From Sister Marie‑Dosithée Guérin to her brother.
V.+J
From our Mother of Le Mans
October 25, 1867
Dear brother
I am responding to your letter a little late, but you will excuse me when you know that it was too late when you wrote to me and that I was ill, I had a little bronchitis which kept me away for a long time. the infirmary, but now I am well, and I am surrounded by so much care that I do not feel the rigors of the season and today Christmas Day I did not go to midnight mass.
I take part in your joy and your happiness, I want your wishes to be granted and that the good Lord gives you a daughter as he gave a son to poor Zélie, I am very happy because she wanted it. so much but I'm afraid that if this continues she will succumb to it, she was very ill and the child had to be baptized before it was born, well I hope that the good Lord will preserve it for her. You cannot [believe] dear friend the pleasure you gave me by telling me that your child would bear the name of Mary to place her under the protection of the Blessed Virgin; I was so afraid that you would not follow the example of your mother and your sister in this, but finally, God be blessed, you have not degenerated from the feelings in which you were brought up.
Allow me, dear friend, to ask you a question which will not seem indiscreet to you if you consider the affection I have for you: you always complain about the difficulties that arise, especially at the start of a career, I had imagined that your Pharmacy was in good shape and that it had to go by itself, wouldn't it be the opposite and you would be in trouble? Dear friend tell me very simply and on what terms you are with your stepfather?
You must have received the little book I sent you, I want it to please my dear little sister-in-law; but you almost annoy me by telling me that you want to [2r°] pay it to me, and what do you want me to do with the money; I assure you that I would not use it; nevertheless if you want to have a mass said for my mother, that will give me great pleasure, because although they say that the dead are quickly forgotten, it is not so for me, on the contrary, the more I go the more I think about it; so I am grateful to you for wanting to give your daughter her name.
Dear little brother, it is useless to tell you all the good wishes and wishes that I make for your happiness in this world and especially in the next; you are quite convinced of their sincerity and in what way I love you, you know me too well to doubt it, however if the good Lord answers my prayers as I hope, certainly all your wishes will be accomplished and especially mine.
Farewell then dear friend.
I `m kissing you with all my heart.
your loving sister
Sr. Marie Dosithee Guérin
From the Von Ste Marie
DSB
169*
