Letter from Mrs. Martin to Guérin CF 23
December 1, 1867.
It was last Thursday, 19, at a quarter past ten in the morning, that my little Marie-Joseph-Jean-Baptiste was born. He is very strong and very much alive, but I had a terrible time and the child was in the greatest danger. I suffered for four hours the sharpest pain I have ever felt. The poor little one was almost asphyxiated and the doctor swamped him before he was born. Now I'm perfectly fine. I got up a little and take this opportunity to write to you. I wish you with all my heart, my dear sister, to be happier than me, I will pray to the good Lord that it will be so and that he will give you a beautiful baby.
I do not write to you any more. See you soon for a longer letter.
My little one just went to nanny. I'm afraid he's not easy to raise; He shouted from Thursday evening until this morning, that is to say thirty‑six hours without stopping. The nanny (Rose Taillé) did not undress for two nights. I was so sorry last night to see this poor child writhing in pain that I didn't sleep; I cried like the nurse who didn't want to take him away, she was too afraid that he would die at her house. This morning, the doctor reassured us and the child was very calm all morning, he only slept and he left this afternoon sleeping.
