At first it seemed to be hopeless, but it has gradually got better, particularly since we agreed that he will stay with us for the time being, to make studies here.

He wanted the mangle room to be fitted up for him. We don’t think it’s a particularly suitable place, but we’ve had a decent stove put in there. We are having a sort of wooden foot-rest made, since the room has a stone floor. We had it spruced up and have even had a bed put in there, also on a wooden foot-rest, so that it won’t be unhealthy. Now we shall just make it nice and warm and dry and then it should do. I wanted to have a large window put in, but he prefers it without.

Early this morning he went to Utrecht to visit Rappard, who urged him to do so. He also deemed it necessary that a collection of drawings and studies, which are in The Hague, should come here, and he plans to go and pack them up because he stubbornly asserted that no one but he himself could do it.

You know that once he has made his plans there is no changing them and so he left, to return within a few days so he has said.

We should rather that he had just left The Hague alone, but the matter of his drawings and other artist’s tools made it necessary, so he declared.

Anyway, we’re undertaking this new trial with real good faith and are resolved to leave him completely free in his eccentricities of dress etc. The people here have seen him now, and although it’s still a pity that he isn’t a little more accommodating: there’s simply no changing the fact that he’s eccentric.

It seems that he’s still pretty much occupied with your plans and future; but you will be wise enough not to let yourself be talked into things that aren’t practical. For that is certainly his trouble, alas! It is certain that he works hard and that he finds plenty of material for studies here. He made various ones that we think are good. It seems that he still has something to pay to the supplier of paints. I wanted to give him money for it; but he refused categorically – he has now left with 25 guilders on him – including the 23 guilders you just sent’ (FR b2250).