Rome, April 19th.
* * * Our visit to Sorrento went off well. We got there at one on Monday morning for luncheon. The sun had given me a dreadful headache, which ended in sickness, so that I could not leave my room. Marie sat with me, and was very dear and kind. The next day, she and my Aunt, who seems tired and dispirited, had bad headaches. We went with my father-in-law and some of the ladies and gentlemen on the following afternoon in the Empress’ yacht to Capri, close by, to see the blue grotto.
The Bay of Naples, particularly seen from Sorrento, is most lovely—like a beautiful dream—the colors, the outlines are so perfect.
We breakfasted together in the morning with Aunt and Marie, and on Tuesday we took our leave.
We shall go to Florence the 23d, (the first station homeward); remain there three or four days; one night at Verona, and then home. It is a fatiguing journey, and we have so often had people in the carriage, which is very unpleasant—some very rude English, going to Sorrento; they did not know us.
Florence, April 25th.
Your kind wishes I received early this morning. Thousand thanks for them, and for the presents which I shall find on getting home.
I shall be so glad to have a large photograph of yourself. Thirty years! Good-bye, youth! but I feel quite as old as I am, though the time has flown by so fast. I would it had flown as well as it has fast! I look back to the past with great gratitude to the Almighty for innumerable blessings, and pray our life may continue so blest. I have a very bad headache—neuralgia; I have it continually; and the journey is very long and tiring. Darling Ernie wanted to buy something for my birthday, and he thought a china doll with a bath would be the best. I am glad Victoria remembered to write to Beatrice as I told her; they are very fond of their Auntie.
Florence seems a beautiful town, and the situation amongst the hills, over which the suburbs spread, is most picturesque.
I enclose the last telegrams from Sorrento. It is fièvre du pays which Marie had. We remained at Rome a day longer on account of poor Alfred. He is very patient and hopeful.