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Thursday, 7 June 1883
Louis-Jules-René-Marie made his First Communion this morning. We went to the church, and Bojidar, desolate at having received the letter too late, devotes himself to us all day; he considers himself godfather all the same, and a little more and he will consider himself the father. Ceremonies, official appearances, mournings etc. etc. — that is all his happiness. And this evening he is taking Snowball to the circus. Besides, we have him dine with us so that he will remember this memorable day. The poor child is beside himself with joy, and he behaved with such reserve throughout dinner, and with such a right instinct, that I am touched.Jeudi 7 juin 1883
I had never seen this church ceremony before — all those little girls in white, prostrate, that pure white, those uniform and childlike attitudes... The effect is ravishing, with the glimmer of the candles in the background. One ought to find a picture to paint all in white, with candles. Not first communicants — Bastien has already done one...
Je n’avais jamais vu cette cérémonie de l’église et toutes ses petites filles blanches prosternées, ce blanc si pur, ces attitudes uniformes et enfantines... C’est d’un effet ravissant avec les lueurs des cierges au fond. Il faudrait touver un tableau tout blanc à faire avec des cierges. Pas de communiantes, Bastien en a fait une déjà...
Saint-Amand comes this evening and is a crashing bore.
Saint Amand vient ce soir et est assommant.
My aunt saw a great many carriages at the architect’s door.
Ma tante a vu une quantité de voitures à la porte de l’architecte.
He said he cannot come for a fortnight, that he is busy with something very important, that he does not go out at all, at all!...
Il a dit qu’il ne peut venir que dans quinze jours, qu’il est occupé à quelque chose de très important, qu’il ne sort pas du tout, du tout ! ...
That he will say what it is in a fortnight. And one supposes it is the Gambetta monument... Whatever it may be, when all is said there is only Jules. Besides, I want to become Jules myself; I want this picture I am painting to be good, good, good, good.
Qu’il dira ce que c’est dans quinze jours. Et on suppose que c’est le monument Gambetta... Que ce soit n’importe quoi, il n’y a en somme que Jules. Du reste je veux moi-même devenir Jules, je veux que ce tableau que je fais soit bien, bien, bien bien.