Letter from Mrs. Martin CF 97
To his brother Isidore Guérin
4 may 1873.
I don't know how to find the time to write to you, for like you I'm in a lot of trouble; I alone can take care of Marie day and night, and yet I have many other things to do. I keep going up and down; you are going to say to me: “Get help”; but Marie doesn't want anyone other than me to touch her. Last Thursday, I had to stay at my office to receive the workers, and I had to leave everyone to go to her; the maid would come and say to me: "Mademoiselle Marie wants it to be 'Maman'."
In the end, she is no better. We're sorry, she's visibly wasting away and if this continues for a long time, I'm afraid another illness will take hold that will take her away from us.
M. Vital and Miss Pauline are leaving here, they hadn't seen her for a week; they seemed worried to me and found her worse than last week; his condition is however still more or less the same. The fever hasn't gone up or down, but the higher it goes, the weaker it gets.
I don't know when this illness will end, and if it continues, I believe that I too will fall ill, from fatigue and pain. Louis is going on a pilgrimage tomorrow Monday, on foot and on an empty stomach, a few leagues from Alençon, where a saint who cures fever is honored. Let's hope....
