Camille Pissarro - Autographed Letter Signed

Camille Pissarro (1830-1903), French painter.
Autograph letter signed to his son Georges (Manzana-Pissarro). Eragny-Bazincourt, January 1, 1897; 2.5 pages, octavo (a date correction in red ink, possibly in Georges' hand).
Letter of New Year's greetings and artistic advice to his son, the painter Georges Manzana-Pissarro: "My dear Georges, The whole family joins me in wishing you both a happy new year and good health, etc. etc. We received your letter on Wednesday, December 30 [red ink erasure in another hand with date correction to Thursday the 31st]. We don't know how many days it takes to get here; you should always date your letters. The package containing the boots had already left when you decided to leave San Sebastián." You told us in your letters that you were going to stay a while longer, and now you've changed your mind, ignoring your words… I wrote several times to Dario [the Spanish painter from Regoyos] asking him to forward the packages to your address when he received them. I hope you wrote to him; don't neglect this, otherwise you'll never receive your package again. You say you prefer France and England; I've always thought so, and I certainly feel the same way. As a painter, I prefer countries with a more subtle atmosphere. I believe Italy would have appealed to you more, but let's not discuss it further since you have a prejudice against it. There's nothing like personal experience to help you see things clearly. Try, for example, not to waste too much time on experience; changing things too often doesn't accomplish much, and what you really need is persistence. We're waiting for a long letter with details. Dario wrote to me that he gave you a friend's address and some practical advice. He's waiting for a note with your address to send you your things; talk to him about the shoes. Nothing more. Everyone here is in good health. Rodolphe went to Paris to see the barracks; he'll be back in two or three days. We all send you our love. Your father…»