At Les Buissonnets. August 18, 87
Dear little Mary,
My uncle has just told me that you are sick, little naughty girl, as soon as you can have a little pleasure, immediately you hurry very hard to be sick. You are very happy that I am far from you, otherwise you would certainly have had to deal with me...
And my dear Aunt, how is she? Always better I hope. Alas, as things happen quite differently from what one imagines, I saw you from afar, running merrily in the park looking at the fish, giving you a lot of pleasure with Jeanne, finally I saw you leading the life of a chatelaine; but instead of the life of a chatelaine, you lead a sick life over there, oh! my poor darling, I pity you with all my heart, but you must not be discouraged, because you still have time to walk around and have fun; you just have to quickly leave your room, which, although beautiful and gilded, is + for the little bird that would like to hop in the beautiful Sun which it sees through the windows + only a beautiful Cage.
(I realize that I have just put the cart before the horse, please understand the little crosses that I put in the previous sentence).
Yes my little sister CHERIE, you need the fresh air of the park like the little birds. When you return to our midst, you must be as fresh as a pretty rose which has just opened; Oh ! my darling, speaking of roses, I really want to kiss your cute cheeks, they are not pink, but I like a beautiful white rose as much as a red rose; try to make your little cheeks less white and ask Jeanne to kiss them for me, tell her that I also think of her a lot and I send her a kiss with all my heart. My dear Marie, I let my pen run wild and she wrote things that are not easy to read or understand; Please just blame her for these nasty things, but what I don't want you to attribute to her is your little sister's affection for you.
Give a big hug for me to my dear aunt whom I love with all my heart.
Farewell, darling little sister, I send you a good kiss with the recommendation that you get well quickly to have a little pleasure.
your sister who loves you,
Thérèse
em
