A Leroy
30, rue de la Cigale
Boitsfort
Belgique

July 7th 20

To our dear friend,

Please excuse us for not having answered your very kind letter sooner; we were all glad to know the nice news about yourself; so, you are our owner, and perhaps after a few time you will be a very rich man, and we all want it for you, for you are such a good and honest boy – aren't you?

The seeds I sent you a few time ago, did they grow in your soil? and have you now "Belgian flowers" here, I have lots of nice plants, I am sorry I am not able to send you some of them but the poor ones would be dead long before they would reach you.

In the last letter I told you about a surprise, well, I think it was a surprise for us too,.. we have now five children instead of three, for we had two twins, a little girl and a little boy – Louisa and Raoul – from whom you will receive the photographs in a few time, they are both nice little babies, and they both look just as René – the same eyes, the same hair, and face – but they are a little fatter than he is.

We were so nicely surprised by getting the very nice present you sent to little René. My wife was so impressionated by seeing your great kindness that the tears burst forth in her eyes – and I may assure you, we all appreciated it very much, and never we will forget it; we were sorry you were not here to see the joy of our little boy, he couldn't understand how you could get such a nice picture of him from such a great distance; we placed it on the "honour place" in the first room to remember always our dear Canadian friend Jack.

All here is very expensive, try we hope however it will be better next year for our growths are rather nice the weather been fine.

We are all real well and I think we may be thankful for being in such good health, we hope you are in the same way and to hear from you real soon.

All our children are often speaking about you and specially the little Margaret who shall be glad to be able to write to you.

With love and kindest regards from all as ever.

The Leroy family