File

This file contains six letters chronicling the beginning of the epistolary relationship between Léontine Poutré and Hercule Martin, which was initiated by the latter on November 12, 1924.

When Hercule first writes to Léontine, he is living at 3465 Berri Street in Montreal. He reminds her that he was the young man introduced to her by her good friend, Madam Boisseau, and humbly asks if she would agree to correspond with him. In her relatively prompt response, dated November 16, 1924, Léontine says that, "If you believe that I would be someone interesting enough to correspond with, which I would try my utmost to be, I shall read and reread your letters with pleasure." However, she goes on to describe herself as a simple country girl and worries that her quiet life in Chambly with her parents could appear boring.

In the letters that follow, Hercule expresses his delight at receiving this positive response and shares his interests in the theatre, literature, ballet and hockey with his new correspondent. He tells her that he attended a performance of L'Aiglon, a play at the Orpheum Theatre, and that he purchased a copy of Œuvres comiques, galantes et littéraires de Cyrano de Bergerac at Deom & Frère, a bookstore on St. Catherine Street East. He talks about hockey—"the true national winter sport"—and the game he is going to see at the new Forum between the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto team. He describes autumn in Montreal and his pleasurable long walks on Mount Royal. He also mentions that poor health led him to spend two summers in Chambly, where he was able to rest and win his battle with fatigue.

Léontine, who shares his interest in the arts, tells him about plays she would have liked to see, books she has read and movies she has seen, like The Sea Hawk. She describes her daily life, which is punctuated by attending mass and running errands. She also talks about her family's situation and seems affected by the recent health problems of her father, who is an invalid and nearly blind. In her letter of November 30, 1924, she addresses Hercule as "my good friend," expressing the desire that he allow her to begin her letters with this greeting, and then later asks if he likes women with short hair.

Léontine's letters are always written on high-quality stationery, decorated with seasonal motifs, and the file usually includes the rough copy of her missive. One of these first drafts was written on the back of a letter Léontine received from her cousin Albertine in 1921.