Letter from Elvina to her brother... (1899)

NRA-L-000148 / 1899

Letter from Elvina to her brother Paul Bernard concerning her child's illness and their brother Émile's happiness, July 29, 1899

Elvina writes to her brother Paul Bernard about her anxiety over her young child's unexplained stiff left leg, the doctor's uncertain diagnosis and a possible journey to Paris for medical advice. She also reflects on the happiness of their brother Émile and Guite and expresses her hope that Paul will find comparable happiness.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000148

NRA-L-000148 image 1 showing the addressed envelope to Paul Bernard, captain in the 21st Line Regiment at Pontarlier, with postage stamp, circular postmark, creases and upper-edge damage. — **Image 1**Address panel and postal evidence.

NRA-L-000148 image 2 showing the reverse of the envelope with a circular Pontarlier postal mark, manuscript docketing, folded flaps, creases and upper-edge damage. — **Image 2**Envelope reverse and postal evidence.

NRA-L-000148 image 3 showing the opening French manuscript page dated Saturday evening, 29 July 1899, addressed affectionately to Paul and crossed by a horizontal fold. — **Image 3**Opening page of the letter.

NRA-L-000148 image 4 showing two facing pages of continuous French family correspondence written across a folded sheet. — **Image 4**Letter text across two facing pages.

NRA-L-000148 image 5 showing a continuation page of the French family letter with dense cursive writing and horizontal and vertical folds. — **Image 5**Continuation of the letter.

NRA-L-000148 image 6 showing a further continuation page of the French family letter with cursive writing and a horizontal fold. — **Image 6**Continuation of the letter.

NRA-L-000148 image 7 showing the closing page of the French family letter, affectionate final lines, signature and horizontal fold. — **Image 7**Closing page and signature.

Archive Record

Identifier: NRA-L-000148
Date: 1899-07-29
Original date: Samedi soir 29 juil. 99; repris le 2 août
Type: Family correspondence
Language: French / fr
Sender: Elvina
Recipient: Paul Bernard
Places: Cérilly, France / Pontarlier, France
Extent: 7 documentary sides: Address panel and postal evidence; Envelope reverse and postal evidence; Opening page of the letter; Two facing pages of continuous letter text; Continuation of the letter; Further continuation of the letter; Closing page and signature; 7 digital images.
Signature: Elvina
Citation: Neruda Archives, NRA-L-000148.

Rights & reuse

Reuse is welcome. Publicly available images may be reused for non-commercial purposes with attribution, and automated machine use is permitted with provenance. Commercial republication requires prior written permission.

Full rights & reuse terms

Publicly available images, transcriptions, translations, metadata and descriptions may be copied, shared, reproduced and republished, in whole or in part, for non-commercial purposes, provided that Neruda Archives is clearly credited and the relevant item identifier and stable URL are preserved. This permission includes non-commercial scholarly, educational, editorial, exhibition, website and social-media use. Automated machine use, including crawling, indexing, text and data mining, retrieval, embeddings and AI training by commercial and non-commercial systems, is permitted, provided provenance is retained where technically feasible and the item identifier and stable URL are preserved in source records or associated documentation. Commercial publication, commercial reproduction, resale, advertising use, paid access to a database or dataset and bulk redistribution of images require prior written permission. For the avoidance of doubt, permission is not required merely because an AI system or its operator is commercial. The images displayed and downloadable on this page are public access copies, and the permissions above apply to those files. Access to non-public source scans (preservation masters) or files specially prepared for print, where available, requires prior written agreement. Attribution may not be removed or replaced by false or misleading attribution.

Transcript and English translation

working scholarly aid

Address panel

Original transcript

Monsieur Paul Bernard
Capitaine au 21e de ligne
Pontarlier
Doubs

Address panel

English translation

Mr Paul Bernard
Captain in the 21st Infantry Regiment
Pontarlier
Doubs

Opening page of the letter

Original transcript

Samedi soir 29 juil. 99

Mon cher petit Paul
Je suis toute seule à
la maison au milieu de
tous mes bébés endormis,
et je viens causer avec toi,
et te raconter mes inquiétudes.
2 aout
Faut-il t'envoyer ce petit
mot, il te prouvera que
j'ai eu bien des fois le
désir de t'écrire, mon
petit frère, et que je n'ai
pu trouver le temps de
le faire. Ce soir-là,
le bébé qui me donne
encore de l'inquiétude,
mon petit Loue a interrompu

Opening page of the letter

English translation

Saturday evening, 29 July 1899
My dear little Paul,
I am all alone at home amidst all my sleeping babies, and I come to chat with you, and tell you my worries.
2 August
Shall I send you this little note? It will prove that many times I have wanted to write to you, my little brother, but have been unable to find the time.
That evening, the baby who still causes me anxiety—my little Loue—interrupted my letter and left me no more leisure.

Two facing pages of continuous letter text

Original transcript

ma lettre et ne m'a plus
laissé de loisirs. Figure-toi
que ce pauvre bébé a la
petite jambe gauche très
raide, il marche comme
un petit infirme, et
extérieurement on ne
voit absolument rien,
il n'accuse aucune
douleur ni au genou, ni
à la hanche ; il va très
bien, il a très bonne mine
et ne se plaint de rien.
Le Docteur prétend que
ce doit être occasionné
par la croissance, mais
il n'a pas l'air très sûr
de son dire, et moi
je n'ai guère confiance.
Cela a commencé Vendredi,
et comme je ne vois aucun
progrès, j'ai écrit hier au
docteur qui le soigne à
Paris, et d'après sa réponse
ou je me rassurerai,
ou je lui conduirai mon
bébé. La pensée que
c'est peut être grave et
qu'il peut devenir infirme
me fait passer des heures
terribles.
Je crois bien qu'Emile
t'a écrit ces jours-ci, mais
il est si absorbé par sa
petite Guite et son bonheur,
qu'il n'a pas dû te parler
de mon pauvre bébé.
Il est bien heureux, notre
petit frère, et ils font
en effet plaisir à

Two facing pages of continuous letter text

English translation

Imagine that this poor baby has a very stiff little left leg. He walks like a little invalid, yet outwardly there is absolutely nothing to be seen. He complains of no pain in either his knee or his hip; he is doing very well, looks very well and complains of nothing.
The doctor claims that this must be caused by growth, but he does not seem very sure of what he says, and I have hardly any confidence in him.
This began on Friday, and as I see no improvement, I wrote yesterday to the doctor who treats him in Paris. Depending on his reply, I shall either be reassured or take my baby to him.
The thought that it might be serious and that he might become disabled makes me spend terrible hours.
I believe Émile must have written to you in the last few days, but he is so absorbed in his little Guite and in his happiness that he cannot have told you about my poor baby.

Continuation of the letter

Original transcript

contempler tous les deux,
c'est une image qui
repose, qui fait du bien,
on sent tant d'amour
entre eux et par suite
tant de bonheur. Seulement
on ne les voit guère, ils
sont si absorbés l'un par
l'autre, qu'ils ne rêvent
que se trouver tout seuls.
Je les entends rire et
s'amuser de ma chambre
avec une gaîté qui fait
plaisir, si je n'avais peur
de les arrêter, j'irais en
prendre ma part. Ils
vont te porter de la
gaîté et du bonheur, mon
petit Paul, tu ne saurais
croire combien je jouis
de la pensée du bon moment
que tu vas passer avec eux.

Continuation of the letter

English translation

Our little brother is very happy, and the two of them are indeed a pleasure to contemplate. It is a restful image that does one good; one feels so much love between them and, consequently, so much happiness.
Only, one scarcely sees them: they are so absorbed in one another that they dream only of being alone together.
From my room I hear them laughing and amusing themselves with a gaiety that gives pleasure. If I were not afraid of interrupting them, I would go and share in it.
They will bring you gaiety and happiness, my little Paul. You would not believe how much I rejoice at the thought of the good time you are going to spend with them.

Further continuation of the letter

Original transcript

Et pourtant parfois au
fond du cœur, je me demande
pourquoi il y a sur terre
des êtres faits pour être
heureux, des êtres pour
lesquels sont réservées de
si douces heures ; tandis
que d'autres ne semblent
guère devoir trouver sur
leur chemin que des heures
tristes ou des gaîtés d'un
moment qui laissent
toujours au cœur un
certain vide. Pourquoi
toi, mon Paul, si
digne d'être heureux, si
bien fait pour jouir
d'une vie comme celle
d'Emile n'as-tu trouvé
sur ton chemin que des

Further continuation of the letter

English translation

And yet sometimes, in the depths of my heart, I wonder why there are beings on earth made to be happy, beings for whom such sweet hours are reserved, while others seem destined to find on their path nothing but sad hours or momentary gaiety that always leaves a certain emptiness in the heart.
Why have you, my Paul—so worthy of happiness, so well suited to enjoy a life like Émile's—found only disappointing hours on your path?

Closing page and signature

Original transcript

heures décevantes ? Toi
que j'aime tant, toi
que je voudrais tant
voir heureux, auras-tu
jamais des heures comme
celles-là ? Heureusement
je te sais une nature
bien plus généreuse que
la mienne, tu sauras
jouir sans retours
égoïstes.
Je crois que je t'écris
des bêtises et que je ferais
mieux d'aller retrouver
mon pauvre petit Loue
que je dois constamment
empêcher de remuer.
Je t'aime de tout tout
mon cœur
Elvina

Closing page and signature

English translation

You whom I love so much, you whom I so long to see happy—will you ever have hours like those?
Fortunately, I know that your nature is far more generous than mine; you will know how to rejoice without selfish afterthoughts.
I think I am writing nonsense to you and would do better to return to my poor little Loue, whom I must constantly prevent from moving.
I love you with all, all my heart.
Elvina

Discovery Terms

Family correspondence
Children
Health
Medical care
Siblings
Marriage
Paul Bernard
Elvina
Émile
Guite
Cérilly
Pontarlier
Paris

Transcriptions and English translations are provided as working scholarly aids, not as replacements for the images of the original documents. Some readings may remain uncertain, especially where handwriting, spelling, damage, abbreviations, names or places are difficult.

Some transcriptions and translations may be prepared with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by Neruda Archives before publication. Better readings, corrections and alternative translations are welcome when they are supported by the manuscript image, context or reliable sources.

When suggesting a correction, please include the item ID, the relevant line or image area, the proposed reading or translation, and the evidence for it.

Suggest a better reading or correction

Relevant line or image area Proposed reading or translation Evidence or reason

Your name Your email

Your name and email are optional. Personal data is used only to assess, document and, where possible, respond to this correction. See the Privacy Notice.