Mlle Claudia Pierre Charvolin et Bénedette

The two jeunes filles in this correspondance, Mlle. Claudia Pierre Charvolin (recipient) and Bénedette, or "Béné" for short (sender), are very close friends who play piano together according to the postscripts. It is also revealed through the cards that Claudia at some point was recovering from some sort of cold or illness, and that both Claudia and Bénedette had planned a trip to St. Clément together for the 14th of May, 1905. 

However, it is worth considering that, upon a closer reading of the text (both explicit and implicit) and its potential association with more romantic postcard imagery, these two young women may be more than just friends. It is difficult to tell, especially since we do not have access to Claudia's responses (most likely also in the form of postcards)-- though in one of the cards, Bénedette expresses: "I have just recieved your lovely card and wholly accept your invitation for Sunday...I will leave for the train at 10...to [Eupinies?] and will arrive at St. Laurent at 11."

While meeting up may be out of friendship, there are other more promising textual clues. For example, at the end of one card Claudia states: 

• "Je te laisse chere Claudia et te prie / d’être mon interprète autour de ta famille / et Mme Balley et de garder pour toi les /plus affectueux baisers de ton amie Béné. "
• • I leave you dear Claudia and ask you the favor of / being my interpretor around your family / and Mme Balley and to keep for yourself the / most affectionate kisses of your [female/girl] friend Béné. 

Here, in bold, we wonder: What does this "interpreting" mean? Could it be how the two young women coded the nature of their relationship? 

Other pieces of text:

• " j’avais encore le plaisir d’être / auprès de toi. [Lue ?] d’agréables journées nous avons / passés ensemble et combien je te remercie / ainsi que tes parents, de votre bien veillant accueil / et de toutes vos amabilités pour moi. 
•  I already had the pleasure of being / with you. [Lue ?] agreable days we have / spend together and how I thank you / as well as your parents, for your benevolent welcome / and for your loving kindess toward me." (Série Madeleine: s'endormit)

• "Je / t’attends le dimanche matin et me rejouis / beaucoup à la pensée de te voir bientôt. En / attendant ce plaisir je me jette à ton cou et / t’embrasse bien longuement. Ton amie affectueuse, / Bene [M ?]"
• I / await you Sunday morning and rejoice / so much at the thought of seeing you soon. In / waiting for this pleasure I launch myself around your neck and / kiss you for a very long moment. Your affectionate [female] friend, / Bene [M ?] (Série Grezieu: Comme dans son roman)

More on Série Grezieu / Série Madeleine:

• See "Love in the Age of Arranged Marriages," a Scalar page project by David Aka. This, among other pages on the site, came from a PAYS course on Savoirs de jeunes filles under Professor Virginie Pouzet-Duzer's teaching and supervision.