Stéphane MALLARMÉ. L.A.S. "Stéphane Mallarmé", Paris 89 rue de Rome July 25, 1893, to Jules BOISSIÈRE; 4pages in-8 (center fold split and repaired).Beautiful letter to the author of Les Fumeurs d'opium, in which Mallarmé announces his intention to give up teaching to devote himself to literature. [The poet Jules BOISSIÈRE (1863-1897) had married Térèse, daughter of the félibre Joseph Roumanille, who had introduced him to Mallarmé in 1892. Under the pseudonym Jean Robert, he had published "Dans la forêt (souvenirs d'un fumeur d'opium)" in L'Événement on March 9 and April 20, 1893, which he later collected in Fumeurs d'opium in 1896; he was then stationed in Indochina]. "My dear friend A kind sea-blue arrow that today crossed our interior to leave again (I'm talking about the letter, to my daughter for a few days in Honfleur, which bears Madame Boissière's handwriting) has rekindled some remorse in me. You guessed it, for not having given you any sign of life. It takes this reminder, my forthcoming departure for Valvins and, I'm afraid, a few early days of aërée laziness, for the thousandth time to take out a piece of paper for you. I'm no more than the correspondent who mechanically responds to book mailings; when they pile up to the point of scandal. Never a letter, letter. Not that I work or, at least, publish. The wretched college that devours my time has been more active than ever this year, for the last. I'm planning not to go back, to retire and make a real start in literature. In the meantime, here's a little volume, Vathek, for which I believe you have the preface. The tale is well worth reading, and you'll allow me to offer it to Madame. I'm late with Jean Robert, having thoroughly enjoyed his two Souvenirs d'un Fumeur d'Opium. There are so many beautiful, superbly rhythmic sentences, as solemn as dreams and greenery; and with immediate bursts of life, without dissonance! Humanity is always present, as if in the face of danger. So we must continue to make you scarce, but virile, dear Boissière. Au revoir, it's not much, and even derisory, this bill, when we should be saying everything. Take only our handshake, my wife's and mine (my wife is going slowly) with all the affection and regret we feel for you both. He adds, at the head of the letter, in a postscript: "Have you read Peints par eux-mêmes by Hervieu, the best book of the year; and Chevauchée d'Yeldis, by Vielé-Griffin?" Correspondance (Austin), t.V, p.137-138. - Correspondance (Marchal), no. 2012.