1r:1
The Hague, 9 May 1873

My dear Theo,
On Monday morning I’ll leave Helvoirt for Paris, passing through Brussels at 2:07.1 Do come to the station if you can; it would give me great pleasure.
Before I forget, yesterday  1v:2 I showed your portrait to Mrs Tersteeg,2 and she would like very much to have one. Would you have a chance to get another one and send it to me?
If you can’t do it now, try to think of it some other time.
Theo, you have no idea how kind to me they all are here;3 you can imagine how sorry I am to have to part from so many friends.  1v:3
Adieu, old chap, give my warm regards to Uncle and Aunt.4 Goodbye for now.

Vincent.

Find out whether you have to be at the Station du Nord or du Midi.5

008

Br. 1990: 008 | CL: 8
From: Vincent van Gogh
To: Theo van Gogh
Date: The Hague, Friday, 9 May 1873
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1. Van Gogh was planning to be in Helvoirt by Saturday evening, 10 May to take leave of his parents (FR b2626); he left Helvoirt on Monday, 12 May. On his way to London he stopped off in Paris, where he spent nearly a week.
2. Maria Magdalena Alida Tersteeg-Pronk, wife of Van Gogh’s superior Hermanus Gijsbertus Tersteeg. For this portrait, cf. letter 5, n. 5.
3. Mrs van Gogh wrote to Theo on 11 May, when Vincent was in Helvoirt: ‘It’s wonderful to hear Vincent telling about how kind everyone was to him and about his leave-taking from The Hague. He was given an album and so many little presents and portraits, two very large, splendid portraits of Uncle and Aunt Haanebeek, Mr and Mrs Tersteeg and Betsy, Aunt Fietje and the girls, and others’ (FR b2626).
4. Uncle Hein and Aunt Mietje in Brussels.
5. Van Gogh took the train that went to Paris via Rotterdam, Antwerp and Brussels. According to the 1873 timetable, the train arrived at 14.06 at Brussels North; the connection to Paris left from Brussels South at 14.35 and arrived in Paris at 21.05 (Brussels, Archives of the Belgian Railways).