Letter T34 Paris, 10 May 1890
My dear Vincent,
Many thanks for your two letters; I am happy to see that you continue to feel better, and it would give me a great deal of pleasure if you could undertake the journey without danger. Does it seem to you too that it is such a long time since we have seen each other? If you think it so annoying to travel in the company of one of the people of the establishment, my God, you must take the risk, although I must say that I am not like you, and that if I were you I should do it to avoid all the misery that would be brought about by the recurrence of a crisis, for instance if at some unknown railway station you should fall into the hands of people you don’t know, and of whom you cannot tell how they would treat you. Now as soon as you start be sure to send me a telegram at once to let me know what time you will arrive at the Gare de Lyon, so that I may be able to go meet you. Of course it is understood that you will stay with us, if you will content yourself with the little room where we have lodged Wil and many others.
I wrote to Dr. Gachet yesterday to ask him when he is coming to Paris, for then he will sit for consultations, and I asked him at the same time to look for a boardinghouse for you. A change of country might certainly do you good,
but with a view to wintertime it might be better if you were in a warmer climate. But we shall have time enough to talk about it. I also wrote to Dr. Peyron to tell him that, unless there should be some definite danger, I should like him to let you do as you wish, and to let you go. As he has been good to you, try not to hurt him.
I have ordered the paints you asked for from Tanguy and Tasset, as I told myself that they would never be lost. If the paints have not arrived yet, please leave orders for them to be returned. Would it be possible for you to find a quiet spot where you will not be surrounded by people or things that annoy you? I hope so from the bottom of my heart,
and at any rate it would mean an improvement, but people are much the same everywhere, and when you are engrossed in artistic things, you will find precious few people who understand you. To them it is Latin, and they see only a pastime in it, which one should not take seriously.
I have not yet been to the Salon, which they say is pretty mediocre, but there is an exhibition of Japanese drawings and crêpe prints �you will see it when you are here �which is superb. I wish you were here already.
Don’t forget to wire. Cordial greetings from Jo and the little one; they are both well; a cordial handshake, and I hope to see you soon.
Theo I am sending you herewith 150 francs for the journey; and if there should not be enough money, please send me a telegram. 1 1. See Vincent’s letter 633.