Mr. Young, of the New York _Herald_, has been with us from the time we
went on shipboard until we arrived here. His letters published in the
papers are all good, and save me writing descriptive letters. Presuming
that you have read them I will say nothing further than that my winter
travels, in the Mediterranean, on the Nile, and in the Levant generally
have been the pleasantest of my life. I should enjoy doing it over
again next winter. We have been in Rome eight days. It is a city of
great interest. But one should visit it before making the Nile trip.
Here you see modern and comparatively insignificant ruins, not dating
back many centuries before the beginning of the Christian era. On the
Nile one sees grand ruins, with the inscriptions as plain and distinct
as when they were first made, that antedate Moses by many centuries.
It was our plan on leaving Suez to go to Florence, Venice, Vienna,
Berlin, Dresden, St. Petersburgh, through Sweden, Norway, back to
Denmark, through Holland to Paris, reaching the latter place about the
middle of July, and to spend six or eight weeks there to see the
Exposition and the people that will fill the city. I think now I will
change my plan and go from Venice, by easy stages, to Paris, reaching
there early in May, and make my visit while the weather is pleasant. I
will then go north in the summer, taking Holland first, Denmark next,
and Sweden and Norway in August. I fear from present indications that
Mr. Cramer and Mary will not be there.
It looks to me that unless the North rallies by 1880 the Government will
be in the hands of those who tried so hard fourteen--seventeen--years
ago to destroy it. B---- is evidently paving a way for re-organizing an
army favorable to such a change.
I think now we will not return to the States until about a year from
May. I have no idea where we will live on our return, and if we should
go back in the fall we would have to determine the question without
delay. We can go back in May and occupy our Long Branch house and have
all summer to prepare for the winter.
I was getting some little mosaics--specialties of Rome--to-day and I
bought, among other things, what I think a very pretty pin and earrings
for Jennie. I have also got bracelets for Clara Cramer and Jennie
Grant. If I see an opportunity of sending them home before going myself
I will send them. I have written to Buck to come over and spend his
vacation with us. I can send them with him.
Give our love to Mother, Jennie, Mary and the children.
Yours very truly,