"Mais Claude, j'ai eu 78 ans, sonnés, c'est le cas de le dire, le 28 janvier"

Autograph letter signed by Colette addressed to her friend Claude Farrère, from her Parisian home at the Palais-Royal, 31 lines in black ink on her famous blue paper.
Although her health is failing, Colette wishes to continue their epistolary exchanges: "Ne m'interdis pas le plaisir de te répondre, grand Claude ! Je vis alitée (arthrite, jambes) Je suis sortie - une fois en voiture - une fois en 80 jours. Evidemment je préfèrerais ne pas souffrir, ou souffrir moins." ("Don't forbid me the pleasure of responding to you, dear Claude! I live bedridden (arthritis, legs) I went out - once by car - once in 80 days. Obviously I would prefer not to suffer, or to suffer less.") and still attempts to show herself optimistic and pragmatic: "Mais ma fenêtre est tournée vers le sud, sur le Jardin, sur le soleil, ai-je le droit de me plaindre ? Et puis j'ai épousé un saint. Alors ! " ("But my window faces south, onto the Garden, onto the sun, do I have the right to complain? And then I married a saint. So there!")
She questions her friend about his current state of health and mood: "Comment es-tu ? Ta lettre a oublié de me le dire. Recommence-la ! Ce sera ta punition" ("How are you? Your letter forgot to tell me. Start it over! That will be your punishment") but also about his new work: "Vite que j'ai ton nouveau livre ! Trois semaines c'est long." ("Quick, let me have your new book! Three weeks is long.")
Fold marks inherent to postal handling. A date has been inscribed, probably by Claude Farrère, in red pen in the upper right corner of the letter, certainly that of receiving the letter.