Mènard, Father Charles M., Thibodaux, Louisiana, to Archbishop Anthony Blanc, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1858 July 19

Mènard has just received Blanc's letter about Mènard's sister, Widow Troué . Her complaints do not surprise Mènard. For years Mènard has come to her aid in all kinds of ways. She subjects him to all kinds of embarrassments, even sending her children to the Protestant school. Mènard has furnished her with food and the 2 or $3 a week necessary for clothing and heat. In June she got the idea of moving to town, at the advice of Father Francis Tasset, her director who approves of her conduct toward Mènard. Tasset wrote to Mènard saying that Mènard was to rent her house for 12 piastres and add $10 a month. Mènard wrote Tasset not to meddle in his affairs nor his sister's. Mènard got $40 from among his neighbors and sent it to her. He also made a half-promise to repair her house so that she could more easily rent it. He spent $100 for this. He refused to take on the renting of her property and believes no one else will want to. He will not refuse to help her but he cannot send her $10 and $20 a month because: 1. he does not have the money; 2. he does not want her calumnies to be the key to open his purse; 3. he wants to find a third party among her friends to give the money to her. This will be a means of justifying himself. :: VI-1-o A.L.S. French 4pp. 12mo.