F , S M , Poitiers, France, to Archbishop Napoleon Joseph Perché, New Orleans, Louisiana, 1881 December 23

All her letters remain without a reply. She fears he has been ill. She learned through Sister Agnes that he was laid up with a bad foot, at which time she wrote enclosing a letter for Adele Béon . She is still waiting for him to tell her something about the establishment of Newark. The new bishop must have been named a long time ago. Father Hippolyte Leneuf who travelled through at the end of July or the beginning of August gave her news of Perché. She thinks he has left because he did not return in October as he was supposed to if he did not go to Colorado. He promised her a book he had written on America, but she has not received it. She thinks only of the missions and suffers cruelly because she cannot be where her heart carries her. Perché has read about the canonization. Father Pifferi, subsacristan of the Pope, had helped her obtain a ticket, but the person who was to accompany her was detained at the person who was to accompany her was detained at the last moment, and she did not go. Mama is ill. Romuald does his duty; he is very active at court despite the horrible time it takes. She knows that Perché finds it painful to write but a few words will suffice. She asks for a special momento on January 3, the feast of St. Genevieve, for maman and on January 21 for her two Agneses, the one who is in heaven and the one who is here below at Bourg near Mother Esperance hoping to leave for America. The latter's health is not good. They have a republican bishop Bishop Jacques Edmund Bellot des Minières , who is not suitable, so everything is going badly at Poitiers. Their cousin, Mr. Louis whom Perché knows, has been the second victim. What a loss was their great Cardinal Louis Edouard Désiré , so misunderstood. She asks for news of friends at New Orleans. It has been a long time since she has had news of Mrs. L'Estrade and of Blanche L'Estrade , since the death of their great aunt, Mrs. Molé, with whom they were staying. :: VI-3-c A.L.S. French 4pp. 12mo. 11