José-Maria de HEREDIA is saddened by his daughter's marriage to Mr. Maindron.

José-Maria de HEREDIA (1842.1905)

Autographed letter signed to a friend.

Three octavo pages in black ink.

No place or date. [1889]

"She preferred the unfortunate man to a very good match. That is to her credit. May she never regret it!"

The poet is saddened by the marriage of his daughter Hélène to Maurice Maindron.

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"Where on earth are you, my dear friend? And when will you be back? I miss you—or rather, I miss him terribly. First of all, I must thank you on behalf of the young lady for your gift, which gave her the greatest pleasure. I must also tell you what you will have read in the newspapers (if you read them, you fortunate wanderer): Hélène's marriage. She is marrying Maurice Maindron, the novelist of *The Tournament* and *St. Cendre*, the author of a fine book on arms and numerous memoirs on natural history. He is a good man, very distinguished and intelligent, but of a somewhat difficult temperament. Between us—and don't mention it in your reply —this marriage doesn't thrill me. But she is twenty-eight and knows what she's doing. He seduced her by telling her he had been unhappy, and she preferred the unhappy man to a very good match. That is to her credit." I hope she never regrets it! The wedding will take place at the end of this month, probably on the 29th. Will you be in Paris?

Nothing new here, except that things are going well at the Journal. It seems to me that Mr. Letellier and I get along very well. I owe these leisure hours to you, haec otia fecit, as old Naro said; and I'm pleased to owe you something more, because I like you very much. What do you think of the Ministry? I don't find it so badly composed (Galliffet especially) for the task at hand, and I don't know if Father Méline was right to attack it. It seems to me that he should have abstained. You, on the other hand, acted wisely by going on this tour of France, which was as political as it was instructive.

Farewell, my friend. If you had been in Apremont, I would have gone to rest for two or three days, running through the woods with you. I will do so if you agree, in August and September. In the meantime, take care and think fondly of your JM. de Heredia from time to time. I am writing to the Journal with a dirty iron pen and mud ink. It's symbolic

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Maurice Maindron married the eldest of Heredia's three daughters, Hélène-Élisabeth de Heredia (1871-1952) in 1895.