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Beirut, 18 October 1922
My dear cousin,
What a lovely surprise and consolation it was to receive your news this morning. Since the sad events at Smyna, we have been very worried about you and we didn’t know who to turn to find out what had become of you. Some, like Mario Murat who passed through here with his wife and children on the way to Marseille, told us that you had been taken in by the sisters of charity of Bournabat and that you had left with them; others told us that you were at Chic or Mitylene etc. …So, dear cousin, we are delighted to hear that you are safe and well and en route for Trieste. Is your brother there? Or are you going to stay with relatives who live in that town? I do hope you will let me know, and if I can be of any assistance to you, in any way at all, I would be happy to help you at this sad time.
Ines was so happy to read your dear letter of 30 September. She was terribly worried and as you can see, your letter took nearly 20 days to get to us. She sends her love and she says that she can’t even think about all the dangers you have been through without shuddering… such upsetting things we have heard like the death of poor Dr Murphy, who was attacked in his own home because he had no more money to give to the bandits who broke in to his house. He tried to explain to them that he had no more to give them, but they beat him anyway and while he was dying, forced his wife to play dance music on the piano … their young daughters luckily got away over the wall and escaped being brutalised … Corinne’s house was ransacked and burned down. They are in Chic and Emile is currently in Alexandria at the American Consul. I think they will soon go to join him … Feffe Bayan’s wife is due to arrive here in 3 days, they say her husband is still in Smyrna … Teddy Edwards is with family in Malta, as are the Murphys. Emile Bonnal’s family are in Marseille, and the girls are also safe (I mean Marie and her sisters, our relatives). The Pattersons paid 2000 each in gold to protect their home in Bournabat; the Moulinaris are in Paris; R. Charnaud is in Malta with 60 pounds in his pocket; Icard the chemist’s son is dead – he drowned trying to flee – and his father committed suicide when he saw his son’s dead body …. so many sons and daughters lost or disappeared and so much misfortune .. your own case is amongst the most severe as you lost your beautiful home and shop in Smyrna … As for my father-in-law, he foresaw since the 2 September what was going to happen and he wanted to leave, but he wasn’t able to go in time and he only left for Marseille on the morning of the blaze. He went from there to Paris and yesterday we received a telegram from him from Marseille, saying he is on his way here on board the Pierre-Lot, via Smyrna; how his heart will bleed to see the ashes that remain of his beautiful town. We will be very happy to see him again, as we would also have been to see you; we used to go down to meet the refugees coming from Smyrna and ask after you and Helenitza and if you were with your mothers … you would have been welcome here like sisters and you would have been looked after with love and affection. Do please write to us when you receive this letter and tell us all your news. If I am not here, Ines will read your letter. I may be going to Marseille for a few days, though this is not certain yet. In any case, do write to me and let me know, I repeat, if I can provide you with any assistance whatsoever, I would be happy to do so.
We are still in Lebanon because of the little one, who is doing well in the dry mountain climate; our two oldest are at college, half-board and they are doing well. We are waiting for the first rains in order to take our youngest to his grandmother’s in the town, but to date not a drop has fallen. Ines is in good health, and at the moment is busy getting the house ready for Winter and preparing for her father’s arrival.
I will sign off, my dear Maritza, with love to your mother, our respects to your uncle and a warm embrace to you from your devoted cousins.
Albert
info from Joe Murat:
I only can guess that the senders (Albert and Ines) obviously were cousins of my great aunt (my Grandfather Josif’s sister) called Marie.
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