Autograph letter signed, Hector Malot to Adrien Hébrard

Hector Malot (1830–1907), autograph letter signed, Fontenay-sous-Bois, 15 January [between 1872 and 1889], to Adrien Hébrard; bifolium of laid paper, in brown ink.

1 page, Octavo (183 x 128 mm).
A letter of recommendation from the author of Sans famille to the director of Le Temps, on behalf of a teacher at the Lycée d'Orléans wishing to place an article in the paper.

« Fontenay sous Bois 15 Janvier
Mon cher Hébrard
Voulez vous me permettre d'introduire près de vous et de vous recommander M. Chabrier professeur au Lycée d'Orléans qui voudrait vous soumettre un article pour le Temps.
M. Chabrier a une lettre de recommandation pour M. Scherer, mais il ne veut pas s'en servir en ce moment.
Je vous le recommande donc doublement et vous prie de faire pour lui tout ce que vous pourrez ; je vous en serai vivement reconnaissant
Votre tout dévoué
Hector Malot »

Paper creased, small marginal tears with no loss to the text.

A testament to the novelist's ties with the great Republican daily newspaper.

Adrien Hébrard (1833–1914) succeeded Auguste Nefftzer at the head of Le Temps after the latter's ten years at its helm, and directed it for nearly forty-five years, until his death. The "M. Scherer" mentioned in the letter is Edmond Scherer (1815–1889), a former Protestant theologian turned critic, for many years one of the paper's principal contributors.

Malot writes from the chalet he had built for himself at Fontenay-sous-Bois in 1864, where he published one to two novels a year. His novels appeared in serial form in Le Siècle or Le Temps.