[Written at the top in his mother's handwriting: "Last letter from
Vincent: 10 days before."
Dear Mother,
Many thanks for your last letter, which I have not yet
answered. At the time Wil told me that you have been to Nuenen,
which I can quite well understand, and I am already longing to
hear from you how you found things there and of your visits to
old friends.
Time passes quickly, though some days last long. And it was
with great interest that I heard that Wil was working in the
Walloon hospital. In fact, I did not intend to return to Paris so soon; I should have stayed
in St. Rémy another year if I had not attributed
my last attack partly to the influence which the illness of
others had on me, for which reason I decided it was time to
change my surroundings if I wanted to keep my energy, such as
it is, and what I have left of common sense. I wrote this to
Dr. Peyron today; we had words over it, but we separated on
good terms, and he has asked Theo for news of me. I liked him
very much, and in turn he differentiated between me and his
other patients in my favour.
And things are such that if I should ever want to go back
there, I should be there as with friends. But the pleasure of
seeing Theo again and making the acquaintance of Jo, who seems
to me sensible and cordial and simple, and my new little
namesake, and further, to be back among painters and interested
in all the struggle and discussions and especially in the work
of the little self-contained world of painters -
The physician here has shown me much sympathy, I may come to
his house as often as I want, and he has a good knowledge of
what is being done these days among the painters. He himself is
very nervous, which I suppose has not improved since his
wife's death. He has two children, a girl of 19 and a boy
of 16. He tells me that in my case work is the best thing
to keep my balance.
Well, during the last fortnight or three weeks which I spent
in St. Rémy I worked from morning till night
without stopping. And I stayed in Paris for only a few days,
and started working here right away.
I heard some details about Cor from him. When you write,
please send my best regards, and tell him I am back again. I
would write him, but it is such a different profession, his and
mine.
Theo's vacation is approaching, and so you will see him
again pretty soon. They also intend to spend a few days here,
for we saw each other for only a short time and hurriedly.
Unfortunately it is expensive here in the village, but
Gachet, the physician, tells me that it is the same in all the
villages in the vicinity, and that he himself suffers much from
it compared with before. And for some time to come I shall have
to stay near a physician I know. And I can pay him in pictures,
and I could not do that with anyone else if anything happened
and I needed help.
Now I say goodbye to you, for I have to go out.
Hoping you and Wil will receive this in good health, and
embracing you in thought,
Your loving Vincent
At this time, Vincent was 37 year oldSource: Vincent van Gogh. Letter to His Parents. Written 25 May 1890 in Auvers-sur-Oise. Translated by Robert Harrison, edited by Robert Harrison, number 639. URL: https://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/21/639.htm.
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