Guy de MAUPASSANT (1850-1893). L.A.S. with drawings, Rouen Monday [September 4, 1871], to the painter Georges Merle in Étretat; 1 page in-8, address. Amusing illustrated letter to his painter friend. [The painter Georges Merle (1851-1886), known as Géo, was a regular visitor to Étretat, where he had a villa; Maupassant cites him in his article on "Étretat" (Le Gaulois, August 20, 1880) as one of the "band of merry boys."] Before leaving for La Rochelle, Maupassant made meticulous accounts for his "dear Geo": "we had 45.50 from the restaurant [...] You sent me 20 f. I had 12 francs of cherry sugar, 8 francs left to withdraw. You also owed me 23.50 plus 2 f. of laundry and 3 given to Edouard as you had authorized me to do, so you still owe me 15.50 + 3 + 2 + 45.50 = 66 ". He adds "My sewing machine broke its thread (he draws a woman in front of her spinning wheel) She has a cold, I treat her with cognac and rum"... In the margin, he draws 6 small shadow figures, including two men in scatological attitudes, with the caption: "New school of painting known as Louis Le Poittevin".