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Letter from Joseph Roulin to Wilhelmina van Gogh
Arles, 7 January 1889

Miss Van Gogh,

I acknowledge receipt of your kind letter, by which you do me too much honour, and I make haste to answer you that your amiable brother Vincent has quite recovered; he left the asylum today, the 7th inst. What caused my reply to be postponed for twenty-four hours is the fact that we kept each other company all day long, and I beg you to write him a letter. I have not let him read your letter, for he would be too chagrined to know that he has caused you so much grief. When you write him, please do not let him know that you are informed of the causes of his distemper, and tell him that you have learned through the mediation of your brother in Paris that he has been indisposed, and that you are very happy to hear that he has recovered.

We talked at great length about you as well as about your mother today.

Many thanks for the good wishes you expressed with regard to my wife and our little girl. Please set your mind quite at ease as to the health of my good friend Vincent; I go to see him as often as my work permits and if something should happen again, I should inform you as soon as possible.

I do not think I deserve all the words of gratitude which you address to me, but I shall always do my utmost to deserve the esteem of my friend Vincent as well as of those who are dear to him.

Please give my respectful regards, along with those of my family, to Madame your mother.

I beg you, Miss, to accept the sincere regards of the friend of your worthy brother Vincent.

Joseph Roulin

Post Office Agent

10 Rue de la Montagne des Cordes

Arles sur Rhône

Bouches du Rhône


At this time, Vincent was 35 year old
Source:
Joseph Roulin. Letter to Wilhelmina van Gogh. Written 7 January 1889 in Arles. Translated by Mrs. Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, edited by Robert Harrison, number htm.
URL: https://www.webexhibits.org/vangogh/letter/19/etc-W10.htm.

This letter may be freely used, in accordance with the terms of this site.
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