From Sr Marie-Dosithée Guérin to her brother
By distraction the editor affixes the date of June 14, the letter is in fact of July 14. The 4th page bears the address and the different postmarks of July 15 and 16, 1867
G+J
From our Mother of Le Mans,
14 [July] 1867
Your letter made me very happy and I see with happiness that you are still very happy and I believe like you that it will last forever, because you possess all the elements of happiness: virtue, kindness, friendliness, finally in two words everything that can make life happy, so I assure you that you have many thanksgivings to give to God and to the Blessed Virgin, she visibly protected you and took the place of your mother; also I would like to see you have a great devotion to this good mother so that she may not cease to help you in all your needs which will always increase as[1 v°] you advance in life; here is the Assumption, if you were a good boy, you know what you would do......
I do believe, dear friend, that you have a lot of work at the moment because of all your preparations, and I think like you that you don't have time to do evil, but it seems to me that when you would have time, you wouldn't want to, so that's not what worries me I assure you, I know you too well for that, only what I'm afraid is that you won't do not good enough.
I rejoice in the happiness that heaven lets you hope for next year (the birth of a first child, scheduled for February 1868), it all seems like a dream to me, it seems to me that you are being born, and my joy and my happiness. Dear friend, my affection has never varied and it will never vary, it will pass on to your posterity, whom I will love like my dear little brother whom I have pampered so much [2 r°] perhaps I will pamper yours also, if you have daughters perhaps you will give them to me (as boarders at the Visitation), anyway, I would like them
I will be very happy to see you in September, I am very happy that Céline is willing to accept an introduction to the devout life, I think it will go well with her candid and pure soul, it is a little book composed by our St. Founder for a pious lady, I advise you to read it too.
Goodbye dear friend, I must want to write to you to do so.
I am overwhelmed today with inconveniences, I write in the visiting room and while giving lessons, finally I count on your indulgence.
I kiss you dear friend
your loving sister
Sr. Marie Dosithee Guérin
From the Von Ste Marie
DSB
If you wanted to be good enough to send me some stamps, I think you're out
