Bidspirit auction | DUMAS ALEXANDRE: Fils (1824-1895)

DUMAS ALEXANDRE: Fils (1824-1895) - DUMAS ALEXANDRE: Fils (1824-1895) French author and playwright. A.L.S., A Dumas f , four pages, 8vo, n.p., n.d., to [Adolphe Desbarolles] ( ‘Mon bien cher ami’ ), in French. Dumas writes a warm, charming letter to his friend, stating that he had been happy to hear from Desbarolles and that he didn’t consider himself forgotten, ‘ Je pensais seulement que vous etiez un peu devore par la poussiere des routes et que vous attendiez en effet un moment de repos pour nous renseigner sur votre sort’ (Translation: ‘I only thought that you were a little devoured by the dust of the roads and that you were indeed waiting for a moment of rest to inform us of your fate’ ) and continuing ‘Je commence par vous dire que si vous n'avez pas d'autre souci que de me devoir de l'argent, vous pouvez dormir tranquille. Je n'ai pas besoin de cette petite somme et si je puis vous etre encore bon de la meme maniere, disposez de moi: les amis comme vous sont de la famille. J'aurais mieux aime vous voir ici a Puys avec votre fille, dans deux bonnes chambres du village, puisque vous n'en avez pas dans la maison, vous travaillant avec calme et sans sujetion aucune, aupres d'Olga et de mes enfants, tous deux prenant vos repas avec nous. A mon avis, c'eut ete plus simple et plus utile. Vous en avez decide autrement; je le regrette, mais je vous approuve du moment que vous vous estimez satisfait. En tout cas, pour vous et pour votre fille, comptez absolument sur moi: vous etes robuste et vous avez encore de longues annees a vivre, dans ce temps ou les viellards son plus necessaires que les jeunes gens, mais si cela doit vous tranquilliser, sachez qu'apres vous, la jeune et belle Clementine trouverait une maison honorable et amie, la meme ou elle serait la bienvenue et la bien aimee’ (Translation: ‘I’ll start by telling you that if you have no other worries than owing me money, you can sleep peacefully. I don’t need this small sum and if I can still be good to you in the same way, have me at your disposal; friends like you are family. I would have preferred to see you here in Puys with your daughter, in two good rooms in the village, since you don’t have any in the house, working calmly and without any subjection, alongside Olga and my children, both of you taking your meals with us. In my opinion, it would have been simpler and more useful. You have decided otherwise; I regret it, but I approve of you as long as you consider yourself satisfied. In any casem for you and your daughter, count on me absolutely: you are robust and you still have many years to live, in this time when old people are more necessary than young people, but if this should reassure you, know that after you, the young and beautiful Clementine would find an honourable and friendly home, the same where she would be welcome and well loved’ ). A letter of beautiful content and with an interesting association. With a two line ink annotation in an unidentified hand to the upper edge of the first page. VG Adolphe Desbarolles (1801-1886) French artist and writer considered the father of modern chiromancy (palm reading). Desbarolles was not only a friend of Dumas fils, but of his father too. Indeed, Desbarolles concluded after reading the palm of Dumas pere that the writer would die at 104 years of age following a duel.