NRA-L-000518 / 1840

Letter from Frachon Dugas to J. M. Frachon, 1840-07-14

Frachon Dugas gives health advice for Babet and discusses Edouard and Eugène's finances, mortgage and promissory-note funds, cocoon prices, crops, weather and wine.

Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000518

NRA-L-000518 image 1 showing a folded address panel to a Frachon correspondent with postal marks, routing notations and paper folds.
Image 1Address panel, postal evidence and retained annotations.
NRA-L-000518 image 2 showing a handwritten French letter continuation with closing, signature, annotations, folds and paper edges.
Image 2Letter text, closing and retained annotations.

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 14 juillet 1840

J'ai ton aimable lettre du 8 c.t. [Une courte phrase concernant la santé est indistincte.] Fais sauter et courir cette petite Babet; achète-lui une corde, qu'elle saute toute la journée au jardin. J'ai vu une demoiselle se guérir d'un [mal de longue durée] par ce moyen.

[Passage financier partiellement illisible concernant Edouard et Eugène.] Il a maintenant une dette de près de 2 000 f. Tu sais qu'on a placé 8 000 f pour lui sur hypothèque. Edouard n'a point d'autres titres de créance. Il lui a été remis la promesse de M. Montgolfier de 9 000 f. [Une clause relative à l'acte et à son remboursement demeure indistincte.] Edouard compte recevoir le paiement de la promesse de M. Montgolfier à l'échéance et avoir quelques fonds disponibles pour fournir aux besoins d'Eugène, à qui il envoie 300 f tous les mois.

As-tu gagné ou perdu sur les cocons? Ils ont fini ici par se vendre 3 f 90 le kilo.

Les blés sont superbes. Voilà trois jours que nous avons un ciel d'orage qui arrête les moissons. Les vignes sont superbes; le vin se vend mal. [Passage suivant partiellement illisible.] Ma femme a vendu le nôtre 10 f l'hectolitre.

Jeanne est toujours chez sa fille; elle va bien ainsi que le petit. [Dernières lignes et monogramme partiellement illisibles.]

Documentary page 2

English translation

Voiron, 14 July 1840

I have your kind letter of the 8th. [A short sentence concerning health is indistinct.] Make little Babet jump and run; buy her a skipping rope and let her skip in the garden all day. I saw a young lady recover from [a long-standing ailment] by this means.

[A financial passage concerning Edouard and Eugène is partly illegible.] He now has a debt of nearly 2,000 francs. You know that 8,000 francs were placed for him on mortgage. Edouard has no other debt instruments. He was given Mr Montgolfier's promissory note for 9,000 francs. [A clause about the deed and its repayment remains indistinct.] Edouard expects to receive payment of Mr Montgolfier's note when it falls due and to have some funds available for Eugène's needs; he sends him 300 francs every month.

Did you make a profit or a loss on the cocoons? Here they finally sold for 3 francs 90 centimes per kilogram.

The wheat is splendid. For three days a stormy sky has been holding up the harvest. The vines are splendid; wine is selling badly. [The next clause is partly illegible.] My wife sold ours for 10 francs per hectolitre.

Jeanne is still with her daughter; both she and the little child are well. [The final lines and monogram are partly illegible.]

Discovery Terms

  • Health and family
  • Financial transactions
  • Agriculture and weather
  • Frachon Family Correspondence

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