Buteux, Father Stanislaus, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, to Archbishop Anthony Blanc, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1853 January 10

He writes to Blanc instead of to Father Stephen Rousselon because Blanc will understand what he is talking about where Rousselon cannot. Rousselon said to him the last time he was in New Orleans, in a reproachful tone, that Buteux had been there twice without coming to see them. Even then, when he is alone or when he has little Thomas d'Aquin with him, he says Mass at the Archbishopric. For some time he has had little Clannon with him. When he was establishing his school, his business was primarily in St. Patrick's area and Blanc knows his relations with Captain Hiern ? and Miss Clannon . As guardian of Mrs. Clannon 's children, he has tended to affairs several times and as Mr. Clannon has leisure and time only in the evening, Buteux has been there. Buteux has a leg afflicted with varicose veins and he sometimes rested there. However he has been at Father Cyril de la Croix 's or the Jesuits' when perhaps he was thought to be at Mr. Clannon's. If Rousselon's reproach goes back to an old reproach he made about Buteux's scheming, of collecting, and of dining out, etc., Rousselon is in error. For the almost 6 years Buteux has been at the Bay he has been to New Orleans 3 times for himself, each time it was when different members of the Poincy family left for France. All the other times were either for the church or for the school. Mrs. P. Forstall has appealed to some ladies to buy an angel for the church. Buteux has stopped making visits to a number of persons who had done many kind things for his churches in Indiana. Now he sees those who remain? of the Poincy family, Messrs . Armant ?, Pitot ?, Layton, and Clannon. The last time Buteux was in the city, he was at Mr. Lombard 's house. He met Arthur Poincy who was going to his store and who took George Clannon to his father. As for their boarding school, the Brothers of the Christian Instruction themselves have made the contacts with the parents. Buteux goes to New Orleans as rarely as possible; the friends he still sees come to the Bay for the summer. Buteux hopes he has not been disrespectful to Blanc or Rousselon in this letter; he simply wanted to explain his conduct. :: VI-1-e A.L.S. French 3pp. 4to. 17