Letter from V. Frachon to Jn Mᵉ Frachon (1839)

NRA-L-000507 / 1839

Letter from V. Frachon to Jn Mᵉ Frachon, 1839-06-03

V. Frachon discusses Eugène's monthly advances, majority, guardianship accounts, debts and the need to prevent him from spending beyond his income.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000507

NRA-L-000507 image 1 showing a folded address panel to a Frachon correspondent with postal marks, routing notations and visible folds. — **Image 1**Address panel, postal evidence and retained annotations.

NRA-L-000507 image 2 showing a handwritten French letter page with manuscript text, annotations and visible fold lines. — **Image 2**Letter text — Page 1.

NRA-L-000507 image 3 showing a handwritten French letter continuation with closing, signature, later notes, folds and paper edges. — **Image 3**Letter text and closing.

Archive Record

Identifier: NRA-L-000507
Date: 1839-06-03
Original date: Voiron le 3 Juin 1839
Type: Family correspondence
Language: French / fr
Sender: V. Frachon
Recipient: Jn Mᵉ Frachon
Places: Voiron / Annonay
Extent: 3 documentary sides: Documentary page 1; Documentary page 2; Documentary page 3; 3 digital images.
Citation: Neruda Archives, NRA-L-000507.

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Transcript and English translation

working scholarly aid

Address panel

Original transcript

A Monsieur
Jn Mᵉ Frachon
à Annonay

Address panel

English translation

A Monsieur
Jn Mᵉ Frachon
at Annonay

Documentary page 2

Original transcript

Voiron le 3 juin 1839

Mon bon frère,

Je suis sevré de tes nouvelles. J'espère que vous allez bien et que l'embarras que vous occasionnent les vers t'empêche de m'en donner.

Comme nous en étions convenus, j'ai autorisé M.rs Baratier frères à compter à Eugène 200 f par mois. Ils me mandent qu'il a pris 600 f du 4 mai au 1er juin, et les 200 f du mois précédent. Je leur écris de ne rien lui compter de plus que ces 200 f par mois. Mais que va-t-il arriver aujourd'hui qu'il est majeur? Il en prendra plutôt que de le demander, et on le dupera, sois-en bien convaincu.

Edouard voudrait qu'il ne pût prendre de l'argent que chez moi. Je lui en ai fait des observations; mais tu le vois, il en prend chez M.rs Baratier sans me le demander. Voilà pourquoi j'écris à ces messieurs de ne lui en remettre davantage.

Ne lui rendez-vous pas bientôt vos comptes de tutelle? Quelle somme lui reste-t-il? Il faut que je le sache, afin de l'empêcher au moins de dépenser plus que ses revenus; et, soit dit entre nous, il y marche à grands pas. Il ne peut pas se tenir dans sa famille. Il est venu le jour de la noce de Laure et il est reparti le lendemain, quoique sa sœur Louise fût ici. Il n'est pas venu voir son frère Bignet.

Documentary page 2

English translation

Voiron, 3 June 1839

My good brother,

I have been deprived of news from you. I hope you are all well and that the work caused by the silkworms is what prevents you from writing.

As we agreed, I authorized Messrs Baratier Brothers to advance Eugène 200 francs a month. They tell me that he took 600 francs between 4 May and 1 June, in addition to the 200 francs for the preceding month. I am writing to tell them not to advance him more than those 200 francs a month. But what will happen now that he is of age? He will take money rather than ask for it, and he will be cheated; be quite certain of that.

Edouard would like him to be able to obtain money only from me. I raised objections, but, as you see, he obtains it from Messrs Baratier without asking me. That is why I am writing to those gentlemen not to give him any more.

Will you not soon render his guardianship accounts? What sum remains to him? I must know, so that I may at least prevent him from spending more than his income; and, between ourselves, he is moving quickly in that direction. He cannot remain with his family. He came on the day of Laure's wedding and left the next day, although his sister Louise was here. He did not go to see his brother Bignet.

Documentary page 3

Original transcript

Il n'en parle pas à son oncle Jaume; [début de phrase indistinct] j'ai promis de ne rien dire. Mais j'ai payé en janvier 4 500 f de billet qu'il avait fait. Il avait acheté à Lyon un violon [passage concernant 3 000 f et une dette de 1 500 f partiellement illisible]. Je lui ai prêté cette somme pour l'empêcher d'emprunter d'un usurier, ce qu'il aurait fait plutôt que d'en parler.

Il faudrait tâcher de placer ces fonds [passage partiellement illisible]; sans cela il n'avancera pas d'un sol emprunté. Mais si les fonds étaient dans les mains de gens qui pussent le surveiller et le raisonner, on le retiendrait un peu et on pourrait prévenir des sottises.

Voilà des confidences pour toi. Donne-moi ton avis pour ma règle, et dis-moi, pour ma tranquillité, ce qu'il a de revenus.

Adieu, je t'embrasse ainsi que ta femme et ta fille.

V. Frachon

Documentary page 3

English translation

He does not speak of it to his uncle Jaume; [the beginning of the sentence is indistinct] I promised to say nothing. But in January I paid a 4,500-franc note that he had issued. He had bought a violin in Lyon [the passage concerning 3,000 francs and a further debt of 1,500 francs is partly illegible]. I lent him this sum to prevent him from borrowing from a usurer, which he would have done rather than speak about it.

We should try to place these funds [passage partly illegible]; otherwise he will not get ahead by a single borrowed sou. But if the funds were in the hands of people who could supervise and reason with him, he might be restrained a little and some foolish acts could be prevented.

These are confidences for you. Give me your opinion as a guide, and, for my peace of mind, tell me how much income he has.

Farewell; I embrace you, your wife and your daughter.

V. Frachon

Discovery Terms

Family finance
Tutorship accounts
Debts
Frachon Family Correspondence

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