Stéphane MALLARMÉ (1842-1898). L.A.S., Paris [July 20, 1883], to his friend Henry Roujon; 7 pages in-8 (traces of old assembly). Nice letter. "What have you become? A bit of sunshine that didn't go through the curtains well made us think of good weather for the off-season: is summer over? We've been thinking about you while the rain fell. How painful to be only a month old, all wet [...] You are almost halfway through your vacation...". They leave Tuesday evening for Valvins, and he will return on Friday for the prize giving. "You may not know that I was made an Academy officer. I was angry all afternoon. The principal whom I was thanked told me that he had asked himself that my salary be increased to five thousand francs, and that he had been granted this purple no-claims bonus. And to think I could please Villiers with that... - I would have liked, later on, to have gone through the university in a black frock coat, with no flippers left. That's too bad. Then we'll try to pass it on to someone, if not an indelible sign... An extraordinary joy, for example, which comes to me from you, is to have attended (alongside Marras) the performance of Oedipus [at the Comédie-Française]. What magnificent art! We'll talk about it at the water's edge. The ballet Excelsior à l'Éden" is nonsense; and some of the effects of the famous future ballets have been spoiled in advance. Then, to see only the great oaks, for two months. I am well and truly at the end of my rope, more tired than ever; but if I make it to next week, I am saved. ...] Basically, all I can think about is working ... Correspondence (ed. B. Marchal), No. 558.