Show damass alexandro alexandre dumas pere wa was extremely fond of melons anti anil an auto antof graph letter of his has just come into the possession of 0 the library of the town of carpentras Carpen tras by legacy which proves the fact act it Is perhaps one of 0 the strangest contracts e ever ver made by man of letters the letter Is addressed to al M seguin the deputy malre maire of davaillon cavaillon Caval Cava llon illon la in the Cau cluse in august 1864 by the author ot of les lea who was then living at st SL gratien near Erig bein he bays on receipt of your letter I 1 have immediately arranged with my publisher M michael levy for him to send you the two or three hundred volumes which have already appeared of my works and that in the future a as s they appear he will send you the 1 others t hers and I 1 am very pleased to be it ble able to reply to the great honor which you do me but please have the goodness to to tell your honorable malre maire M that I 1 impose one condition it if the town and the authorities of ca like my books I 1 like their melons and I 1 desire that in exchange of my three or four hundred volumes there shall be cons constituted titu led tor for me by municipal decree a yearly income ot of twelve melons per year the cost of carriage will naturally be at my expense need one add that the contract wa was faltha kiy kept i on both sides bides UY I 1 |