Letter from Mrs. Martin to her brother Isidore CF 11
12 January 1865.
I wrote you a five-page letter a fortnight before New Year's Day, no doubt you haven't received it, because you don't mention it to me; this confused me a bit.
The whole family is doing well. I thought my granddaughters were going to get measles, but it was just a bad cold. Little Léonie walks alone at last. Little Hélène (born October 3, 1864) is growing very well, she is as beautiful as an angel. I went to see her on the first day of the year, I assure you that I am very deprived of it, I think about it constantly. She has a good nurse, full of health.
Marie, Pauline and Léonie had a great New Year's Eve. Misses X. have spoiled them and are always very kind to us. Miss Pauline R. gave her goddaughter a pretty doll. This little Pauline is always very funny. She enjoys teasing Marie. She shows him your portrait every day, saying: “Here is my godfather, my godfather is handsome; look, Marie, he has hair on his head, and yours has none. She says this because her grandfather is bald. (M. Guérin senior was Marie's godfather).
I don't know how to tell you anything else because I'm too distracted, I hear everyone talking at the same time.
Louis asks me to pay you his compliments; he just scolded me for not answering you sooner. I would have written to you, but, you see, I wasn't happy. You didn't say a word of my letter to me, I who had gone to bed so late to write it and who was so tired.
I wish you a happy new year, good health and Heaven as late as possible, because I believe that you will enter it with a good heart only when you cannot do otherwise...
