Dumartrait, A., St. Martinville, Louisiana, to Bishop Anthony Blanc, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1840 July 28

On his return from Opelousas, Dumartrait found Blanc's letter of the 7th. The trustees met yesterday and Dumartrait sends Blanc a copy of their deliberations. They have been without services for almost three months and the season of sickness is drawing near. They also have the young to prepare for Communion and especially at the young ladies' boarding school run by a Catholic lady, Mrs. Berault where several had been prepared before Father John F. Brasseur's departure. In the four years that Brasseur was pastor they found he had 151 marriages from April 9, 1836 to January 1, 1840 and 16 marriages up to May 9 which adds up to $365; baptisms outside the church amounted to about 100 to 150 piastres. So the pastor with $1200 salary would receive about $1800. In regard to the reasons this congregation gave about Father Charles Henry Boutelou de St. Auxin, it is not possible to destroy the prejudice against him for the present. ` A.L.S. French ` Enclosure: