A Little More Information
From the Introduction:
De La Salle’s letters addressed to the Brothers have quite a different tone from those addressed to persons not belonging to the Institute. In the latter group there is generally a great deal of formality. … [A[ll correspondence with the Brothers begins without any formality at all, but in a familiar manner, with the words “My very dear Brothers” occurring usually within the opening sentence. Similarly, these letters invariably close with tout a vous, which is rendered “Totally yours.” The body of each of these letters reads like a conversation, while letters to people outside of the Institute are often in a style almost impossible to translate into the more familiar style of contemporary times. De La Salle identifies himself completely with the Brothers, abandoning all claims to the social status he possessed in a century and a society where such claims were rigorously maintained. (Pg. 8)
