Since Fr. Chanut was leaving that day and there were still a few minutes before his departure, the Founder added a second letter to the one he had written the day before. In that connection, we find that Brother Avit, in AA, p. 238, adds a sentence which does not appear in the original, but makes it clear that it was Fr. Chanut who brought both letters to the Hermitage.

J.M.J.

Paris, 13th March 1838, Foreign Missions

My very dear brother,

I am taking advantage of the moment I still have while Fr. Chanut is packing. It seems that Mr. Ardaillon is going home for a few days. Do not fail to visit him; thank him very much for all he has done, make sure he knows how necessary this authorization is for us, since without it conscription will take our subjects away from us. How indebted the society will be to him; it will remember him forever. Tell him you are hoping for my return. He will tell you that my staying here will not change anything, that things will go just as quickly even if I am not there. Do not reply to that, except to say that in any case, if they asked for some change to be made in certain articles, I would be there right away. Finally, dear brother, tell him whatever God inspires you to say. You should go two or even three together: Brother Stanislas, Brother Jean-Baptiste or Brother Jean-Marie, and yourself.

A Dieu in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and….

Champagnat

I still have no positive information about the commitments. I gave them to Mr. Baude. I do not know what will be done about them.

Bro. Marie-Jubin is going to learn to teach the deaf and dumb, and he will continue to learn lithography.

I am forgetting a lot of other things.

Edition: Translation from: Lettres de Marcellin J. B. Champagnat (1789-1840) Fondateur de l?Institut des Frères Maristes, présentés par Frère Paul Sester,1985.

fonte: Daprès lexpédition autographe AFM 111.36,; éditée partiellement dans AAA p. 238