69 - COLET (Louise). Set of 2 signed autograph letters, ONE OF WHICH INCLUDES A POETIC QUOTE.

COLET (Louise). Set of 2 signed autograph letters, ONE OF WHICH INCLUDES A POETIC QUOTE. — To a “dear Madame.” No place, “Friday evening” [1868, probably September]. “... My trip to Saint-Maur left me with a deeply moving memory. I am happy to hear that you and your dear husband are feeling better. Please do come over, both of you, for a casual dinner with me one of these days—you’ll give me a few hours of joy. I look forward to seeing you and hope you’ll come. I’LL RECITE MY VERSES ABOUT MY GRANDCHILDREN AND THOSE ABOUT OUR POOR FRIEND MRS. HUGO. Her son has just sent me a heartbreaking photograph of her. It is a photograph taken after her death [Adèle Foucher, wife of Victor Hugo, died in August 1868]. “SO HERE SHE IS, TOO, NOW HIDING AMONG THOSE WE NEVER SEE AGAIN IN THIS WORLD! Absentees whose presence is recalled in vain: Oh! How numerous they are, a throng they form, These dear ones chosen by the heart whom we lose one after another, So many graves make the world a desert to me!” Despite my outward fortitude, I am often quite overwhelmed. Work sustains my spirit and wears down my body. I AM NOW WRITING, WITHOUT STOPPING, MY NOVEL *CYBELE*, which I hope will be a work... I sometimes see S[ain]te-Beuve; his wit charms me; moreover, he shows charming thoughtfulness toward the young woman he is sheltering in his home. This pleases me in an age when men show so little of it toward the women who deserve it most... ” (4 pp., in-8). — [To the editor of *Le Monde illustré*, Paul Dalloz]. N.p., “Thursday evening” [July 1857]. “... You may send someone to pick up the copy of Wednesday’s essay from *Le Monde* as usual. Will my *Sunday in Genoa* appear in this week’s *Le Monde illustré*? ... AS FOR THE ARTICLE ON BERANGER, REST ASSURED; IT WILL BE MOVING AND ELOQUENT, but I must write it only in the wake of the cruel news [it appeared on July 25, 1857, in *Le Monde illustré*, a few days after the death of the singer-songwriter Béranger on July 16]. Whatever my state of health, I will attend the sad ceremony, so I will see everything with my own eyes. In a subsequent article, we will be able to share a few excerpts from his beautiful letters, of which I possess a large number. The recipient is undoubtedly Edma-Aimée Letellier de Valazé, wife of Roger Desgenettes, who was then living in Saint-Maur; she hosted a salon and moved in literary circles—notably with Victor Hugo—and formed a long-standing friendship with Louise Colet and Gustave Flaubert. Enclosed is an old copy of various texts, including a sonnet by Louise Colet. Provenance: former Daniel Sickles collection.