L E T T E R S

245Letter Nr. 15[To Pratt]Paris, February 26, 1831Madame,On leaving London I promised you to write you as soon as possible andit is only after two weeks from my arrival in Paris that I finally fulfill this mostardent need of my heart towards you. That bond of feeling, thought andinterest which God created between us was weakened on my side by thechange of place.Oh no, no, you know me enough already, you feel in a different way allmy sympathies and my being to suspect me of anything like that. No, madame,the need to get up to date with the last writings of the doctrine, the need tounbosom myself entirely before my fathers and St. Simonian sons, toconsecrate the first moments of my present stay to the enjoyment of the delay.But would you think that this sacred bond of feeling, thought and interestcreated by God between us would in the least bit on my part lessen, that itwouldn’t rather become progressively stronger Madame? An you know usalready sufficiently, you feel sufficiently what our life is, all our sympathies,all my being, to believe me and to attach some moral value to our words and tobelieve me when I tell you that this sacred bond of feeling, thought and interestwhich God created among us. I feel it always in all its holiness.I hope that I will soon receive a few words from you and I beg you towrite as soon as possible. Write in English if that is easier for you. But say allyou think, feel.Oh, that you may be able to tell me that you feel already in you the St.Simonian life, and all its hopes, all its strength. Oh! what joy it would be forme to have begotten St. Simonian life in you, and to be your father in St.Simon.