Sr Geneviève de la Ste Face to her sister Françoise Thérèse
+ Jesus Carmel April 8, 1917
My darling little sister,
I was looking forward to coming to sing the Alleluia with you whom I love so much. How was your Lent? ours was as usual, we feared that the bread tax would change something.
We shared what we had to tell you so that each of our letters brings you new pleasure.
I'm going to tell you about a beautiful portrait of our Thérèse, life-size, made by the most famous artist in France: Mr Ferdinand Roybet because it was for us, it costs 10.000 francs. Its value is 30.000 francs. It is Baron and Baroness Gerard who give it to us.
Thérèse is represented there standing, she is in a monastery cloister, she seems to come down from a flight of steps, she is holding roses and her Crucifix, (the same idea as what I did). We haven't seen the painting, but it seems to be a marvel. Our little saint is alive there. We will try to get you a positive, a glass in autochrome plates so that you can see it, there will be the colors on this plate.
As the halo has been placed on it (to Thérèse), it (the painting) cannot be published before the beatification. We won't have it here for several months. We will keep it at the Chapter. Later it will have its place in the chapel.
Now, you will find some photographs under this fold, I am not ready for others, because I have very little time. You will also see a power of attorney to sign as we did and to send back to us. We will now have someone to defend our rights. This Mr., a great devotee of our little saint, has already stopped a horrible portrait painted on dishes and which is sold at the bazaar; but it needs powers to act.
I also wanted to ask you if you remember how our Les Buissonnets binoculars and their cases are made so that I can tell Jeanne. I would also like you to send me occasionally a list of our belongings which have remained with Jeanne, because there is no need for them to go to the M family later on. she has from Papa's room and where is it put? Everything passes for coming from Mr. David.
Goodbye beloved little sister, I would have liked to say little pious things to you, I console myself for not being able to by thinking that our elders will do it much better than me.
Your little Céline kissing you
Sr Geneviève de la Sainte Face
