Dalloz, Father Charles, Avoyelles, Louisiana, to Bishop Anthony Blanc, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1845 July 10

Dalloz has been slow in answering Blanc's two letters because of his many duties. He sees in the first letter that his older brother kept his word given on August 12, 1843, to persecute Dalloz and to try to ruin him everywhere he went. Dalloz's vocation as missionary dates from February 1827; being ordained on December 17, 1836, he dared not talk about it because of his mother. On February 29, 1840, their mother being dead, his brother wished to join Lacordaire who had just embraced the religious state but their bishop spoiled this plan. Dalloz was assistant at Moulins in Nivernais for four years; the pastor had a young orphan boy as a servant and sacristan; he asked Dalloz to care for him on his death. Dalloz fell ill, his older brother came to visit him. The young orphan cried and in his delirium, Dalloz told him that he had provided for him in his will. Dalloz's brother heard him and began to mistreat the boy, who fearing Dalloz's death, married and left but came each day to do Dalloz's work and was paid. The man who came to see Dalloz this winter urged Dalloz to come to America. Father Joseph Soller, S.J. knows this. Dalloz sold his furniture, found employment for his servant in Paris, and embarked on April 23, 1844. Father J.M. Bonniot? Bonniant approved of his conduct toward his servant in Paris. His older brother had been so upset about his being the sole heir if around 5000 francs that Dalloz finally sent him the will proving the contrary. The one who is here now left France without saying where he was going. Being ill he came to see Dalloz and A. Marye liked him so well he engaged him to come to spend fever season and rented a house for him. Dalloz carried out Blanc's commissions with Edouard Gééè and Marye. People say the house and 70 acres sold for 1000 piastres. Mrs. Noel Dubuc said she had offered Father Nicolas? Francis 400 piastres cash and he had refused it. A Mr. David, a food dealer, said he had offered 800 cash and 200 to be paid later and Francais had refused. He has been told that the bill of sale between Widow Doudoute and Francais when he bought it was the same as they used for the sale of Francais to Edouard. Edouard has said many times that he bought it for 1000 piastres and had 5 years to pay, 200 every March. Marye says it was due in July. Mr. Tyler H. Taylor ? told Dalloz that all the remaining debts would probably never be paid. P.S. Dalloz has just come from seeing the judge who made the bill of sale between Francais and Edouard. The property was sold for 1000 piastres but on condition that he pay $400 to Francais and 600 to his cousin if he did not marry her. Dalloz blessed their marriage on June 19, therefore 400 remains. The judge intimated that Francais was paying a debt; he is wrong but this is good advice to priests who make gifts to persons of the opposite sex. :: V-5-d A.L.S. French 5pp. 4to. 10