1. Het Heike (St. Willibrorddorp) is c. 3 km south-west of Etten.

a. Saying which means ‘to make the most of opportune moments’.

2. John 4:1-42.

3. Slade-Jones had one son, Edward C., who was 10 years old at this time.

4. This sexton in Acton Green has not been found in the parish records.

5. 2 Kings 5:20.

6. Acts 26:29.

7. The Methodist chapel at Petersham, a small village one mile south of Richmond. Van Gogh made a small drawing of this church in letter 99.

8. Luke 15:11-24.

9. ‘As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God’ (Ps. 42:1).

10. The poor district of Whitechapel in the East End of London occurs in such works as Oliver Twist (chapter 19) and The Pickwick papers (chapters 20, 22 and 43).

11. Van Gogh must be referring to the parish school (of St Mary’s, Acton), which became the parish hall of St Alban’s but has since been demolished. The little building lay some 250 metres from the railway line.

12. Ary Scheffer, Christus Consolator ; see letter 85, n. 7.

13. Paul Delaroche, Good Friday ; see letter 41, n. 7.

14. This is probably a reference to a reproduction after Ary Scheffer, The entombment of Christ (The Holy Women at the sepulchre), 1845 (Manchester, Manchester City Art Galleries). Goupil published a photograph of an engraving after the painting (Paris, BNF, Cabinet des Estampes). Ill. 1781 .

15. Albert Anker, The old Huguenot ; see letter 36, n. 3.

16. Ary Scheffer, The prodigal son ; cf. letter 90, n. 84. Goupil published a reproduction after this work in the series Oeuvre de Ary Scheffer reproduit en photographie per Bingham accompagné d’une notice sur la vie et les ouvrages de Ary Scheffer. By L. Vitet of the Académie Française. Paris 1860, no. 427; it was sold separately in the series ‘Galerie Photographique’ (Bordeaux, Musée Goupil). Ill. 1782 .

17. There is a chance that this refers to the etching Bateau pêcheur et barques (Fisherman’s boat and small fishing vessels) by Léon Gaucherel after Jules Dupré. Since Van Gogh’s parents evidently required no more than this brief description, it could refer to the same ‘little boat’ that he had sent his father after a visit to Durand-Ruel’s gallery. Unlike the other ‘little boats’ by Dupré sold at this gallery, this etching displays water that is choppy (Galerie Durand-Ruel 1873, no. 225). Ill. 1763 . Cf. letter 66, n. 7 and letter 73, n. 5.

18. An etching after a work by Théophile-Narcisse Chauvel; see letter 74, n. 12.

19. John 17:15.

20. Besides referring to the hoped-for clerical office, it is possible that this was an expression familiar in the family. Mr van Gogh wrote on 7 March 1877 to Theo: ‘you know that you have a father who also wants to be a brother to you’ (FR b2510). The passage is, moreover, an adaptation of Acts 26:29.

21. See letter 109, n. 15, and cf. hymn 255:3.

22. The preceding texts were well known and oft-repeated in the Van Gogh family, and were therefore frequently quoted in Vincent’s correspondence; for the last prayer (‘join us... stronger’), see letter 113.

23. Evidently Vincent was under the impression that Theo was still at home in Etten, which might explain why Mr van Gogh sent the letter on to Theo. Cf. Additional details.

24. London.