Letter from Mrs. Martin to her brother Isidore CF 61
October 1870.
I received your letter on my way back from Le Mans, my little one was already very ill. I no longer had my head. If you only knew what happened to my poor little Thérèse! It was his unworthy nurse who starved him to death.
I learned, too late, that my child had fasted at her house. As soon as it was taken from him, the doctor told me. Her bones would have been counted, and yet she was not sick in her house except three days before I took her away from her. Then she recovered a little. I thought she was saved, you could see her growing, but she was too damaged and too weak to take over.
She was such a pretty little girl; she had eyes like you never see in babies of that age, and such fine features! And to think that I was starved to death! Isn't that appalling? You don't know how happy I was raising this little one myself! I was as happy to have him as if he had been my first child...
I would now like the good Lord to give me another one; I don't want a little boy, but a little Thérèse who looks like him and who won't go to nurse (because
this time I will take a nanny to my house). No, never, if the good Lord grants me other children, they will never leave the house.
Perhaps if my poor darling had been put back to the breast she could have lived again, but I looked everywhere and found nothing that I needed. My husband left for Heloup at four o'clock in the morning, the day after I took the little one back, to bring back a nurse for ten o'clock. We still had some hope on that side and precisely the one we were counting on had fallen ill. Tell me if I had no misfortune! Finally, it's over, there is no longer any remedy, the best thing is to resign myself. This child is happy and that consoles me.
I'm very glad your wife is well, it worried me. See how happy you are, you've weaned your little girl and she doesn't notice it, and mine died after I saw her dying on my knees for two and a half hours...
Goodbye, write to me soon. I tell you again, it gives me so much pleasure.
Little Céline is very caressing, she begins to talk nicely. Every day, I lamented the loss of my little Thérèse and I said: “My poor little girl! Immediately, Céline came to hang herself after me, believing that it was her I was talking to. She looks for her little sister everywhere and asks for "the sister".
To console me, several people have told the maid that Céline will not be alive for long! It's true that she doesn't look very good at the moment. Despite that, she's stronger than Jeanne was when I saw her a year ago, but she's small.
Goodbye, once again, I kiss you both with all my heart. A thousand kisses to Jeanne and Marie.
