"Little hope for the future"

Vincent van Gogh to Theo van Gogh, from The Hague, 22 July 1883

Thanks for your letter, thanks for the enclosure, though I cannot repress a feeling of sadness at your saying, "I can give you little hope for the future."

If you mean this only in a financial sense, I shouldn't mind it so much, but if it's in reference to my work, I don't quite understand why I deserve it. . . .

I do not know what you mean by that expression, how can I know it? Your letter is too short, but it hit me unexpectedly right in the heart.

But I should like to know what you really mean by it, whether you have noticed that I have made some progress or not.

Letter 301
Translation courtesy of Robert Harrison.
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