Even though I wrote to you only recently, I want to do so again anyway, because I know how difficult life can sometimes be. Keep your chin up, old boy, after rain comes sunshine, just keep hoping for that.
Rain and sunshine alternate on ‘the road that goes uphill all the way, yes to the very end’, and from time to time one also rests on ‘the journey that takes the whole day long, from morn till night’.1 So think now and often after this, that ‘this also will pass away’.2
And especially, you too should ask: Create in me a new heart, O God;
1r:2 and renew a right spirit within me.3
Today I had the opportunity to send a package to Anna and Willemien. Among other things I sent her L’imitation de Jesus Christ4 and several books of the Bible, published separately, in the same edition as the Psalms I sent you.
Read them faithfully. Would you perhaps like the 4 Gospels and some of the epistles, printed separately?
I also sent Anna several prints – including Rembrandt, Reading the Bible and The supper at Emmaus (an old engraving, by De Frey, I believe),5Philippe de Champaigne, Portrait of a lady,6 a large, beautiful etching after Chaigneau, Shepherdess and sheep,7 and then Dupré, Evening,8Troyon, Morning,9Bodmer, Fontainebleau,10Français, Last fine days,11Frère, Seamstresses, and A cooper,12Daubigny, After sunset,13 &c. &c., as well as a couple of photos, namely of Delaroche, Gethsemane No. 424, Good Friday and Mater Dolorosa14 and Brion, The farewells.15
I hope so much that things will continue to go well for Anna there. She keeps up her courage, I know so well that she sometimes finds things so difficult.
And yet ‘one has one’s good days’ as Jules Dupré often said,16 let’s go on believing that.
1v:3
I’d very much like to have the Dutch hymns. When you get the opportunity, do you think you could manage to send the cheapest edition that can be found? I have the Psalms.
There are also some beautiful English hymns,b including this one: