Letter T40
Paris, 3 July 1890

My dear Vincent,

Many thanks for your letter. Happily, mine contains good news of the little one. After some days of suffering he is beginning to be merry again and not to cry so much. This is due to the good ass's milk we are giving him now. The animals come to the door, and in the morning he gets warm milk, always from the same animal. After that there remains enough for two portions which he gets alternately with his mother's milk, which is now coming in abundance. At the moment he is looking very well.

It is necessary for him to take ass's milk for at least 15 days, so we shall not be able to go visit Pissarro on July 14. Therefore I have reserved this day to go see Claude Monet with Valadon, who will be sure to annoy me that day, but I am glad to be going to see the new works by Monet.

There is no reason for you to put off your visit - not that we didn't appreciate your willingness to come share our troubles; on the contrary; many thanks for that, but with a patient in the house the fewer visitors the better. So come if you want on Sunday by the first train; in the morning you will see Walpole Brook, who has just seen your paintings at Tangui's. Afterwards we are going to look at a Japanese Buddha that I have seen at a curio dealer's, and then will lunch at home and look at your studies with you. You can stay with us as long as you like, and you can advise us with regard to the arrangement of our new apartment.

Probably Dries and Annie will take the ground floor, and they will have a little garden, which we shall make good use of, of course. If the two women can hit it off, it promises well. It is quite possible that Dries will join us. I have been quite lucky in business, although my painting sales do not amount to 800,000,000,000 frs., but among other things I have sold two Gauguins, for which I sent him the money. Pissarro wrote to tell me that he could not pay his rent; I shall send him a little advance upon the business we are going to do. It is true, his exhibition brought in something, but it is only enough to plug the leaks. He has an abscess in one eye. Poor old fellow.

Good-by, brother, we count on seeing you on Sunday. Kindest regards from Jo, and the little one is smiling as before his illness. A cordial handshake from your brother who loves you.

Theo

Regards to Dr. Gachet and family.

The sketch of the landscape in the manner of Michel is promising [JH 2039], and the portrait must be superb.