Letters to a Young Woman

When you speak of your child at the end of your letter it gives a confidential turn to your writing to which I can respond only by declaring that I am in complete readiness to offer you my trust. If it will benefit you, tell me more about this child and about yourself, and feel free to write at length. I am of the old-fashioned school which still considers the letter to be one of the finest and most rewarding means of intercourse. Admittedly, holding to this view means that there are times when my correspondence becomes more than I can handle and starts to pile up, and, furthermore, so does the work, often for months; more often still (as throughout the whole of the war) an insuperable "sécheresse d'âme" renders me silent and leaves me so. But for all that, I value human relationships not by any monetary standard but rather by Nature's; so, from now onwards, if you wish, let this be both bond and agreement between us: I shall be absent for lengthy periods, but, I will always be ready to reply, understanding you and sharing knowledge with you, as I have been allowed to do today for the first time