File

This file contains nine letters and four postcards chronicling the epistolary relationship between Léontine Poutré and Hercule Martin during the month of November 1925.

Léontine and Hercule's correspondence from this time is tinged with melancholy. In his letter of November 3, Hercule shares his daydreams. "Oh, Madam, when I say that I love the mountains in the north, I am not joking. Having a warm little house up there in the north, that you reach by snowshoeing for two or three miles, face to the wind, with a little snow falling [...] Am I stupid to harbour such ambitions?" His dreams then quickly give way to regret at not having enough money to make them come true. "I believe, old friend, that I am starting to regret not having been smart enough to start saving my money long ago. Eventually, one ends up regretting it; I never used to believe that, but today… I see everything I am missing." Disheartened, Hercule shares his feelings of discouragement and lethargy with Léontine. In her response, Léontine eagerly tries to comfort Hercule. "You don't have to be a millionaire to have a little cabin up North, comfortable lodgings in the city, a car… […] such ambitions are allowed, it isn't nonsense to think of having such things. Having all these wishes and desires helps one make it until tomorrow, believing that it will be better." She lets herself dream with him of spending the evening around a nice fire, in a modest house in the Laurentians.

In her letter of November 12, Léontine notes that it has been exactly one year since they began corresponding. This leads the couple to reflect on their relationship, and the difficulty of being apart from each other. Hercule and Léontine's letters also reveal some insecurities. Hercule, in particular, shows a lack of self-esteem. "Do you want proof of my stupidity? This evening when I got home, I thought I would find an envelope addressed to me, and that it would be from you. Why would there have been one? I asked myself. Have I done anything to ensure this would happen? No!" As for Léontine, she anxiously urges Hercule to reserve an evening for her and tries to pique his interest by telling him how nice she looks. "Well-coiffed. A few drops of perfume in my hair. Brown dress. Satin shoes."

In their affectionate correspondence, Léontine and Hercule also share their day-to-day activities. In her letter of November 25, Léontine describes a shopping trip to the city. As for Hercule, he talks about his job, his bowling team—the Gentilhommes—and the scores of the Canadiens' hockey games. Léontine's note of November 24 implies that she had seen Hercule at a funeral.

Three missives from this set of letters were written on the back of four postcards. These cards depict black and white photographs of the beach at Saint-François-sur-le-Lac, mills in Lowell, Massachusetts, the Bank of Hochelaga and the ruins of woolen mills in Chambly. The collection also contains envelopes and rough drafts of Léontine's letters. Two rough drafts in particular were composed on the back of a promotional letter and envelope from Albert J. Béland Limitée, a mail order house.