French Institute: Harpin/Sansoucy Letter

Harpin-Sansoucy Letter

English Translation:

Translation provided by Jaqueline Lessard Finn.

                                                                                                Southbridge, Mass.

                                                                                                1909

Dear little girls, (Antoinette 17 yrs., Anne Marie 16 yrs)

            I come to give you news. We arrived safely. We left Canada one week later than we were due to leave. We left Canada on the 23rd. We arrived here the eve of St. Catherine which here is one of the biggest holidays of the year, as is Christmas. We ate the holiday turkey as we have it on New Year’s Day.

We are all quite well. We are settled in Southbridge, Mass. The three men are working for a dollar and half a day. The weather is very mild. Eva will probably have a place to work this week. Maxime and the others go to a public school. Uncle Pierre Arpin’s family is well as is the family of Jean-Baptiste Harpin. We are almost settled now. I do not like to move. We pay $2.95 in rent each week. We purchased a few necessities. The weather is very mild. The dust flies as on warm summer days.

I hope that you are well. Tell me everything that is new. I wrote to Mme. Durocher before leaving Canada. I don’t know if she received my letter or not. I will write again one of these days. If you need something, procure it at Mr. Lanoie’s. Little Irene is not yet at home. She always wants to go home. The others talk about it less. I will write your uncle, Father Harpin, one of these days as well as to Grandfather. You should write to them from time to time as they are our surrogates. All is very dear in the United States.

Do not delay in answering. It would please us to receive news. For New Years, if you wish, you could spend the vacation in St. Ours. Your uncle Joseph offered to go for you. This way, you could spend several days with him. You could come by train and take the one that goes to St. Ours. It is Mr. Giard who would take you right to the door.  Not much trouble. As for your uncle Philippe, your father spoke a little about this to your aunts. Antoinette, you could speak to them as to the sore feelings left when Mme. Durocher passed through St. Ours and did not stop to see them. The aunts read the letter.

Au revoir.  À bientôt. I hope that the winter will not be too much for you and for us.

(Letters were written and signed by third party.)

Napoleon      C. Harpin

Our address is 71 Worcester St.