Bruté, Father Simon, Emmitsburg, Maryland, to Catherine Josephine Seton, Baltimore, Maryland, 1826 January 4

Brute asks to be pardoned this day if he writes only a few lines at the end of Egan's letter. Heaven is her portion and "we" on earth still try to assure ourselves of it. What vanity is all the rest if it has no bearing on it heaven. Mother Seton was convinced of this and was a soul of eternity. Anna and Rebecca and the two sisters through all that immense eternity rejoice in being free with her to the full extent of their grace. For each bank it is only a matter of hearing Christ's parable on the Samaritan. To Jerusalem he said not another thing, shedding his tears before his blood. He asks Josephine to pardon him if he evidences the return of his desire for her eternal welfare and for William Seton's also. Bruté does not fear, indeed he rather hopes, she will repeat this to William. If God wants her in the world there to glorify him as happily as she has persisted in doing thus far, she is to repeat as much as she can to William under all the forms her love for him, which unites the love of Mother Seton, Anna and Rebecca. Bruté desires that this also be the whole thought in Mrs. Patterson's Ireland and viceroyalty. Bruté still calls her by the name under which she did such edifying work; the rest is ephemeral vanity followed by death. To rejoice otherwise than at the occasion of doing good, namely, at the pomps in the gayettes, is sad folly and vanity. God alone gives the value of everything; all the rest is childish prattle for heirs of heaven and members of Christ, who on earth is crowned only with thorns. He has added Josephine's holy mother. Bruté saw her at Paris, the very type of Christian piety, and he has been pleased by the singular and open insistance of the gayettes on the visits of Monseigneur Murrai. Adieu and respects. Marginal note: Bruté asks Josephine to send him a few lines in answer to these, but not to take the trouble to write a separate letter. Whenever she writes to M. Egan she can send two lines for him and two for Bruté and some of the little papers of her mother. She has plenty of them. Herein is another of Rebecca's. :: II-1-a A.L.S. Bruté's letter in French 4pp. 8vo., 11