This letter, addressed to "Mon cher ami," was dated by Gustave Flaubert "lundi, 6 9bre" [i.e. Monday, 6 November. The practice of abbreviating "novembre" as "9bre" (the 9th month) dates from the Roman era and lingered in use long after 1582, when Pope Gregory changed the beginning of the calendar year to January 1.] A letter written by Flaubert to his niece Caroline on November 6, 1871 mentions his intention to write to Henri-Félix Duquesnel that same evening, thus identifying both the recipient and the year of the letter: "Comme je ne reçois aucune letter de Duquesnel, je vai lui écrire ce soir même pour savoir les affaires théatrales" (Bruneau, Jean (ed.) Flaubert Correspondance (Paris: Gallimard, 1998), vol. 4, pp. 406 and 1236).

Duquesnel was an author and theatre manager, and the letter concerns rehearsals for Louis Bouilhet's play, Madame Aissé, first performed January 6, 1872. Louis Bouilhet, a close friend and mentor of Flaubert, had died in 1869. Flaubert was involved in the posthumous publication and production of Bouilhet's poems and plays.

A transcription of Flaubert's letter reads: "Mon cher ami / j'aurais besoin. p.[our] mes petites affaires personnelles / de savoir le moment ou vous m'appellerez? - / et vous seriez bien aimable de me repondre / Tout á vous / G Flaubert / Croisset lundi 6-9bre."