March 1st 1864 - Tuesday,
We took a long drive this morning with
Mrs Gajani. The Piazza d'Armi was very gay - the society
being gathered there either walking or driving. On returning I
found I had had one visitor whom I always regret to miss -
Marchesa Arconati. In the evening we were quite alone.
Wednesday 2nd
I felt so dull this morning that I should
have been so glad to be warranted against any visits - even those
ordinarily most agreeable. Just as I was going to dress however
a note was handed me to ask if I would receive, an hour later,
the Countess Pasolini, brought by Mme Arconati. The ladies
came, and I found the countess a very charming person as
everybody had already told me I should. They talked a good
deal of American celebrities, among them, of Miss Fuller (Mme
Ossoli, for whom Mme Arconati seemed to have entertained
a decided friendship. Mme Pasolini had seen her but once
"toute ébourifée, et enfin, très extraordinaire." I
should have mentioned a delightful visit from Mr Meille
yesterday - a most saintly man, whom one can love and
admire immensely in spite of his extreme Calvinism,
which in him, at least, works only charity. He gave us
a very tempting account of Bonnet's Life of Olimpia
Olympia Morata which he is to send us. Other
visitors during the dancing-lesson, but not of special interest
Thursday. March 3rd
Went to Mr Meille's Lecture to-
-day at three. Found on returning a note from the
Countess Castellani, containing an autograph letter from
Silvio Pellico, for the New York Fair. While we were
at dinner Cerutti sent in some very valuable autographs
with a promise of more tomorrow. We amused ourselves
in the evening with Kalawala which Carrie is reading
aloud.
Friday March 4th
The papers this morning contain some
curious developements which surprise nobody, but which
have called out another contemptible exhibition of
English swagger as to what they will do, when everybody
knows they will do nothing if they can help it. A
note from the Prussian premier to the English govt
government, dated as early as the 12th of December
declares that Germany will never leave Denmark in
peace until the latter renounces her present democratic
tendencies. Here then the secret is out, if secret there
was, and the motives of Germany are frankly acknowledged.
The Italian journals see plainly enough that the Germans
mean war upon what they call democracy in Italy as
well as in Denmark, and I trust Italy will not be
taken unprepared. There is something astounding in the
boldness with which the temporal and spiritual tyrannies
are now giving battle everywhere to liberty and progress.
Is it because they feel that it is now or never with them,
that liberty and light are growing too powerful to be
resisted if not resisted now, or is it that they really
feel themselves endued with new strength, and better
capable than ever before of bringing a sure triumph of the
Friday. Being thoroughly tired of the endless sameness of
the Piazza d'Armi with its carriages moving at
snail's pace, with the solemn servants, while the ladies
are walking we tried the Stupiniggi road, and
though very muddy it was tolerable and we reached
the palace in about an hour. On returning we struck
off toward Moncalieri and came back on the other
side of the Pò, the road being in even better order
than that of Stupiniggi. Carrie and I were gladdened
by the sight of two daisies, but the mountains were
scarcely visible. The air however was fine, and we
enjoyed our drive, though I found on entering
the drawing-room that cards had been left in the
meantime by some of our acquaintance most desirable
to have seen.
Kingdom of Darkness. That our national calamities have
had much to do with this attempt to crush out dem-
-ocratic principles in Europe, all the liberalists believe.
In the evening we heard Filippi lecture - that is we heard
the first part of every sentence - the last being uttered in an
inaudible whisper.
Saturday 5th
A dark rainy day, which, however, did
not prevent the Marchesa Mari from bringing back
Paris en Amérique herself. She declared that it had
greatly amused her, and, it was plain, it had given
her some new ideas. In the evening the Davisson
party took tea with us, also Mr Clay and Artoni.
Miss Arbesser came in later. She can't shake off
the night-mare of spiritism, and assures us that
Usudom is no less a believer than Brassier himself,
that de Bunsen is in the same category though he
is ashamed to own it. Her friends from Vienna
write her that Liebig is a thorough convert to this
most ridiculous humbug. It would seem incredible,
if we had not all heard as strange things. Dr
Weber has the good sense to see through it, He
has been a constant witness of all the phenomena
which have so addled the brain of Brassier, and
yet he pronounces the whole thing a cheat or a delusion
- sometimes both.
Sunday 6th March.
A bad headache kept me from church
and also from seeing the Kossuths who paid
their usual Sunday visit. They say they shall not get ten
times as much as Mr Marsh has given them individually for
the starving Hungarians, in all Turin, but they are de-
-termined to send their subscription paper to every
family of wealth and position. The heirs of the great
Cavour estates have given fifty francs towards feeding
four millions of starving human beings. In these
Catholic Countries people not only have their religion done
for them by their priests, but they expect the Church some-
-how to look out for their charities as well, - and the
church has to provide for itself first of course, and
the consequence is that the poor are left to die as
they may. Received a very kind note this evening
from Mrs Elliot, another from Madame Rothan,
who, I am sorry to find, goes to Nervi now for
some weeks.
Monday 7th March -
Mrs Elliot spent an hour with me
this afternoon, and I am sure we shall be very good friends
if we can manage to meet a little oftener. She is very unaffected
in her manners, has that pleasing freedom from self-consciousness
that often strikes one in English-women. Luckily for me,
Mme Arconati failed in making the arrangement she
wished about the rehearsal at the Regio, so that I was
not obliged to go. We hesitated about Matteucci's Lecture,
but fortunately made up our minds to stay at home, as
a little later the Abbé Baruffi came in, bringing with
him the modest Lieblein, and the famous historian -
Cantù. We were much pleased to make the acquaintance
of this man. He made no secret of his codino propensities,
spoke of the time when they so much needed more
liberty here than they had, and lamented that now
they were pushing the thing too fast and too far.
He was very lively in his conversation, full of point,
and though free in the expression of his own opinions, careful
not to come harshly in contact with his interlocutor. We
talked of Maximilian's new Empire among other things,
and he quite agrees with us as to its prospects. Among his
enquiries about Americans was one for Mrs Beckerstoff,
(Beecher Stowe) whom he says he knew pretty well in
Florence. He spoke particularly of the theology in her
Minister's Wooing. which she had given him, and when
I told him that her sister had taken the bull by the horns,
as we say, and written directly on theological subjects
without taking the trouble to weave her opinions into a
novel he could not restrain a rather strong expression of
surprise. It was not open disapprobation however, though I
should not like to say that there was nothing of this sort in
his mind. I hope he speaks English, in which case I shall
have much pleasure in talking with him on some subjects
where I know we should differ very widely, but I have
not confidence enough to venture on earnest discussions
either in French or Italian with so superior a man. I
can declare myself democratic acharné when he talks
conservatism, but to defend my position even as well as I might
in English, I could not.
Tuesday March 8th
Madame Giletta brought her sister-in-law
the Countess della Chiesa, and daughter to pay us a visit,
and they were only gone long enough for the drawing-room
to be thrown into confusion by men who came to take off the
double windows, when fresh visitors were announced, - the
Countess Collegno and niece. I always feel refreshed and en-
-couraged after an hour's talk with this noble woman. I was
glad to find she is in correspondence with Madame Gasparin
. One of the brightest signs of promise in this day, is that
the most superior minds, and the largest hearts are so
easily brought in contact with each other. In this way they
learn to understand better their differences of opinion, their
sympathies are enlarged, and a union of aim is effected.
The Gajanis passed the evening with us.
Wednesday 9th
This morning I received from Cantù
his photograph (which I had asked for the Fair) with
a sentence at the bottom so à propos that I should be glad
to substitute the sum for which the photograph will sell
at the Fair, for the photograph itself. Mr Artoni comes in
with a report that Garibaldi is in the city, that a
rapprochement is about taking place between him and
the government. If this is true it will do more to deter
Austria from attacking Italy than all the English diplomacy
could do even were it in earnest. Artoni also tells us of
the fray between the papal and the French soldiers in
which the latter lost some forty men killed or disabled,
while the bystanders pelted both the contending parties
with stones. Mr Fogg spent an hour or two with
Mr Marsh this morning, and threw some important light
on the course of the great Wead and Co. How little one could
have suspected that the question of stocks was at the bottom of
those famous back-down speeches in the congress of 1861. The
Countess Gigliucci told me a little more than I had previously
learned of the sudden death of the poor young Contino Ghirardi.
I knew before that the mother arrived too late. I did not tell
her as I might have done, that the last scion of the House, a
boy of about sixteen, spent the whole day in which his poor
mother was expected back from Genoa, in noisy riot, and
before night was so intoxicated that he could not walk, and
the portress of the house came to our servants for counsel.
Fortunately for the distressed mother he had recovered
sufficiently before she arrived to leave her in blessed ignorance
of his previous condition. Certainly the prospects of this family
with all its vast wealth, are sad enough.
Miss Trotti passed the evening with Carrie, and I
was more amused than I can say, in listening to her
lively talk - so unlike anything one could have heard
from an American girl of her age. I should certainly
have supposed her three years younger than she really
is, - but European girls are never encouraged to think - they
are never left alone long enough to be thrown even for a
few minutes upon themselves. Cairolo came in to
say that the rifle sent to the N.Y. Fair was actually
from Garibaldi himself.
Thursday March 10th
Mr del Castillo came with a letter of
introduction from Mrs Wurts. By the time he had uttered
the first sentence I knew him for one not born on this
side the Atlantic - That indescribable something which char-
-acterizes the native of the new world, pervaded the whole
man. And yet he is of a Spanish family, and born in
Havana. Fifteen years of his life, he tells us, have been
passed in New Orleans, he married a creole of that city,
and is still a large slave-holder. THe has also many
relatives who are slave-holders in Louisiana, though most
of his family have their possessions in Cuba. This gentleman
interested me much as a man - his freedom from much
of European conventionality, his frank and open bearing,
had something decidedly piquant in their contrast with
our present daily associations. But the best of all
was his whole-souled patriotism - "I am not a native-
born American, and I am a slave-holder, and my
attachments, even my closest family ties, are in the
South, but I love my adopted country well enough
to be willing to throw all these considerations to the
winds for her sake. Let Slavery go by the board - I
never loved it, nor do I know any southern men that do,
except that Charleston school which has brought this calamity
upon us and the world." He also talked of the copperheads
of the north with great severity, and said that but for
them the whole thing would have been ended before
this. Nothing pleased me more in his conversation than
the accounts he gave of his discourses with Englishmen -
their taking it for granted that because he was a slave-holder
he must be a friend to secession - their surprise when he
came down upon them with an exposure of their feigned
sympathy for the South, which he told them all Southern
men perfectly understood to be only hatred of our insti-
tutions, jealousy of our prosperity, and an earnest desire
to see the great republic go down. He says he has frequently
told them that all the talk about
an
irreconciliable aversion
between the people of the North and South was simply
nonsense, that he was a creole himself, his wife a creole,
and he could say positively that the greatest ambition of
[illegible] creole parents was to marry their children to the
Yankees of the North. His patriotism carried him even
further than this - "If it were in my power" said he, "I
would deprive every man in the United States of the
right of voting who is not a native-born American. This
would ostracise me of course, but I had rather it should be
so than see the ruinous effect that of foreign influence
on our institutions." We were really sorry to see so
little of this gentleman - a very novel specimen to us
- but he was obliged to leave town this evening.
The Countess Collegno came with Miss Trotti and
took off Carrie while Mr Marsh and I went to hear
Mr Meille. C. passed the evening with the Gilettas.
Friday 11 March
We spent the whole morning again arranging
autographs for the Fair - Cerruti, the Marquis della
Rovere, and others, having sent us some more very
nice things. When we drove out I left husband
at the cotton-exposition - which he found very exten-
-sive and interesting - while brother Charles and I
took a turn to get a glimpse of the mountains. The
evening we spent quietly at home.
Saturday March 12th
My visitors today came in upon one another
very mal à propos. The Countess Castellani drove away a friend
I had just begun to have a nice talk with; Mrs Mayhew
came in just after the Countess Castellani, - was mistaken by the
latter for Mrs Elliot, apologized for not asking an introduction
to her at the Pasolini's, and as I supposed all the time that
the Countess knew to whom she was speaking she did not find
out her mistake till she asked C__. as she was leaving the room.
The Countess, too, had some mysterious communication to make
which she did not want any person to hear except myself, &
so tried to make gesticulation supply in part the place of words.
Not being an adept in this language I was obliged to tell her
frankly that I did not think I had quite understood her. "Oh,
vous croyez de ne pas me comprendre parceque l'histoire
est si étrange" - and here we left it, for as it was a secret
I did not care enough for it to make any further effort in the
presence of other guests. Altogether the day was not a very
satisfactory one, (with the exception of a pleasant drive we
had in the early part of the day) and was the morning was
finished off by Carrie's having a visit from her Hebrew,
as she calls her - a circumstance which never contributes to
her placidity. In the evening she and Miss Trotti went to the
Regio in charge of Mme Giletta. Miss Arbesser staid with
me till after twelve, and then went home afraid the palace
doors might be shut against her. The announcement of the
sudden death of the King of Bavaria Miss A__. had supposed
might give the Duchess a severe shock, and accordingly she
expressed her hope when she next saw her Royal Highness
that the intelligence had not shaken her too much. "Mich!
gar nicht, gar nicht! Der Vetter macht mir nichts!"
In the course of her evening chit-chat she told me an anecdote of
Horace Vernet which I do not remember to have heard before,
and which is really too good to have the air of anything but
a very happy invention. The late Emperor Nicholas having
invited him to dinner, His Majesty said something to this
effect - I suppose, with your sentiments, you would not be
willing to paint me a picture of some of the late battles in
Poland. "Pourquoi pas, sire, j'ai peint notre Sauveur
sur la croix." Miss A__. also gave rather a funny account
of a late visit to her from Mme Peruzzi. The good lady, in
the warmth of her patriotic zeal inquired very earnestly
about the education of Prince Tomaso and the Princess
Marguerite. "Est-ce-qu'on leur enseigne quelque chose?
Est-ce-qu'ils comprennent quelque chose? Par example
est
ce
que la princesse comprend qu'il nous faut avoir la
Venise?" - and this to an Austrian governess! Miss
A__'s love of the ridiculous made her enjoy this extremely
and as she really quite agrees with Mme Peruzzi
that the Italians ought to have Venice she was not at all
wounded. Still, it was very uncourtier-like for a lady of
Mme Peruzzi's experience. Poor Miss A__. has got
herself into an awkward predicament with reference to
the Marchesa de B__. This lady wanted her to send to
Germany for her for a German maid. This Miss A__ declined
knowing, as she says, that Mme was capricious, and that there
might be difficulties. She told her however that a favorite
maid of the Duchess had recently left her because she was
no longer able to stand so much as the Duchess's service
required - that however she was ready to take another service
in case the lady should not need so much in the way of
dressing, and she should have more time for sitting-work.
To this Mme de Boÿl readily agreed. The girl went,
staid three days, and returned to Miss A__. declaring that
she could not stay another hour, that Madame was a
very __. that she had driven off one maid the week
before by dashing a glass with its contents at her head,
because she had not raised the two sides of the window-
-curtain evenly. Her parting words to the one recommended
by Miss A__. were:, E quella che vi m'ha racommandata
mi ha detto bugie assai! The following story I
record, not because I am sure of its truth, but to show
what is believed possible by a lady of high rank even in Turin.
Mme B__ however is not an Italian, but of Irish origin.
It is asserted that some years ago when at her beautiful villa
she had so exasperated a maid by vulgar abuse, and even
blows, that the girl, watching an opportunity when the Marquis
was in town, and being sure that her fellow servants would
be as deaf as those who won't hear, tied her mistress's hair
to the back of her dressing chair, then gave her a sound
boxing, and fled, being heard off [of] no more in these parts.
The Marquis probably did not make a very energetic search
knowing that legal developments would not help his lady's
reputation. How little these aristocratic institutions of Europe
differ in their effects on character from those produced by
Southern Slavery.
Sunday 13 March
After church we drove out beyond the
Madonna del Pilone, and my heart beat at the sight
of the primroses which are just beginning to make
their appearance on the hill-sides. We brought home a few
for Carrie who did not go with us. The mountains, too, were
magnificent, and it seemed more like spring than anything
we have yet seen. In the evening just as I was making
up my mind to compensate for such late hours last night
by going to bed early, Cesere Cantù was announced again
- a man for whom I would very willingly lose a little sleep.
It was a very unexpected visit, for though husband had written
him a funny note begging for another autograph, I did
not expect him to answer it in person. - nor did he,
for unluckily Dr & Mrs Monnet came in, and the great man
had not the courage to introduce anything personal, so we
lost the laugh we had at first expected. It really puzzles
me to explain why I like this man so much, when he is, according
to my standard, an obscurantist, a genus I dont fancy
at all. And yet I see that Mr Marsh too, desperate Dem
-ocrat as he is, likes him no less than I. We talked a good
deal of our many religions in America, and, alluding to the
Frenchman's distress about our trente religions, et une
seule sauce, Cantù said: "En France on a assurément
les trente sauces, mais, une religion - je n'en suis pas
sûr!
Monday March 14th
The Marchesa Arconati came in just
as I had my bonnet and shawl on for a drive. She
would not listen to my entreaties to stay and let me drive
later, but took her leave, and went to the chambers. The
day was lovely and our drive pleasant, but the mountains
were less fine than yesterday. At six and a half Mr Marsh
went to the Ministerial dinner in honour of the King's
fête - a dinner like all such dinners. The Gajanis
passed the evening with us - Madame giving an interest-
-ing account of the test-vote of the chambers. She was
fortunate enough to sit by Madame Arconati, who,
good soul, began to talk with her, learned that she was
an American, and immediately proposed to exchange
cards with her - and asked her to come and pay her
a visit. All this is so unlike the habits of the Turinese
nobility. Cantù, the shy man, sent us the photograph
this evening with a very nice sentiment by way of autograph,
but wrote no note - I dare say because he was afraid we
might send it to the Fair. "Ah, le traitre!" said Mr
Marsh when he found there was no note, and that he had
evidently come the evening before to give the autograph in
person to save the necessity of writing the note one
Tuesday March 15th
We had a delightful drive to the Madonna del
Pilone, and brought home a harvest of primroses and other
wild-flowers. In the evening we went to Matteucci's lecture
which was very well attended. He was pettish with his
attendants as usual, but was very animated while lecturing
and in spite of his prodigious rapidity made himself understood in
the main. It was pleasant to see him watch the circle of
young girls sitting directly before him, and for whose benefit
he seemed to feel himself talking. The Countess Castellani
who was there with her brilliant little Inez, says that
M__. told her that the blank, stupid face, of Mme Rattazzi
perfectly paralyzed him at his last Lecture, and that
he had great difficulty in going on. So this once bright star
of beauty has fallen.
Wednesday March 16th [Image]
The result of my labour this morning was
a full-blown crinoline, for the lack of which I have been
suffering reproach for some weeks. I had scarcely decked myself
out in it when the dancers came. The Countess Gigliucci passed
the time with me and the Giletta came too. Mme
Gigliucci told us a good many nice anecdotes of her starry
days which entertained me extremely, but alas, she smote
down one of my last-reared idols - Cantù, she insists, is
but a false-hearted patriot - says he has written articles
for the Austrian papers against the House of Savoy, and
signed them with his own name. She added more-
-over that for this and for other similar acts worthy only
of a traitor, he was refused admittance to every
any
distin-
-guished House in Milan, that here
neither
the Arconatis
nor any other true Italians would receive him. I know
she told me this to prevent us from forming an intimacy
that we might be sorry for afterwards, as she does not
know Cantù personally, and her catholic sympathies
would lead her to regard him as favourably as possible.
For One half of all these charges I set down to those political
jealousies which are inevitable in every country that has
any political life, but of course they put us on our guard
- in short, they have spoiled the dinner-party I was
just planning for our new acquaintance.
Thursday March 17th
The poor Marchesa Ghirardi came up
with her only remaining son to bid us goodbye before
leaving for [illegible] Sinigalia [Senigallia]. I never felt more
sympathy for a mother under such circumstances, and cer-
-tainly I never felt so incapable of saying a word that
could do the least possible good. So wide, so immeasurable
is the distance that our different educations and religions have
made between us, that I seek in vain for some one point of
contact. In the presence of this last child, a boy of sixteen
she talks of the vicious habits of the brother who has just
died as being matters of not the slightest consequence since he
never rejected what was taught him by his spiritual guides,
that he frequently went to Mass with her, and 'always meant
well, always had the best of principles, though the life he
lead was of the most dissipated kind'. The poor woman
seemed quite broken-hearted, and said she could not help
feeling that she had been tried too severely, that her earthly
lot had been too miserable. The part of her conversation
which shocked me most (shocking under any circumstances but
most shocking in the presence of that young boy) I could
not possible commit to paper, nor could I ever relate
it to another. My heart almost died within me when
I thought of the state of society that must exist where a
mother could speak in this way of a son lost within a month,
and
in
the presence of his brother, a lad not fully grown. And
yet the Countess had no idea that she was saying anything
in the least unnatural or out of the way. I would have
given the world to have said something to do her good, but
I knew I could not. She thanked me for my sympathy,
which was most sincere certainly, and so we parted.
The Countess Collegno and Miss Trotti were were [sic] with
us for an hour or more later. I can never mention a visit
from the Countess without renewed expressions of affectionate
admiration. Such society makes amends for much of a very
different character. We talked for the first time of the
Roman question, and I feel that I am gradually under-
-standing better the difficulty which the best Italian patriots
find in it. Mr Marsh, brother Charles and Carrie
went to the Opera. The saintly Castillia came in soon after
and passed the evening with me. Since the loss of his
sister last month his deafness has increased astonishingly
and it is now very hard work to talk with him. He came
partly to tell us of a letter just received from Professor
Child, full of good news as to the anti-slavery prospects.
The old gentleman was immensely gratified that the
Childs had christened their little daughter as Helen Castillia
I asked him a good many questions with the object of
drawing him out on the religious condition of Italy, and
I should have been surprised once to find him so incon-
-sequent, But I have now learned to expect inconsequence
everywhere. Here for example is a man who has passed
fourteen years in the Spielberg, who hates tyranny of
all kinds with his whole soul, whose philanthropy is so
deep that he would lay down his life for a fellow-creature
and yet he defends the papacy and is afraid to have the
pope disturbed. Speaking of Galileo even, he tried
to excuse, if not to defend, the treatment he received at
the hands of the church. His deafness gives him of course much
inconvenience, and once when he was talking of it I said, 'yes, these
infirmities are certainly not small trials', and mentioned the fact
that I had not read a book for twenty years from weakness of sight.
The old man seized my hand just as the venerable Plana used
to do, and looking with great earnestness into my face, he said,
"Is it possible? is it possible? but how!" I explained a little, and
then tried to turn the conversation, but his sympathy was aroused
and he would hear of nothing else till Miss Arbesser came in.
After this he soon took leave as he could hear nothing except what was
directly addressed to him & I suppose he felt in the way of our chat.
Here I may as well sum up the court chronicle as received from
her. The Duchess is thoroughly tired of the unworthy husband she
chose to take to herself within less than a year after the death
of her royal husband the Duke of Genoa
Genoa.
The Duchess has
the sum of 200000 francs a year for her personal expenses
and her household. Rapallo has an allowance from government
for his wardrobe, but in addition to this he spends yearly on
his own private pleasures 80000 francs out of the Duchess's
allowance! The Princess Marguerite has 30000 a year sub-
-ject to the disbursement of the Duchess. Of this 30,000
only 10,000 are actually paid out for her, (2000 for her
governess, 2500 for her music and other masters, 2000 for
her wardrobe - the remainder for carriage, servants etc),
the rest is used by the Duchess herself to supply the drain
caused by Rapallo. The other day a certain marriage was spoken
of in the presence of the Duchess and Rapallo, at which the
latter expressed much surprise. "Lieber Schatz," said the
Duchess, laying her hand on the arm of the Marquis, "die
Langeweile macht viel! Das weiss ich schon!" It
was through the intrigues of this man that the Marquis de
la Rovere was forced to retire from his position of governor
of the Prince. He was in the habit of calling the General
de la R__
in the presence of Duke Tomaso a bestione, whose only
use was to torment the poor prince with unnecessary
lessons, and all sorts of martyrdom in general, and
by caressing the child himself, and pitying him on account
of the severity of his governor he succeeded in alianating
him completely from the man to whom his dying father
had entrusted him. The Duchess, having received from the
King this answer to her request that the Marquis de la Rovere
might be removed from the governorship of her son,
- : "era egli nominato do mio fratello moribondo, e non
sagrificarò mai della Rovere a nessuno - ", Rapallo had
recourse to every conceivable petty annoyance to force
della Rovere to resign. When the position of the latter
became intolerable he wrote to the Duchess saying that
he had fully kept his promise to his dying master and
friend - that he would fill the place of guardian to his
son so long as he could make himself in any way acceptable
to the boy's mother - that he had borne many humiliations
rather than withdraw while there was the least chance
of his being useful to the prince - that there was no longer
any, and he begged to be allowed to retire. When the
news of the change was communicated to Prince Tomaso
the little fellow said: "Ah, questo mi fa piacere - è un
bestione!" Miss Arbesser who knew the faithful devotion
of della Rovere was so much shocked that she immediately
went to the Duchess, and told her what had passed, adding
"Your Royal Highness must be aware that we who are devoting
ourselves to these children do not do it for the sake of
the pecuniary compensation we receive - we do it from
love to them, and we have a right to so much of their
affection as we can win by our faithful services to them,
- nor has any one any pretext for interfering between us
and them in this respect." The Duchess doubted the
possibility of Prince Thomas' having used such expressions
and Miss A__ then told her, which she had not done
before, that she was herself present when it was said.
A few minutes after the Duchess sent her a note expressing a
wish that the remarks of the Prince should be kept a profound
secret. This of course was in consequence of her fear of the
King's displeasure towards Rapallo. Miss A__'s zeal for
Della Rovere she admits was not entirely disinterested, as the
Princess Marguerite had already told her that Rapallo had
scolded her for talking so much of her institutrice. "You should
give your love to your mother and not to your governess
who has no claims whatever upon you.' The princess
burst into tears and the Duchess said to her husband with some
spirit, "Il ne faut pas vous mêler de mes enfants."
My first thought was, why does not H.R.H. shake the fellow
off, feeling quite sure that she would have no scruples of
conscience about doing so, but I then recollected that this would
only sanction the censure the world passed upon her when
she married him, and so cover her with fresh confusion. She
shows much tact in not seeming to notice in the least the devotion
of Rapallo to the countess Gattinara, and though the latter is
both weak enough and unprincipled enough to accept this
homage the Duchess still continues to show her distin-
-guished favour. The Countess however is so fast becoming
the subject of common gossip that the Duchess will no doubt
soon have occasion to dispense with her services, having
reasons less personal to herself to give for her dismissal.
With all her good sense and contempt of much of the court
etiquette here the Duchess retains the traditions of Saxony very
tenaciously. She heard by accident sometime since that
the governess of the children of the Countess della Rocca
occasionally attended the children, when their mamma
could not come with them, to the apartment of the princess
and remained with Miss Arbesser while the girls amused
themselves together. Upon this she informed Miss Arbesser
that this was contrary to court etiquette, that a governess in
anything less than a royal family could not be admitted to
sit in the presence of the princess; that in Saxony when
the governess accompanies children who visit the young
ones of the royal family they are
she is
expected to come in full
dress, decoltée, and with white gloves, and even then
she can come no further than the threshold hold of the royal
apartment - there she leaves her charge who are received
by the attendants of the royal children. Miss Arbesser
answered that all this was new to her, that the governess
of the Countess della Rocca was of a highly respectable family
etc. etc. All wouldn't do, and Miss A__ was told that
she must inform the governess how matters stood. Miss A__
begged that the disagreeable task might be handed over to
the Countess Castiglione, she being cousin of the Della Rocca.
Mme Castiglione politely declined giving her cousin this
lesson in etiquette, a science she was supposed to under-
-stand herself from her own long court experience. Poor
Miss A__. had now no alternative - she wrote as delicately
as possible to the Countess Della Rocca, who replied, that
this had never been the etiquette at the court of Turin
and that, in fine, if her governess could not attend the
children and remain with them during their half holi-
-day with the Princess, she should be obliged to deprive
her children of the honour and pleasure of the visit!
The Duchess thereupon gave a new proof of her good
sense by saying - 'Very well if this is the usage here I
shall make no further objection' - but she evidently
was not a little put out, as the English say. [Image] The
mother of the Duchess, the queen of Saxony, has not the
reputation of being a very amiable woman, and in addition
to this she is afflicted with the monomaniac fear of dying
of starvation from poverty. The princess Marguerite
and her brother wrote each of them a letter to their
grand mamma at New Year's, taking the greatest pains
to write affectionately, and in their best chirography. The
old queen sent them a message in return - the letter
of the princess was very badly written, and the contents of
prince Thomas' were very stupid. The poor children
shed many tears of mortification in consequence of these criticisms
on the part of their loving grandmother.
Friday March 18th
Mr Marsh's correspondence sometimes
affords us not a little amusement. The other day he received
a letter from a certain Valtalina of Brescia, who desired
him to import for him from America a complete set of
American tools, adding, that he should expect the said
tools to be warranted by the Minister himself! Not
long since the wife of this man wrote to the King a state-
-ment of their pecuniary difficulties, and intimated very
plainly that he wasn't fit for his place of monarch of
Italy unless he would step in to the relief of his subjects.
The kind-hearted King really did interfere in certain legal
proceedings against them by furnishing them the money to
pay up. Among the nine visitors this morning was
Mme del Careto. I hardly know what to make of her,
she is so far ahead of all the Romanists I meet with in
her views of christianity, and she is so much more consequent
in her political opinions - and yet I fancy she was educated
a catholic. Her range of culture is like Mme Rothan's -
and sometimes I suspect she may have been brought up among
French Protestants. I have set Mr Artoni to make some
enquiries about her. Mr Marsh talked with her a few
minutes and was as much struck by her as I had been.
I might have learned something from Mrs Stanley, who
has returned to Turin after a winter at Savona.
By the way Mrs S__. delivers herself most energetically
on the course of England towards Poland and Denmark.
Saturday 19 March,
A very dull day outside and no visitors.
We are again treated to a telegram that the Pope is very ill.
Mr Artoni's hostess has promised her boarders twelve bottles
of wine in case he actually dies.
Sunday 20th March.
We all went to church this morning except brother C.
Mr Tottenham read less distressingly than usual, which was a great
relief to one's nerves. Old Sligo insisted on helping me to the carriage,
though Mr Marsh was there to do the needful. Miss Nora came very near
breaking up the congregation by certain unearthly sounds which she
supposed were music - nothing worse happened though than a
suppressed giggle among the young people, and nobody actually
put his hand to his ears. In the evening we finished the
life of Olympia Morata - a most interesting book by Bonnet,
lent us by Mr Meille.
Monday 21st
The Marchesa Arconati brought me this
morning a precious letter from Manzoni to her. It comes too
late for the Fair, but I hope we may turn it to account yet,
for the benefit of the good cause. I had another talk with
Mme Monnet about Renan this afternoon while Carrie and
Miss Piria were chatting together. I wonder a woman of her
intellect can be so carried away with the chaff of this renegade
abbé. In the evening Carrie went to the Gigliuccis' to
hear Mohlschott lecture. I staid at home with Mr Marsh
and we had the good abbé's company. I asked him par-
-ticularly about the Planas. He sighed heavily - 'Ah it is
so sad to see these ladies making themselves so miserable about
the veriest trifles at such a time as this. It is sad enough
to see persons of fine intellect occupied wholly with saving up
the pennies and half pennies of an income abundantly large
to enable them to live without such miserable cares, but
for the wife and daughter of one of the greatest geniuses which
have appeared among us for centuries, to seem to forget
entirely their loss in their care to make the most of what is
left of this world's goods, is quite too distressing. They have
driven away all their servants, and they keep themselves in a
continual state of irritation for fear their household expenses
shall exceed a certain sum to which they had limited them-
-selves. The poor abbé seemed to be quite heart-broken
about it. He says that during the old Baron's lifetime it
was bad enough after he lost his hearing, and could no
longer know himself how things went on, still he was
always something of a check, but now the ladies both seem
possessed with a kind of mania to save. They have
a nett income of 25000 francs a year besides personal
property, and they have no near relatives whatever. The
other day the city proposed with the consent of the family
to give the name of Plana to a certain street now
called Via del Corso. The widow and daughter assented
readily, but a few hours after the daughter sent for the
abbé who found her in a state of the most violent
excitement - "No, no," she said, "we will not have that
street called Via Plana! No no, My husband lives there!"
Tuesday March 22nd
The bright sun this morning and
the excellent condition of the roads tempted us to make an
arrangement to go to the Superga tomorrow, but an experiment
by way of a drive in an open carriage abated our zeal and
we decided to wait for April. The Gajanis came to us in
the evening, and after they left us we went to pass an
hour with the Elliots which we did very pleasantly. We
were not however in the best mood ourselves having just seen
a most ugly-looking despatch from America. As it comes through
the London Times however though, we shall try not to
lay it to heart till it is confirmed through another channel.
The Melegaris came while we were out.
Wednesday 23rd
Husband and brother C. not caring to
go out this morning Carrie and I took Mrs Gajani to our
favorite hills north. We found them magnificently tapestried
with wild-flowers of which we gathered a great quantity, bought
a pretty basket on our way back which we filled, and sent
to the Marquise Arconati - The expedition was a thoroughly
successful one - we did much damage to the grounds of
the Villa Savio by rooting up their primroses, but we merci-
-fully left an abundance for the consumption of the family.
Mrs Gajani was in fine spirits, and seemed to enjoy the
drive immensely.
Thursday 24.
Baron Ricasoli paid us a visit about
eleven this morning. I happened to be in Mr Marsh's
cabinet which I was very glad of, but staid only as
long as politeness required, availing myself of an
excuse to call a servant about a package, to leave
the gentlemen to talk over political matters more freely by
themselves. Even while I staid, however, the stout old
Baron showed his colours very unreservedly. When
Mr Marsh remarked that the conduct of Austria looked
very much as if she intended to attack Italy if she could
find the slightest pretext, he replied with much
warmth: "Dieu le veuille, Deiu le veuille!" He
has not the least idea that the death of the Pope would
change the policy of the Emperor with regard to Rome.
He proposes to us a visit to Brolio sometime in July or
August - not a very convenient time for us. The whole
political world is in an astonishing flutter just now
because Garibaldi has left Caprera for England - some
go so far as to suppose the English government have encouraged
his coming, for some mischievous purpose, though there is
not the least probability that any government is in any way
concerned in it. It is delightful anyhow to see them so
shake in their shoes when this simple-hearted private man
penniless and without official position, leaves for a day his
quiet little retreat. The Gigliuccis came in just as
we were going out to drive, to say goodbye to us before
going out of town for a couple of weeks. The Count seems
dreadfully tired of the late sharp sparring in the Chambers -
and says he longs for a little rest. The Countess was in
her never-failing good spirits, and managed, as she almost
always does when she comes to me, to find an opportunity
of rendering me two or three kind services. After they
left us we went to the Villa Regina to take back to
Mrs Young her remarkable book - "The Life and Times
of Paleario. We found Matteucci himself at home and
Mr Marsh paid him a visit, while Mme Matteucci sat
in the carriage with me. Finally Matteucci himself
came down, was in the best of humours and became quite
radiant when we complimented him on his Lectures.
Carrie was particularly happy in her remark, and received
for reward a most paternal patting on the cheeks. We
returned only just in time to escape a pelting shower.
This evening brother Charles was so unwell, and we were
all so much under the weather that I sent to beg Miss
Arbesser not to come to me till next week.
Friday 25 March
Carrie & I went to church this morning. The
good Tottenham read atrociously, but his sermon was better
than usual, and atoned for other short-comings. Later in
the day, we paid some visits, and drove - Carrie having
filled up the interim between church and the drive
by visiting Mohlschott
Moleschott
with the Gigliuccis, and getting
some more precise explanations of certain portions of
his Lecture. Beccaria came in evening to give us
some hints about pictures that we might wish to buy
for ourselves or friends.
Saturday 26th
We passed the morning among the pictures
of the Senate chambers. I never go to these galleries without
feeling the most intense desire to be so situated as to see
and enjoy more in this way. There are certainly some
very good things in this Turinese collection, and one or
two copies tempted me exceedingly. Oh, how gladly would
I give up our carriage and a great many other things for the
sake of taking home some of these artistic treasures - and
I cannot help thinking that we should benefit our country
as much in this way as by much of this expenditure here
which contributes so little to our comfort. But there are certain
considerations that compel us to do as we do, and it is worse
than idle to fret about it. Mrs Livingstone Brown
came in as soon as I was ready for visitors. She is a
good woman and a thorough American, notwithstanding
so much of her life has been passed in Europe. My next
visitor was Browne, too - Madame Peter, - I wasn't
pleased when she was announced, but the old lady
redeemed herself, and even covered many of the short-
-comings of old Sligo and the girls, by declaring that since
her husband wasn't present she would speak her own
mind about this war of the Germans upon the Danes, &
she did speak it like a true-hearted woman. I could
not have gone further myself, and the shame she confessed
at the conduct of England, disarmed all my reproaches, or
rather took away all disposition to make any. Mrs
Elliot, who came later, was more diplomatic, but I
have no doubt she feels exactly in the same way. This
I inferred from her conversation, and I inferred still further
that the English really did expect to be driven into a war
with Germany before the thing is ended.
Sunday March 27.
A rainy day, and a day of illness for
me. The picture-seeing yesterday knocked me up, and
I must be content to keep my bed for some days I suppose.
Husband finished one of the many replies to Renan's Life
of Jesus - interesting, but not very convincing except to those
already satisfied. Then he took up Rosseeuw Saint-Hilaire's
Etudes Religieuses, a very attractive book. Carrie took his
place as reader when he became hoarse, and so the day passed
pleasantly in spite of pain -
Monday 28 March
Mr Marsh and Carrie went early this morning to
Beccaria's studio, saw some pretty things by himself, but
were chiefly interested in two pen and ink sketches by Guercino,
which husband coveted greatly. Miss Müller came in
and kindly gave Carrie a German lesson. Mme Gilletta
came for a little business matter and I saw her in my
bedroom as I was not well enough to be up. I was sorry to
miss a visit from Cerruti and his brother
Tuesday March 29
I saw no one through the day, but had Mrs
Gajani at my bedside for an hour in the evening. She gave
me a little history of the pirate Semmes' wife, and of the
magnificent presents made her by the Union officers in
Cincinnati before she set out for Richmond - also of her
subsequent behaviour towards Mrs Allen, the daughter of Mrs
Wilson of Cincinnati, who had married and was living at
Richmond. My indignation waxes so hot sometimes against
these semi-traitors of the North, that I find no words to express
my contempt of them -
Wednesday March 30.
Good Madame Monnet made me a long
visit this morning, and the Countess Maggiolini
passed the evening with me in my bedroom while her
two oldest boys enjoyed the sight of a live American in
the drawing-room - The countess said they had just been reading
about our war of independence, were greatly excited on the
subject, and longed to behold an actual American. Among
other subjects we discussed the new tax-law, or perequazione
as they call it. The Countess, whose husband belongs to one of
the oldest of the Piedmontese noble families, declares that
it will ruin the landed aristocracy - that this added to former
taxes brings up the rate to 50 percent on the income of their
lands, that of course they must sell, and the estates will soon
fall piecemeal into the hands of the peasantry. I ventured
to ask whether this was likely to prove an injury to the prosperity
of the country generally, or only likely to diminish individual
wealth. "Oh," said the lady "the poor will be better off, no
doubt, but there will be no landed aristocracy to rally round
the throne." 'But,' I said, 'does a constitutional King need
an aristocracy to rally round his throne. I can easily un-
-derstand the arguments in favour of an aristocracy when
they refer to their opportunities for superior education and
refinement etc. but I cannot exactly see that they are so
necessary in a cou to the government of a country where
all power is admitted to eminate from the people, and
where the people have a real interest in sustaining the
government.' The Countess admitted that she had not
thought much on the subject, but that she had always
supposed that where there was no aristocracy there must
be anarchy.
Thursday 31st March,
I had scarcely admitted my previous friend the
Countess Collegno to my bedroom when the Countess
Castagnetto asked for me. I was sorry to decline seeing
her, but as the Collegno did not know her I thought
it would be so awkward to have her come in while I
was in bed, with their habit of making no introductions,
that I ventured to excuse myself, unpleasant as it was.
I dare say however that Carrie did the honours very hand-
-somely and Mr Marsh went in also to make the matter
smoother if possible.
Friday April 1st.
We had a hurried day getting ready autographs
for the St Louis Fair &c. besides its being the day for the
settlement of house-keeping bills. Carrie and I drove out alone
between three and four, and found that they were the wisest
who stayed at home on account of the cold wind. Carrie had
enjoyed her morning's walk with the Collegnos to the Villa
della Regina extremely, and came home delighted with two
little Tuscan children playing about the garden - one an
orphan brought from Pisa by Mrs Young, the odd mother
of Madame Matteucci - The dialogue C. reported between
herself and the children was, on their part, the most
delightful of poetry. The little things were about three
years old. Gajani spent the evening with us
and suggested the admirable idea of building very
quietly at Ancona or Genoa, a solid Monitor to be
ready to destroy bridges etc on the Pò in case the
Austrians should suddenly make a demonstration
against Italy. This he thinks might be done under Webbs
supervision without exciting the slightest suspicion as
to what the creature was meant for.
Saturday 2nd.
A violent headache all day, and a wind
that might be called a hurricane considering where we are.
Husband says it's the first change of air we've had here,
that is, thorough change, in the last three years. The
Ruscallas were our only visitors. Miss Ruscalla promises
to bring the Baroness Savio, the poetess of whose two
slain sons Mrs Browning writes so beautifully, to make
our acquaintance. She told me too a good deal about
Giannina Milli the improvisatrice; Indeed she knows
more of the literary female celebrities of Italy than any
one I have yet seen - Ruscalla himself brought a hand-
-bill which seems to show that the Re Galantuomo may
still be safe. There is a rumour afloat that Peruzzi
is to have the place of Venosta, and this is attributed to
the ambition of La Peruzzi.
Sunday 3d April
None of us went out to-day either to church or
elsewhere - but had pleasant readings at home.
Monday 4th
It was too fresh for Charles to go out with us
in the carriage but the rest of us went to MonCalieri &
back by the Porta Nuova. The Collina is beginning to look green
and spring-like. I came home just in time to receive the Mar-
chesa Della Rocca. She was more interesting than usual - told
me of her six brothers in the army - of the oldest who was
killed in '49 in the Genoese insurrection etc.
Tuesday April 5th
This is the first really spring-day we have
had, though there have been many spring-like ones. We drove
to the cemetery, and I sat down not far from the entrance
while the rest wandered over it. I stooped to pick one of
the ten thousand violets that made the air so sweet, but checked
my hand and left it to give out all its [illegible]
perfume
there where there
was
so
little
else
to make the resting place of the dead look pleasant.
A roundabout way home brought us through some odd places
where none of us had been before - a sort of market for
old rags of every description, scraps of old & new leather
old bottles etc etc - there was no end to the motley
heaps. I should not have thought it possible to raise
a franc by an auction of the whole - but a brisk
business seemed going on. This evening the great tourney
comes off, but we do not go - the expense would be
200 francs, not to speak of dress.
Wednesday April 6th
The wind was so much colder to-day
that we limited our drive to the Valentino garden.
Before going there Mr Marsh and Carrie returned the
visit of the Correlli. They found their palace one of
the most magnificent in Turin, They are Lombard,
I think, & charming people on a short acquaintance.
We were much amused the other day by a discussion
in one of the Italian papers in which the editor said he had been
accused of being dissatisfied with a certain matter - "al contrario," he
writes, "siamo contenti, contentoni, contentinoni. This morning
we saw a phrase amusing too in its way - speaking of
the associates of Garibaldi the writer says, "Non erano tutti
della farina da fare l'oste." By the way the grand reception
of Garibaldi in England is giving great concern to the little
souls here who cannot rise to any thing like a comprehension
of this wonderful man. It is mournful to see the petty picking
at him. - His life is too great, too spotless for a word of blame - but
they can say "after all what has he done so very remarkable! a thous-
and others would have done as well under the same circumstances,
Military men don't give him credit for much military talent,
& certainly he has no political sagacity!" And so they take the
measure of this man whom they are as incapable of comprehending
as a troop of monkeys would be. One good effect however
of his visit to England has already manifested itself. The gov't here
has been shamed into sending back to Lemmi the petty
sum it sequestered from him as treasurer of the Italian pat-
-riotic fund. I should have mentioned what the abbé
said to us last evening about the death of Prince di
Cisterna. "He has now been dead at least ten days
and the poor man still remains unburied, and priests
and monks are saying masses over the body by night
and by day. One would think we had fallen back
at least five hundred years into the Dark Ages." The
abbé is a good Catholic himself, he thinks, but he does
not hold, or professes not to hold, to such mummery as
this. Just before tea Mr Marsh came into brother Charles'
room saying that he had just had a visit from [illegible]
Derringer's pistols' son, a young lad of sixteen or
seventeen whose simplicity had diverted and interested
him at the same time. The poor - I was about to
say little, but little he is not - fellow has, he suspects
spent all his money, but could not quite muster
courage to say so. Husband relieved his embarrassment
by telling
him
to come in the morning with his passport and
if he wished for anything else he should be glad to oblige
him. Miss Arbesser spent the evening with us,
and confirms the news we had had before of the probably
near death of poor prince Otho. Poor child! He has
had a hard life of it, and yet, they say, he has often
expressed himself as contented with life: "Je suis vilain,
très vilain, mais j'aime la vie". Not long ago he
gave his photograph to the Countess d'Aglié, saying
smilingly: 'It is the photograph of a miserable-looking
little fellow.' If
he
is taken now before he has become soured
by a full [illegible] consciousness of all the
privations to which his infirmities must expose him
he will probably have enjoyed all that this life is ca-
-pable of giving him. My Austrian friend admitted
frankly that her family wrote her from Vienna full of
hope that an alliance actually did exist between Russia
Prussia and Austria. At the same time she abused
the Prussians in the roundest terms, and summed
up all her charges against them by this climax - 'et
quelle nouriture.'
Thursday 7th
Mr Marsh is nearly ill today with a
violent cold. I had to excuse him to Baron Gautier
whose visit it did not grieve him to miss. The
Baron however had a half hour of uncommon lucidity
and I found him not so bad a talker. He told me
a little of their Pegli life this winter, and the character
in which Mr West and of the English Legation figured
was not over-flattering. I was glad to be able to cheer
the Baroness, who is still confined to her room, by a mes-
-sage that I had opened negotiations with H.R.H. about
the lace, and hoped for a favourable result, though I
could not promise anything. The Marchesa Pal-
-lavicini-Trivulzio kindly brought me herself two new
autographs - one of Foresti, the other of Gen. Guglielmo
Pepe, and she offers to send me two copies of a photographic
group of Garibaldi, the Marquis Pallavicini and
herself, taken in Palermo just before the affair of
Aspromonte. She is a noble creature, so full of heart,
and if she has not all that grace of manner that dis-
-tinguishes the Piedmontese ladies, she has genius
enough to make rich amends. I put my patient to
bed early with directions to the porter - not receiving - and
was very glad to follow myself, having been kept up very
late myself last night.
Friday 8th
Miss Müller gave us a very interesting
account of an evening spent this week at the Mohlschotts.
Guerrazzi read to a choice circle his Italian trans-
-lation of Göthe's Hermann und Dorothea.
Govi was among the auditors. I am filled with
envy when I see how impossible it is for us to
bring around us this kind of society. Our position is
supposed to bring us into the court circle, and the
literary class will not run the risk of meeting those
who compose the former at our house. The Countess
Collegno gave me an hour of her always most agreeable
society, and brought Miss Trotti to chat with Carrie.
Speaking of Mr de Bunsen's marked inferiority, not merely
to his great father, but to most men occupying distinguished
positions in the public service, the Countess said: "But
I quite agree with the remark so often made - 'one must
look to the mother, and not to the father, for the genius
of the son' - our great Manzoni's father was a man
whose intellect was below even the ordinary standard,
but his mother was superior." Mr Wheeler
dined with us and passed the evening - was agreeable
and sensible as he always is. The Valerios have
gone to the great tourney at Milan.
Saturday April 9th
After Carrie returned from her riding-lesson
brother Charles and I went out for a drive, leaving
Mr Marsh at home with a very bad cold, to be cared
for by C. The wind however was so cold that we hurried
back at the great poplar, about two thirds of the way to
Moncalieri. We had the satisfaction of doing a few
commissions, getting news of poor Mme Marini, but
otherwise there was little comfort
Sunday April 10th
We had scarcely returned from church when
young Luigi Kossuth was announced. I felt sorry
for him when he introduced the subject of Garibaldi's
The affair of the Duchess' lace reminds me of a cir-
-cumstance told me by Mrs Tottenham the other day,
During the time of the Irish famine in 1846 or '7
Mr Tottenham said one day to his wife: - "I wish you
too could strike out some new channel of industry for
the poor children here - something that wouldn't in-
-terfere with Miss Reid's schemes for her school.'
Almost at the same moment a young girl, very
skillful with her needle came in and begged for
imployment. Mrs Tottenham without a moment's
previous thought, took up a fragment of old gipure, six
or eight inches in length and a couple perhaps in
breadth, handed it to the girl, gave her some ma-
-terials, and said to her: make something as much like
this as you can. The child returned a few days after
with such an admirable imitation that it was im-
-mediately purchased by a fashionable lady for a
cap-band and more ordered. Larger pieces were
soon asked for, more girls were employed, a lady of
London ordered a flounce for 25 lbs. the queen
ordered a dress, - in short it became quite the en-
-thusiasm of the day, and even now, in the way of
needlework it is one of the principle industries of Ireland.
I begged Mrs Tott. to give me this little bit of history in wri-
-ting, but she declined on the ground that the credit of the
suggestion had hitherto been given to Miss Reid,
and though in this case unmerited, yet she deserved
so much more praise on the whole than she had ever recd
that she (Mrs T__.) would not for the world do anything to
detract from the value of her services.
reception in England. It was plain that his father felt
sensibly the difference between this and the one given
to him on a former occasion. 'So far,' said young
Kossuth, 'it is much the same as my father re-
-ceived, only they did not give him the freedom of
the City of London which they now propose to do for
Garibaldi. Perhaps,' he continued 'they may do more,
no one can tell what fashion may do'. He has little
hope of any good for Hungary for a long time to come,
thinks the Emperor getting inactive, and in danger of
letting slip such great occasions as may never come to
him again. Mr Martines of the Spanish Le-
-gation made us a very agreeable visit. He declared
himself the friend of the North in our quarrel, and
gave such reasons for his friendship as made me
think him sincere. Mademoiselle Gautier
came to bring an apology from her aunt, the Baroness,
who does not get out yet.
Monday April 11.
I was just writing to the Baroness to
give her the Duchess's answer about the magnificent
lace. 'She never possessed any such treasure; would
have made no objection to allowing a copy of it to
be taken had she been the owner of it, - some mistake etc.'
when the Baroness herself was announced. She looks
pale from recent illness, but never appeared more lovely.
I wish I could show her to American friends as a
specimen of what Europe can boast. She gave us
pleasant news of Pegli friends.
Tuesday 12th
Neither Mr Marsh nor Charles feel well enough
to drive, and I went out into the highways and
hedges, took in Mrs Gajani and Mr Artoni, and
went to Stupiniggi, We met Prince Amadeo
on the way, also the Duchess de la Force, and
various other notabilities. Mr Artoni amused us
with Gen. Avezzana's scheme for removing the
collina to give more air to the city and to improve
the view to the east! I inquired what was to be done
to done with the earth - "Vi ha pensato, vi ha pensato,
ma non è ancora tutto deciso" Mme Gajani
proposed that he should dig a large hole to receive
it, and this all agreed, harmonized wonderfully
well with the rest of the scheme. Another
subject of talk was the duel today between Alfieri
and Bonghi, in which both received scratches, but
nothing serious. Dr Monnet came to look after us
in the evening.
Wednesday 13th.
We set out for the Mandria at one o'clock, and
stopped at the Foreign office to take up Mr Marsh. In
the meantime however, Gaetano had learned that
the King was at the Mandria, which of course changed
our plans, and forced us to a more common-place
drive. Mr Marsh however enlivened it by a bit of
gossip just picked from Cerruti. The brother
who
came here the other day for letters, and was
about to sail for California, received, twenty-four
hours before the time fixed for his departure, a telegram
from Milan, on the part of a young lady, or the friends
of a young lady, whom he had seen but once, saying
that she should be glad to accompany him to the New
World as his wife! Young Cerruti set out instanter
for Milan, saw the young girl, (who was an orphan
at a boarding-school and had few friends to consult)
obtained the necessary certificates as to his own unmarried
state, in short, overcame all the countless obstacles in the
way of so hasty a marriage, got through with the
ceremony, and had their united luggage packed
in time to be off by the hour fixed!! The elder Cerruti
who told Mr Marsh the story, seemed rather dis-
-turbed at the want of convenance in the affair,
but husband consoled him by saying that a man
was fortunate to get a wife of good birth, good education,
fine talents, etc. on any terms, and especially a man
going to a foreign country and among total strangers.
While I was sitting with Miss Arbesser in
the drawing-room after our return a servant announced
Mr de Bunsen who came in followed by another
gentleman, whom I supposed to be Mr Usudom,
not yet known to me. When he presented him how-
-ever he gave a name which I could not hear and
mumbled something about the gentleman's knowing
Mr Marsh's books etc. and a second glance told me
he was an Englishman. I sent for Mr Marsh and
we talked till he came in on the generals about
which strangers usually speak. When Mr Marsh
came in Mr de Bunsen repeated his introduction
with the same indistinctness as before, then added
two or three words which I saw Mr M. had caught,
by a pleased light in his eye. I was as much in the
dark as before. The conversation turned on
Garibaldi's reception in England. Our visitor laughed
mischievously, while de Bunsen scolded.
All were on Garibaldi's side and chuckling over
the reception except poor de Bunsen who declared
that it was madness, that who knew but it might
upturn all Europe. 'What!' I said, 'can one man,
one poor untitled man endanger all the gov-
-ernments of Europe?' "But," said de Bunsen,
"suppose they should give him a million of francs
in England!" 'And suppose they should,' I added,
'a million of francs goes but a little ways in war-
-making if I may judge from our experience at home'.
The stranger smiled and added, "But I am
ashamed to say for the credit of the House of commons
that so far that body has given him very little.
If however he would accept the sixpences of the
people there is no doubt that he would get not
one but many a million." Mr de Bunsen's
evident feeling induced us to slide off from Garibaldi
easily, and to talk of other things, not however
till the Englishman had told me that his wife
who seldom went out, had repolished her diamonds
to go to the Banquet at Strafford House.
Pleased as I was with our guest I could not
make him out, and he took his leave to me as
incog as he came. As soon as the door was closed
I asked Mr Marsh to enlighten me if he could.
'Didn't you understand? Why, it's Lord Houghton,
--alias Monkton Milnes.' I had been talking
then, and without knowing it, with the man
whose poems had so much delighted me in
Constantinople, the man long known in the
fashionable circles of London as 'the cool of the
evening', the man who has so nobly defended
our country through her struggle for life. I was
sorry I had not understood who he was that I
might at least have told him how much pleasure
his oriental poems had given me in those years
when I had few enjoyments except such as could be
gathered by the side of a sick-bed. Margaret
Thurs Trotti passed the evening with us, and
was, in her way, very entertaining. We were speaking
of the advice of the Fischietto to the Emperor Max-
-imilian to take a return-ticket from Mexico, and
she enquired if we saw the caricature got up during
the time the Greeks were running about Europe in
search of a King. A shabby young man of the bourgeoisie
was represented as saying to the porter of his modest
lodging - "Se venisse alcuno a farmi re di Grecia
non sono in casa." An anecdote of Mme Arconati
diverted me much as characteristic of herself, and the
quickwitted children of Southern Italy. A child
at Naples ran up to her carriage-door to beg,
"Oh, bella signora, bella signora", he began, when the
Marchesa interrupted him with, "Ma perchè mi chiamate
bella, non sono bella, sono vecchia". "Ah, si," said
the urchin, "ma siete cosi ben conservata."
After we had chatted a while the girls took up Long-
-fellow, Mrs Browning, and other books lying about.
Margaret read some of the poems which were new
to her with a good deal of interest, and showed much
appreciation. I began to give her credit for more maturity
of intellect than I had hitherto done, when a sudden
turn in the conversation called out from her this remark:
"Oh, I think it is so delightful to have a large family-
circle, a great many uncles and aunts and cousins,
for then, when one is going to be married one gets
so many nice presents." !
Thursday April 14.
The Countess Collegno took Carrie to
the cotton exposition this afternoon, Mr Marsh went
to pay Lord Houghton a visit, and I took Giacchino
out for a modest shopping excursion. The day was
not pleasant. The abbé came in just before dinner
to bid us goodbye before setting out for Paris. I tried to
keep him to dine, but he was engaged to an English lady
to dine with her party at the Hotel.
Friday 15
After doing various errands about the town
we went to Vela's studio, where we were received
by the artist himself. He is altogether too modest to make
a good showman of his own works, nevertheless we
were greatly pleased with what we saw. The Desolazione
is perhaps the most impressive of all, but the
angel bearing up the child towards Heaven,
& the statue of the Countess Collegno mourning for
her husband, are each very exquisite in their way. There
were several fine portrait groups of children; and a
small statue of Venus designed for a fortune was
particularly charming. Among the many busts that
of Cavour was most conspicuous, but the one upon
which the workmen are now employed had not a
less, though a very different interest. It was the
head of Garibaldi, - certainly one of the most mag-
-nificent that ever graced the shoulders of a man.
One does not know which most to admire, its strength,
its grandeur, or its benignity. We took our leave of
the sculptor with many thanks, having thoroughly
enjoyed our visit.
Saturday April 16th
I had quite an animated discussion
with the Marchesa Arconati about Garibaldi. She
acknowledged the great merits of this remarkable man
but dwelt with a good deal of feeling on his opposi-
-tion to the course of the government, and especially
on his irritation against Cavour. By giving as much
weight to her views as I conscienciously could, and
at the same time pressing the point of the great
services he had rendered to Italy, of his undoubted
and most unselfish
devotion,
to his country, of the
admiration the whole world entertained for him
and of the immense element of strength that he
would be to Italy in case of a new crisis, I think I
made considerable impression upon her and that
she left me less dissatisfied with the reception
he was receiving in England. I would not wound
her by telling her the triumph I feel myself at this
reception, but nothing has happened in Europe during
these past three years that has given me such
thorough, heartfelt pleasure. The Marchesa was
not very complimentary to Lord Houghton, who
passed the evening with her. She said, in her
frank way: "I found no indications of genius, either
in his face or his conversation, and should have
taken him for a dull man if de Bunsen had
not assured me of the contrary." While Mrs
Peter Browne was giving me an account of
the late snow-storm near Benevento, which
actually blocked up her son-in-law, the Countess
Pasolini came in. I can see how it is that she
is called the perfetta instead of the prefetta.
Without a single beautiful line in her face, there
is a loveliness of expression, a graceful ease of manner,
and a charming flow of intelligent, sympathetic
conversation, that must carry away even those less
susceptible to such impressions than myself.
After her scarcely any visitor could have been
welcome except the Collegno, and fortunately for
my nerves, it was she who came. Altogether the
afternoon passed most delightfully, but a piece
of milinery intended to be finished Saturday night
was left in the lurch.
Sunday April 17th.
We have had so many quiet Sundays this
winter, that I flattered myself with the hope of one
today. Sir James Lacaita however broke in upon our
reading, was followed by Francesco Kossuth, and
Mrs Elliot kept our dinner waiting for half an hour,
so that we had to ourselves only the fragment of a
morning. Young Kossuth made no allusion to
the Garibaldi reception, and of course I made none.
But he said his father had been quite unwell
for some days - Poor man. I dare say he feels
with special acuteness just now that his own per-
-sonal influence has forever gone by. Mrs Elliot
has been sufficiently impressed by the feeling of the
government here, to be disturbed at what she
calls the excess of the worship paid to Garibaldi in
London, and while she insists that the Piedmon-
-tese are unjust to the hero, she wishes the English
ministry had not committed themselves so far
in their glorification of him. Mr Elliot's position
must expose him to hear many unpleasant
things, but for my own part I do still rejoice, and
will rejoice at every tribute paid to this man
among men, Further acquaintance only adds to
the impression one receives from Mrs Elliot
of thorough frankness, good sense, and kindliness
of heart. Saint Castillia passed the evening with
us. One wouldn't wonder much to see him go up
like Elijah.
Monday April 18,
Just as we were setting out for
Piobesi, Captains Comstock, senior and junior,
presented themselves. Husband waited long enough
to be sure they had no pressing business for the
moment, invited them to dine, and we drove
off. Nothing could be finer than the day, and we
arrived at the château about half past twelve.
The gardener and his wife gave us a hearty
welcome, and rushed about desperately in search
of garden chairs, rustic tables etc. wherewith to
install us on the terrace. Carrie secured the Key
of the old tower and was waving her hat from
the very top before I had really time to consider
where I was. Mr Marsh and Charles soon followed
her, and they three had a glorious view of the Alps
and Apennines in their best dress, while I, the
Martha, set out the lunch on the terrace. After we
had satisfied our appetites and wandered about a little
Charles produced his pistol, a target was set up and
the owner of the weapon fired the firsh [first] shot. It
was a failure. Husband took his turn, the pistol
hung fire, and the target was unwounded. At
a second attempt he rested the revolver on his
left hand. Something went wrong again, and the skin
of the hand between the hand and forefinger was
taken off, leaving a plentiful distribution of fine
powder in its stead. Upon this I pronounced the
weapon defective, but was quietly told that it was
only the bursting of a cap and Carrie was allowed
the privelege of the next shot, and with the same
result except that the sleeve of her visite suffered
instead of her hand, also the smoke, or something
else flew in her face, so that she declared the
pistol shot in both directions; a second experiment
and a fragment of something touched her cheek;
I grew louder in my remonstrances; Charles fired
himself and scorched his own sleeve; Carrie
rebelliously tried once more, and something struck
her eye. This I thought too serious for further
trifling. The revolver was examined more
narrowly and it was found that the barrels did
not fit to the portion of the pistol containing the
charge, and through the space, perfectly visible
to the eye, a part of the powder had exploded each
time. The target remained intact. Charles looked
rather crest-fallen as he put the unlucky thing
in his pocked [pocket], saying: "It is Edmunds' pistol after
all, not mine!" We had now only time to
gather a few violets and pack up - Carrie went
home with Marie for a few minutes, then to see
our protégée, who at once hurried over to greet
us. Marian, the little cow-girl, came too with her
bright face and her pretty ways. We distributed various
francs among these, to Maurizio, Pinotto and their
mammas and drove away as we had entered
the village greeted by many smiles and hand-
-waving and cereas. We got home just in time
to dress for dinner. The good Captain is a
thorough patriot, and a fine specimen of his class,
his son, an amiable young man, who dearly
loves his sisters, doesn't much care for Europe without
them, and longs to command a privateer, to
avenge some of his country's wrongs upon England.
The Captain gives the best account of the Re
d'Italia, says it is one of the most splendid
frigates afloat, and that the most favourable
account of her will be made by the Captain.
Mr Artoni brought in his concordance of the
first canto of Dante, the Ganjanis joined
our circle a little later, and later still
Miss Arbesser came. When our other guests
had taken their leave and we were free to talk
quite by ourselves, she gave me a new chapter
of court detail, rather instructive than edifying,
I must admit. She finds it far more difficult to
uproot the early religious teaching the princess has
received than she had supposed. The other day
the poor child went to confession, the first time
for three months, the Duchess having expressed
her wish that she should not go oftener, on the
ground that it would lose all its earnest sig-
-nificance if too common and frequent. The
confessor reproached her for her delay, and she
said she had acted in obedience to the wishes
of her mother and her governess. "Your mother
and your governess are both Germans, and it
is my duty to tell you plainly that the Germans
have no religion, and you will endanger the safety
of your soul by following such advice." The princess
was so much overcome after confession, and wept
so bitterly that Miss A__. begged to know what dis-
-tressed her so much, and after some hesitation
she told the above. I said to Miss Arbesser, "how
can you possibly expect to enlighten the princess
when she is constantly exposed to the influence of
priests who tell her that her first teachings were
right, and that you are only, as it were, an instru-
-ment of Satan, by means of which he hopes to secure
her as his prey. The vivid imagination of the child
is far more moved by the terrors of the hell they paint
than it can be by any of your calm reasonings."
"Will the Duchess," I asked, allow the Princess to
go to this man again?" "No indeed" was the reply,
"I must now go myself to confession and by this
means try to find a fit person." Miss A. then
went on to say that she became herself more and
more doubtful as to the benefits of confession at all,
declared that the general idea of it in Germany
was, as a means of getting spiritual advice from
a good man, that it was a confession as to
one's religious state, not a history of one's petty
sins, that it might be a relief to confess a great crime,
but that pouring one's everyday shortcomings into the
ears of a fellow-mortal was not christian confession.
I longed to tell her that it was Protestantism which
had taught Germany this, but thought it best not to
push too hard a person already on the right track.
One specimen of court morality I must give,
but of course I must leave Miss A__. to be respon-
-sible for its truth. The Countess della Rocca, ex-
-cessively dislikes the Duchess, and after telling
Miss A__. some discreditable things concerning her
she said, "Now it is your duty to inform the Princess
exactly how these things are." "My dear Madame," said
Miss A__. "you certainly do not consider what you are
saying, - you who are a mother yourself, do you
think I could take advantage of my position to preju-
-dice that dear child whom I must soon leave forever
against her mother, the only human heart upon
which she can lean with the certainty of not being
betrayed at least?"
Tuesday April 19th.
Fortunately I was dressed an hour
earlier than usual, or the Countess Gigliucci with
the Novellos would have found me in my wrapper.
I was delighted to see Madame G__. once more, and
glad to make the acquaintance of her brother and
sister. The two girls, blooming and lovely came in
with their governess, and Miss Rosazza followed
with hers.
Wednesday April 20th
This morning at six we had taken a
cup of coffee and were on our way to the Superga
with four horses and postillion - the latter in blue
and silver. The good citizens stared as if it were a
very uncommon thing, which it certainly is not, but we
were a little shorn of our beams by being obliged to
leave Gaetano ill at home. The day was perfect, un-
-impeachable any way. The Alps and the Apennines
looked their grandest, and we had a most pleasant
excursion. The royal tombs are very splendid, and I
shall never forget as I sat by the fountain in the court,
(the rest having gone up higher) how solemn the morning-
service sounded with its deep long-drawn Amens ech
echoing through court and corridor. We were at home
soon after eleven. The Marchese Arconati came
to see us by the time we were a little rested, and
before he had finished his visit, Madame Rothan
came in, better in health than when she went away
and not less charming in every respect. As Mr Marsh
happened to be in the room when she came he had an
opportunity of seeing and admiring one whom every-
-body does and must admire. The Comstocks and
Artoni were with us during the evening. Carrie went
to the palace to spend an hour or two with Miss
Arbesser, and was entertained by an introduction
to the Princess Marguerite's little dog by the
lovely little princess herself. The pretty child, almost
a woman except for her short dresses showed off her
English a little by calling her dog - poor Jack. When
Miss Arbesser insisted that it was time for her to go
to bed, that the maids were waiting etc. she gracefully
bid her and Carrie good night, took the dog in her
arms and just as she was closing the door roguishly
let him slip away, that she might have the
pleasure of romping round the room once more
to catch him.
Thursday 21st April.
Mrs Tottenham came in before I
was quite ready for visitors. She has recovered her
old life, and was full of amusing personal expe-
-riences about raising money to build churches etc.,
and with some very good Irish anecdotes. As soon
as she left me I hurried on shawl and bonnet,
and we drove to the Vaudois chapel to hear Mr
Meille's lecture, saw a notice on the door, that
owing to illness it was postponed, Carrie sprang out
to stop the carriage, was too late, and there we were,
left in the street, with no cittadina in sight, and
in a benighted land where a young lady could not
go without a decoro far enough to find one. I bethought
me of the Monnets who, I knew, were not far from
the church, - we arrived there safely, climbed the
eighty-eight steps, and were instantly rewarded by
Mme Monnet by a glass of peppermint liqueur
from the Vaudois valley, and life-giving it was
to me, faint and out of breath as I felt. We
sent a notice to the porter at the chapel, for the
carriage when it returned to call for us at the Monnets
- Mr Marsh came, and we got home safely. In the
evening Mr Clay came to say goodbye (before setting
out for a tour to Naples, Rome, and Florence.
Friday April 22nd
Our family arrangements are a good deal upset
by Gaetano's continued illness. We did not use the carriage
and had a more than commonly quiet day.
Saturday 23rd
The doctor insists on Gaetano's being removed
to his own home where he can have a larger room, more
air, and the constant attendance of his wife. Poor fellow.
He is really very ill, and I am almost afraid he will
not recover. It is painful, too, to have him leave the house,
but we really have no place in which to make him comfort-
-able. His little room, which did well enough in health, is
too confined, and too much exposed to noise for a sick [illegible]
man, and we have not a single spare nook anywhere.
Mme Conelli with her two blooming daughters came
in as early as is allowable for visits, and Miss Ruscalla
followed next in order; then our pet, Margherita Trotti,
with her aunts sense and saluti. Mrs Mayhew brought
her two pretty children, which ended the list for the day.
Mme Conelli seems a very superior woman, quite as
much Dutch as Italian. Miss Ruscalla is garibaldimissima
and we had a quiet confidential curse at his enemies
together. She says her father is much discouraged at the
want of interest in the affairs of their country shown by
the deputies - thinks many of the liver-hearted among
the so-called liberals, stay away from the parliament pur-
-posely to avoid committing themselves on the interpel-
-lanza with reference to the Garibaldi fund sequestered
from, but afterwards restored to Lemmi. As to
Garibaldi's leaving England, she says her father
and his political friends have not a doubt that
it is the work of the English government instigated
by Austria and Prussia. Our evening lamps were
scarcely brought in when the burly captain, and
his son, with Mr Artoni presented themselves, and
they were still deep in papers about the new frigates
when the Count and Countess Gigliucci were
announced. We had a very pleasant evening,
but I found myself thoroughly tired out before our
visitors left, close on to midnight.
Sunday 24. April
Our home-letters and papers are
stirring today, not from war-news, but for the strange
political conversions they announce, and for
the interesting details about the great fair. Reverdy
Johnson converted to Abolitionism! Abraham
Lincoln himself may come to it yet. What will
Robert Winthrop and the like of him do, now that their
very apostles are admitting that they have been but
blind leaders of the blind. This looks as if the hour
of our Country's redemption was really at hand, It is
worth more than victories in the field to see these
grey-headed sinners repent. Gerebzow, the Russian
secretary of Legation, paid us a visit, but I had
just returned from a drive too tired to make ap my
appearance, so I excused myself to him and other visitors.
Monday 24th 25
Levi left some capital autographs for me last
night. letters of Silvio Pillico [Pellico], Botta, Rossini etc. O thou
good Jew! We had a most charming drive to
Pino to-day - the vegetation is far more advanced
on the east side of the Collina than on the west
The fruit-trees are in fullest flower. The Gajanis
took tea with us & brought the good news of the
safety of the Ré Galantuomo.
Tuesday 26
We wrote letters frantically all the
morning - drove to Mrs Gajani to get some directions
about strawberry seeds - then to the Countess Collegno
to take her the account of the fair - then took Gia.
to see Gaetano who is getting on well, then a turn
round the Valentino & home to dinner. Dr Monnet,
whom Charles has at last decided to consult, thinks
his principal trouble is of the digestive organs and too
strong an action of the heart, and recommends reduced
diet & a little bark
Wednesday April 27th
Madeline Tottenham spent the day
with us, went with Carrie to her riding-lesson, the rest
of us driving in the meantime. I returned Madame
Gigliucci came to arrange with us about a long
walk for the girls, Miss Trotti included.
Mme Collegno came on the part of the Marchesa
Arconati to invite Carrie to the concert tomorrow
evening. The De Bunsens kept us a half hour beyond
our usual dinner-time, but I was glad to see
La De Bunsen with us again. De Bunsen himself
was confused, wandering, and gossiping as usual -
but they are a very good amiable couple and well-matched.
The little Arbesser, as De Bunsen calls her, spent
the evening with us and, as she was in one of her
lucid intervals, made herself most agreeable. On
such occasions I am more than ever grieved to
think what a noble as well as brilliant creature, a
better education might have made her.
Thursday April 28
Carrie went to the Chambers with Mme
Gajani, I was to have gone to Mr Meille's Lecture
but was prevented by a thunder-storm. The Comstocks
were with us all the evening.
Friday April 29
All except myself set off this morning
at six for Lanzo. The weather was a little doubtful
but it was thought best to risk it. My solitary med-
-itations were only twice interrupted - once by the
rotund Captain, and once by the seraphic Castillia,
the sight of whose calm and reverend face is always
better than a sermon. His very presence seems to fill a
room with charity and peace. As The excursionists
returned in the rain, but luckily they were well
protected. As soon as tea was over I announced
my intention of going to bed, having first counted
on my fingers our usual evening visitors and arguing
argued from certain premises that no one would
come to us tonight. I had however scarcely closed
the door, (C__. satisfied with my logic had retired
too) when the bell rang and Cantù was announced.
I was rather vexed to miss him, but it couldn't be
helped, and Mr Marsh had all the better opportunity
for a free and easy chat with him. Carrie went off
Saturday 29 April 30
Carrie went off on the proposed long
walk, being taken to the Gigliuccis by the Countess
Collegno. They were to return to their rendezvous for
high tea. For myself I felt obliged to dress for visitors
though with such an aching frame that it was no
small effort. Charles kept me company in the drawing-
-room as long as he could, but the bell seemed to have
convulsions, and its sound drove him off so many
times that at last he gave up trying to hold the
position. In the evening the Countess Maggiolini
with her boy, came in time for a cup of tea; then
came the Gajanis, the Comstocks and Artoni -
the Comstocks to take leave. By the way the
Captain says Mr and Mrs Russell - the latter
Hope Tues - arrived here Thursday evening and
left early Friday morning.
Sunday 30 May 1st.
Brother Charles and I being both on
the invalid roll church-going was put off by the rest
till afternoon, and in addition to bodily ills we have
Banks' disaster to meditate upon. Mr Marsh and
C. got ready for afternoon service, but the former,
going in to look after Charles before setting out found
him actually in bed. Of course he did not leave
him, but sent a message to Dr Monnet to call
in the evening. We have however the satisfaction
of seeing Gaetano well on the way toward recovery.
He was able to come here with wife and child
today and hopes to recommence active operations
in the field by Wednesday.
Monday May 2nd.
Pleasant letters from home this
morning, among them a capital one from Milton.
Half the servants ill, brother Charles very feeble but luckily
but few visits, and a quiet evening entirely to ourselves.
Tuesday May 3rd
No visitors today except the Countess Collegno
and Margherita.
Wednesday 4th
Our minister to Copenhagen, Mr
Wood, came in quite early this morning and had
much to say that was interesting about the Danes
for whom he feels the holiest sympathy. His own
personal experiences with the State Department
at home were very diverting. As soon as he left
Mr Marsh went to the Hotel to look for Lady, and
Miss Estcourt whom we were expecting. To our
great joy they had arrived safely notwithstanding
an awful gale, attended with a storm of
snow encountered last night on Mont Cenis.
They came to us as soon as they had rested a little
and breakfasted, and never were friends more
welcome. Lady Estcourt has recovered much of
her old quiet gaity, and Miss Estcourt, while she
loses nothing of her life, is gaining every year
in intellectual breadth. We had a most happy
day with them, and even the Marchesa Arconati,
welcome as she always is, was less so today than
usual. The Woods too, whom we should have been
glad to see at almost any other time, were rather
an interruption this evening. Miss Wood, a
young lady in very delicate health, interested me
very much from her earnest views of life and its
duties. She seemed to regret that her future home
was likely to be in Albany, a place so much behind
most other towns in the U.S. not only in culture, and
real refinement, but even in patriotism. It
was pleasant to me to look at this young creature
and see what an immense gain she was upon
her imperfectly educated mother. We had
to bid the Estcourts goodbye, as they leave early
in the morning, but hope for a longer visit from
them next week.
Thursday 5th
We seem to have gone back to March for
our weather, and as to wind, the like of it for
the last few days was never before known in these
parts. I am reconciled to it perfectly by the pease [peace]
and quiet consequent upon it. We had no visits, day
or evening, except the Doctor's, and had nothing to do
but to nurse ourselves and each other. We managed
though to make some progress in Le Progrès, and to
get on a little in one of Caterina Percoto's stories.
Friday May 6th
The same scowling weather and
the sick list not much diminished. We hope to
get off for Saluzzo tomorrow. - oh, the Pope's
worse. A curious article in the Opinione about
the manuscripts left by Silvio Pellico for the benefit
of his sister Giuseppina which were not given
up to her by the Countess Barolo, but left at last
in the hands of her confessor - he steadfastly
refusing to surrender them to any one. A blue
summary from the U.S. Conference matters in
London making but poor headway. Goldwin Smith
is distressing himself lest our gov't should retaliate
for the Fort Pillow massacre. It's a dreadful
business anyhow but I think he'd better spend
his breath in exhorting the President to a stronger
policy than the milk-and-water one he has hitherto
pursued with regard to the rebels.