You're not comfortable outside without a coat. I suppose in a month from now it will be another story.
I received a card from Merrill up at the Passion Play the other day. He's now in Italy and will be up here about the 8th or 9th of June. He is sailing on the 2nd of July.
Your letter finally came... There was $15 and Aunt Effies check that I'm sending back, and $10 in your letter... We both feel rather low right now. Frere Christensen just got a letter back from the B.Y.U. and there was a job he could have gotten if he had gone home instead of going to school. The slump has hurt his father too and it seems that I'm not the only one whose parents have a hard time getting money for. The slump seems to have hurt everyone. A fellow at school was telling me that even graduates with Masters Degrees were having hard times to find jobs.
I guess I made a big mistake staying over here. Now I could have been helping instead of being a burden. I surely hope you havn't said anything about bringing a diamond home to anyone else. Perhaps we'd better forget all about that; money is so hard to get. It will cost me about $125 more to get home and then the money for the diamond. Dad said that the banker didn't want to lend me the money. So if we forget the diamond, that will make the $125 more and I have $25 you've sent me for my suit. You know best what to do, and I will be satisfied with whatever decision you make. I think I will get my suit over here because I can get a better suit cheaper and if I insist I can get just as good a model as at home. I must also get me a pair of shoes, but I'll get along all right.
I think we will probably sail on the 5th of July on the President Roosevelt. This will get us in New York on the 13th and we should make it home by the 18th or 20th . I may be home for the 24th yet, though we are not quite decided yet on the sailing date. Your cake, roast beef, ice cream, etc. is going to taste mighty keen to me. Of the 33 months I've been away I've passed a good 30 of them eating in restaurants. I got something the other day that put me out, and I felt like I was going to pass out last night. However I took some soda and went to bed. It is all well again this a.m...
I wish Dot would show forth a little of her lovelyness writing me letters. They're getting more scarce all the time.
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