Hore Browse Trist to Nicholas P. Trist
| Cher Frère, | [1 December 1825?] |
Perry me dit au sujet de ta lettre qu’il avait trop d’occupation pour te rendre reponse avant la fin de la roulaison. Tu vois qu’il hésite—à sa place tu n’aurais pas hésité—Je ne crois pas à sa générosité. Je le crois au contraire très intéressé. que la sauce soit bonne ou mauvaise il faudra bien nous y en accomoder. Dorénavant je ne prendrai jamais de si etroites liaisons sans bien m’informer du caractère de celui avec qui je dois m’y me lier—mais laissons ce chapitre la—Nous aurons soin dans nos procédés de ne pas nous laisser surprendre, et nour nous tournerons à notre [. . .] profit les qualités, qu’il possède.
Nous avons eu 3 ou 4 gelees a glace consécutives il y a dix jours, qui ont beaucoup endommagé les cannes dans notre voisinage—Il y avait de la glace d’un demi pouce, ou bien près, ce qui me fait croire qu’elle s’ait s’est fait sentir généralement dans la Louisiane—Dimanche passé je suis allé voir comment Mr Tournillon en était affecté. Ses cannes étaient toutes gélées, mais on faisait encore du sucre—le sucre il parait, se fait aussi bien avec la canne gelée, pourvu qu’elle ne s’aigrisse pas, ce qui arrive quand le chaud succède au froid, et sans [saver?] qu’après 3 ou quatre gelées vient le vent du sud avec la pluie. En effet il a fait chaud presque toute la semaine dernière Je ne sais pas qu’elles en ont été Ses les suites. Mr T. contait sur soixante boucauts, et peut-être qu’un bon sucrier les lui aurait faits. Mais celui qu’il a employé n’est pas bien au fait. d’ailleurs il n’a pas assez de jugement même pour faire un bon sucrier. Sa fabrique n’est pas des plus belles non plus—Surtout les premiers boucauts qu’il a enfermés—ils ne purgaient pas. Mr T. se découragea entièrement—vous connaissez son caractère. le sucrier l’avait d’abord pompé en s’ecriant à chaque scuite qu’il tirait que s’était c’était Superbe, magnifique &c. J’allai voir Perry pour l’engager a venir—il ne put quitter—Mr. T. tomba dans un accablement mortel—enfin il se consola un peu—depuis le sucrier a mieux reussi—Perry y est allé aussi et na pas conçu une très haute opinion de la capacite du sucrier. Quand j’y suis allé après les gelées je pensais le trouver dans un sombre humeur Je fus Surpris au contraire de le voir assez content, ce qui me fit un grand plaisir. Il avait pres de 25 boucauts de faits quand je le quittai.
Ne [. . .] t’imagines pas que suis toujours en proie à des reflexions tristes, et que je tomberai dans une léthargie d’ou je ne pourrais me tirer. Il est vrai que la vie que je mène est propre a assoupir les facultés actives—et meme les études qu auxquelles je m’applique, qui demandent forcent à reflechir et qui sont plus ou moins abstraites, ne sont pas faites pour égayer l’ame. J’ai cependant [. . .] pour l’ordinaire l’esprit très satisfait, et si quelque nuage vient l’obscurcir de tems à autre, ce n’est que pour le moment. [. . .] Le temps aussi fait son effet sur mon caractère, en le fortifiant, et malgré que je n’ai pas grand commerce avec les hommes, je me sens tous les jours plus propre a me frotter avec eux. Cependant il ne faut pas [q]ue je me vante beaucoup sur ce chapitre la. Malgré tout le bonheur que j’eprouverais à vivre auprès de toi, et les agrémens que je [. . .] sentirais dans la société agréable qui m’environnerait [. . .] je ne saurais me décider, à l’heure qu’il est à une démarche semblable—une voix secrète Semble me dire “ton sort y est fixé.” en tout cas il faut attendre un peu—“Le temps est le plus grand des inovateurs.” Peut-être dans [quelques] années je n’aurais plus les mêmes sentiments qui domin[ent] maintenant dans mon cœur—Je suis content d’apprendre que tu as bon espoir de réussir dans la carrière que tu dois suivre—Je ne doute aucunement que tu n’y parviennes à un rang très respectable. Je ne crains pour toi que faiblesse de caractère—ton cœur est trop mou; il faut tâcher de l’endurcir. Tu ne seras toute la vie qu’une dupe, le jouet des fripons, si tu ne corriges pas ce défaut.
I have taken a boarder—you recollect Le coq Coq—He has been entrusted with the public school in the neighborhood & requested me to give him board, which I could not refuse. I have not stipulated for lodging—he is to procure that elsewhere. I like him well enough—he does not possess education enough to be an instruction companion—but I think nature has been no niggard toward him. He has1 enough of french viracity without being boisterous & braggart—
I neither receive your letters immediately on their arrival, nor have I an opportunity to send those I write as soon as composed—so that I cannot be very exact my love to V. & to all the family remember me affectionately
J’ai vu Perry. il m’a parlé de vos propositions, et parait assez disposé a les agréer. cependant de la manière dont il parle il ne parait pas en comprendre la nature—nous verrons, je vais l’eclaircir—
editors’ translation
| Dear brother, | [1 December 1825?] |
Regarding the subject of your letter, Perry tells me that he was too busy to give you an answer before the end of the harvest. You see that he hesitates—In his place, you would not have hesitated—I do not believe in his generosity. On the contrary, I believe him to be quite self-interested. Be the sauce good or bad, we will have to make do with it. From now on, I will never enter in such close relationships without informing myself fully about the character of the one with whom I must deal—But let us close this chapter—In our dealings, we will be careful not to let ourselves be surprised and we will take advantage of the qualities he possesses.
Ten days ago, we had 3 or 4 consecutive freezes that did much damage to the canes in our area—There was ice half-an-inch thick or close, which makes me believe that it was generally felt in Louisiana—Last Sunday, I went to see how Mr. Tournillon was affected by it. His canes were all frozen, but sugar was still being made—It seems that sugar is made just as well with frozen canes, provided that they do not sour up, which is what happens when warm weather follows the cold. And without [knowing if?] 3 or four freezes, there comes the southern wind with the rain. In fact, it was warm almost all of last week. I do not know what were the consequences. Mr. T. was counting on sixty barrels, and perhaps a good sugar-maker would have done it for him. But the one he hired is not up to the task. Besides, he does not even have enough good sense to make a good sugar-maker. His factory is not among the most beautiful either. Especially, the first barrels that he closed—the sugar did not get purified. Mr. T. got totally discouraged—You know his temperament. The sugar-maker had first pumped him up, exclaiming at each draw of the cooked syrup that it was superb, magnificent, etc. I went to see Perry to encourage him to come—He could not leave—Mr. T. fell into a deathly depression—At the end, he consoled himself a little—Since then, the sugar-maker has done better—Perry went there too and did not form a very high opinion of the sugar-maker’s know-how. When I went there after the freezes, I thought I would find him in a somber mood. I was surprised to see him, on the contrary, rather happy, which gave me great pleasure. He had nearly 25 barrels done when I left him.
Do not imagine that I am always prey to sad thoughts and that I will fall into a lethargy out of which I will not be able to pull myself out. It is true that the life I lead is suitable to dull the mental faculties—And even the studies to which I apply myself, which force me to think and are more or less abstract, are not anything to cheer up the soul. My mind is nevertheless usually very contented, and if some cloud darkens it now and then, it is only for a moment. Time also has its effect on my character, fortifying it, and although I do not interact much with people, I feel every day more able to mingle with them. However, I must not boast much in that regard. Despite all the happiness that I would experience if I lived close to you and the pleasure I would feel among the pleasant society that would surround me, I would not know how to come to such a decision at the present time—A secret voice seems to tell me: “Your destiny depends on it.” In any case, we must wait a little. “Time is the greatest of all innovators.” Perhaps in a few years I will not have the same feelings that now prevail in my heart—I am happy to learn that you have good hope of being successful in the career you must follow—I have no doubt that you will reach a very respectable rank in it. The only thing I fear for you is weakness of character—Your heart is too soft; you must make an effort to harden it. You will be nothing but a fool all your life, the toy of knaves, if you do not correct this fault.
I have taken a boarder—you recollect Le coq Coq—He has been entrusted with the public school in the neighborhood & requested me to give him board, which I could not refuse. I have not stipulated for lodging—he is to procure that elsewhere. I like him well enough—he does not possess education enough to be an instruction companion—but I think nature has been no niggard toward him. He has enough of french viracity without being boisterous & braggart—
I neither receive your letters immediately on their arrival, nor have I an opportunity to send those I write as soon as composed—so that I cannot be very exact my love to V. & to all the family remember me affectionately
I have seen Perry. He talked to me about your proposals and seemed inclined to approve them. Nevertheless, judging from the way he talks, he did not seem to understand their nature. We will see, I am going to enlighten him—