Letter 131 Cuesmes, 5 August 1879
Dear Theo,
I write to you in a great hurry; won鈥檛 it soon be time for you to go to Paris? If so, write to me the day and the hour, and in all probability I shall see you at the station.
If you have time to stay a day, or more or less, I should be very happy; I should have some drawings to show you, types from here; it wouldn鈥檛 be worth while for you to leave the train for those alone, but you would easily find something to attract you in the scenery and in the curious aspect of things 鈥?everything in this neighbourhood has such a picturesque character.
Have you read Les Temps Difficiles [Hard Times] by Dickens? I have written the title in French because there exists a very good French translation for 1fr. 25, in the Hachette edition: Biblioth猫que des meilleurs Romans 茅trangers. [Library of the Best Foreign Novels.] It is a masterpiece, the author in this work has painted a moving and sympathetic portrait of a working man called Stephen Blackpool,
I was in Brussels recently, and in Maria Hoorebeke and in Tournay, partly on foot.
For the present I am at the following address: M. Frank, Evangelist at Cuesmes (near Mons) au Marais.
There have been many thunderstorms here lately. Do try, dear fellow, and arrange to stay over an hour or so.
Lately I have been at a studio again, namely at the Reverend Pietersen鈥檚, who paints in the manner of Schelfhout or Hoppenbrouwers, and has good ideas about art.
He asked me for one of my sketches, a miner type. Often I draw far into the night, to keep some souvenir and to strengthen the thoughts raised involuntarily by the aspect of things here.
But, boy, I have no more time. I have written to Mr. Tersteeg to thank him for the box of paints he sent me,
and the sketchbook, which is almost half full already.
In Brussels I bought from a Jewish book dealer another big sketchbook of old Dutch paper.
Shall I see you? How welcome you would be. I promise you Dickens鈥檚 Les Temps Difficiles if you will come to fetch it; otherwise I will send it to you when I have a chance. 脌 Dieu. A handshake in thought, and believe me always,
Yours truly, Vincent