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"Sketch by Vincent," Vincent van Gogh
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Dear Theo,
Enclosed you will find a postal order of ten shillings and
an advertisement for Anna.
Be so kind as to have it put in any paper you think best. If
it is not enough, I shall send you the rest, and if it is too
much, buy some photographs with it and send them to Etten on
May 21[their parent's silver wedding], but at all events tell
me how much you paid for the advertisement and where it was
placed, in case I should need to do it again.
Today, Mr. Stokes has returned. He is man of medium height;
he is completely bald, and wears whiskers. They say that the
boys respect him, but they love him just the same; ten hours
after he arrived, they were playing marbles with him.
We often go to the beach; this morning I helped the boys
make a sandcastle, like we used to make in the garden at
Zundert.
I wish you could catch a look out of the windows of the
school. The residence looks out on a square (all the houses in
this square look the same, it's often the case here), in the
middle of which is a large lawn enclosed by an iron fence and
lined with lilacs. This is where the boys play at midday. The
house where I have my room is in the same square.
When I was in Rotterdam and heard that I had a long wait, I
was on the point of coming to The Hague; I even went to the
station. Yet I did not go.
In the morning we went to church at the Hoeve 1 and
received communion; Father's text was, “Arise, let us go
hence.”
And in the afternoon we did arise, and from the carriage
window I saw Father and our little brother standing on the
road, looking after the train.
And Sunday afternoon I was at the church in Ramsgate, and
there I was struck by the words on the wall which you will find
in Anna's letter (which I enclose).
Compliments to Roos and to everybody who may ask after me. A
firm handshake from
Your loving brother, Vincent
1. A little village in the neighbourhood of Etten.
[Enclosed with the letter was a sketch of the view from
the school window.]
At this time, Vincent was 23 year oldSource:
Vincent van Gogh. Letter to Theo van Gogh. Written 21 April 1876 in Ramsgate. Translated by Mrs. Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, edited by Robert Harrison, number 062.
URL: https://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/4/062.htm.
This letter may be freely used, in accordance with the terms of this site.
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