Page 26 - Emailing SANTITA FAMIGLIE_ENG

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4. BalancinG Family and Work

Zélie ran a lace workshop, Louis had a watchmaker’s store and
a goldsmith’s store, and helped his wife in the workshop. Both of them
worked with intelligence and great commitment trying, not without
difficulty, to harmonize the needs of work and those of the family.
They were careful to respect the rights of the workers and suppliers.
They remained firm in their decision not to work on Sundays, a day
that would have been decidedly propitious for business, but it was the
«feast day of the Good Lord» and had to be respected.

«I will take the train to Lisieux on Sunday at three-thirty in the
morning. I tried to arrange things in another way, but I do not see a
better solution. It is impossible for me this time to leave on Saturday,
and on Sunday I cannot travel all morning, it would be contrary to my
principles, for I find that great care must be taken not to cooperate to
work on Sundays» .
22
The workers «cared about Mom, they would have been very sorry
not to work for her anymore. They all loved her very much. I realized
this when, during her last illness, I was the one receiving them» .
23

On June 24, 1874, Zélie wrote to her sister-in-law, «Therese is
beginning to say almost everything. She is getting prettier and prettier, EVERYDAY LIFE OF THE MARTIN FAMILY
but I am very busy because she is constantly around me and it is not
easy for me to work. So, to make up for lost time, in the evening I
continue my lace until ten o’clock and get up at five. I also have to get
up once or twice during the night for the little baby. But in the end, the
more I have to do, the better I feel» .
24

22 Zélie’s letter to her brother, 26 November 1871.
23 Testimony of their daughter Maria.
24 Zélie’s letter to her sister-in-law, 24 June 1874.