London Letter—April 7, 1882,

1

Trip on the Atlantic—The Steamer Adriatic—Storm on the Ocean—Chester—English Cathedrals—To Liverpool—Chatsworth—Stratford—The 318th Anniversary of Shakespeare—Oxford—Magdalen College—“Addison’s Walk”—New College—Sir Joshua Reynolds-Window—At Warwick—Bodlean Library—Ashmolean Museum—Spofford Brooks and Canon Liddon.

London Letter—June 11, 1882,

16

Seeing London—Advantage of being in a great city—The boarding-house, just for Americans—Windsor Palace—Gray’s grave—Moncure Conway—Canon Farrar—Bostonians—American Cousins—From London on the way to Scotland.

From London to Edinburgh—July 4, 1882,

22

Four hours at York—The Nuns of St. Leonard’s Hospital—St. Mary’s Abbey—“The Five Sisters”—New-castle-on-Tyne—Durham—The Cathedral—St. Cuthbert—The Tomb of Bede—The Legend of Bede—Wandering minstrels—Scenery on the route—The sunset—A Scotch lady—List of tourists.

Scotland Letter—July 21, 1882,

32

Edinburgh—Holyrood Palace—Castle with relics of Mary Queen of Scots—Alexander Swift says—Of traveling—Dumfermline—The Abbey of Robert Bruce—Newbattle Abbey.

Heidelberg Letter—August 16, 1882,

38

In Heidelberg—The Neckar—The places I have been—Sketches over the line of travel—The scenes visited from England to Heidelberg.

Heidelberg Letter—September 3, 1882,

41

Heidelberg; this is home—From Nuremberg—The enchantment and charms of the old city—The streets, buildings, bridges, churches, museums and galleries—Masterpieces of Durer, Kraft, Stoss and Vischer—The works of numerous artists—The lime tree—The lamp that has been lighted since 1326—The crown princess—The Exposition—Going back some day—A day of rest—Cape Colony English ladies—My traveling companion.

Baden-Baden—September 19, 1882,

44

Heidelberg on the Neckar—The castle, the JettenbÜhl—“Das Grosse Fass”—Mapping out Switzerland—The floods—In the Gardens—The Black Forest—The Oos—The trees on the banks—To Strassburg.

Nuremberg—September 27, 1883,

47

From Heidelberg to Nuremberg—Nuremberg the objective point—Ancestors back to 1570—Up the Neckar—The scenery—Two historic points—Hotels full—Grand Exposition—Superb attractions—Old lime tree—Durer’s monument—The princess and family—A wedding—Traveling alone—German lady—At Baden—Friedrichsbad—The days at Strassburg.

Munich Letter—September 24, 1882,

60

Old and New Schloss—Trinkhalle and its waters—The great Friedrichsbad—Strassburg Cathedral—The wonderful clock—St. Thomas Church, with monument to Marshal Saxe—The Strassburg specialty, pÂtÉs-de-fois-gras—The attractive city, Constance—Monastery where Huss was imprisoned—The place where Jerome suffered sentence—From Constance to Lindau—The beauty of country and scenery—The Alps again—Words not equal to doing justice—Innumerable places of attraction—MÜnchen, the capital of little Bavaria.

MÜnchen Letter—October 11, 1882,

64

Visit to royal palace—A woman’s voice in American English—Walks and drives around MÜnchen—Looking in the shop windows—Picking up pictures—Call at the book-store—“The Last Judgment,” largest oil painting in the world—Other pictures and sketches—Vesper service—Munich a large city—Neighbors—A Prussian officer.

Munich Letter—November 18, 1882,

77

Letters, letters, letters—An evening with friends—My husband and early childhood—Happy days—Dear hills, beautiful hills, sacred hills—Youthful days—The house where I was born—“The Point”—That “exuberant set”—Another Mrs. C.—Bavarian officer—Anticipation of seeing the Alps—A concert—Booth—Letters.

MÜnchen Letter—November 20, 1882,

87

A homesick heart—The leaf from a tree—Views about the old homestead—The royal family at church—Royal dames—One of the princesses, a beautiful woman—The king—The music—The church—My religion.

Munich Letter—December 12, 1882,

92

Repetition—Letter of the “altogethery type”—My style—Love, late in life—Indian summer—“That vale of Aberdeen”—Beautiful old ladies—That singular death-bed speech—The divine musician—French books—Dutch reading—The epic, Nibelungenlied—The king’s palace.

Munich Letter—December 22, 1882,

100

My counterfeit presentment—The crayon portrait—“Paint me as I am”—About my pictures—The home of my childhood—“The Place of Roses”—Les Petites Miseres de la vie Conjugale—Christmas coming—What John did—Christmas, Christmas.

Munich Letter—January 2, 1883,

105

Preparations for Christmas—Bavaria and its kings—The public buildings—Music—The house of Wittelsbach dates from 1110—The Maximilians—The king on his death-bed—The present king, Ludwig II—His character—His royal palaces—The Gallery of Ancestors—The king a poet—His refined taste—The king’s spotless reputation—Of the kings.

MÜnchen Letter—January 15, 1883,

117

Christmas and New Years—The scathingest tongue—Christmas tree—The Nibelungenlied in German—Church services—German New Year’s Eve—Our frau’s banquet.

Munich Letter—October 4, 1886,

126

Of writing letters—Ingenious sophism—The little girl that prayed—The readable letter with a secret—His age—Miss B——’s letter—A grand gala day—Sunday the open day—The king—Royal family—Royal personages—Officers of state—A four o’clock tea.

Paris Letter—February 4, 1883,

134

At last in Paradise—From Munich to Paris—The journey a dream—One’s own vernacular—View from my private balcony—In sight of the Mackey’s palace—Grace Greenwood in Paris—What an enchantment to know places by sight—The street scenes—Vast concourse of seething humanity—The weather—The flowers.

Paris Letter—February 8, 1883,

137

To begin—Figures—Not writing for fame or filthy lucre—“Two in one existence”—From Munich to Paris alone—The experience of cold—The German cars comfortable—Fallen in love—Paris, London and Munich Compared—Manufactory of the Gobelins—Pompeian palace—Viewing art—Language—Night—Solitude—To Italy from Paris.

Paris Letter—September 1, 1883,

144

In Paris again after six months—Good intentions—Feminine interruption—A flash of inspiration—The lion of sandstone carved in a grotto—Trip to the glaciers—First mule ride—Return from the sublime spectacle—The descent more difficult than the ascent—English ladies—From Interlaken to Bern—Lake Leman—The Garden in which Gibbon wrote the conclusion of his great work—Chillon—Passage to Chamony—All the way to Geneva—That book—The Pension—The Madame.

Paris Letter—January 1, 1884,

158

Letter—Verses—Christmas Eve—Tree party—My hostess and myself—Salutatory an impromptu poem—The evening’s entertainment—Twelfth Night—I shun sleep—“Characteristics”—Sending the book—A letter from Miss B.—The article on Burns—Finis and reflections.

Paris Letter—April 1, 1884,

166

Enjoying Paris in fair weather—President Grevy—The numerous entertainments—There is no hostess—The musical side of Paris—A pleasant American family—Sunday afternoon concert—The music—The audience—To the Luxembourg with an American girl.

Paris Letter—December 6, 1885,

169

Letter acknowledged—I am again a wandering star—The delights of travel—The poor king who lost his head—Thomas a Becket—Whitehall—Government buildings—Saw Gladstone’s and Salisbury’s seats—Went to Temple Bar—Old clocks—The cathedral—Vespers at Little St. Martin’s—Crossed the Channel—Sight-seeing—Cuvier and Humboldt—Experiences, drives and sights—Pleasant people we met.

Paris Letter—December 13, 1886,

175

Return delayed by storms—Miss B—— came from Sweden—Proposed trip on the Nile—A line from under old Cheops.

Paris Letter—March 8, 1887,

177

Disappointed about the Jerusalem trip—Contributions from every grand division—No date for sailing—Ladies from Louisville, Ky.—The title of the little book—Madame gives a house-warming—Bloom and beauty.

Paris Letter—April 26, 1887,

180

Birthday anniversary—Dispensations of conscientiousness—How the days go—The sight-seeing never comes to an end—The “Salon” open for the Annual Exposition—At the Exposition—Numerous pictures—“Theodora,” Sara Bernhardt’s great character—Two French ladies—The musical entertainment given me—Paris in the month of May.

Paris Letter—May 29, 1887,

185

The letter and the book—Figures and a woman’s age—Pictures—Millet’s “L’Angelus”—Subjects and character of paintings—“The little book”—The drive—Champs ElysÉes as a fashionable resort—The enchantment of the scenes—“The little book” again, and again.

Venice Letter—June 8, 1883,

192

The letter in fancy from Florence—No rules from the flight of imagination—Longfellow says it for me—Venice in June—Drifting about in a gondola—The Grand Canal—The dazzling glory of the scene—A trance; a dream; perfect, perfect Venice!—Allusion to a story of life—A book to come forth—If I am to die to-morrow ...—The ideal woman and friend—Kentucky gossip—Oh! oh! oh! perfect, perfect Venice!

Lucerne Letter—June 26, 1883,

201

The wooden horse of Donatello—Goethe’s palm tree—From Padua to Verona—Juliet’s tomb—The house of Capulets—Milan—The cathedral—Grand Victor Emanuel Gallery—Pictures in galleries—Visit to libraries—View of levÉes—Italian lakes and scenes—The tropical bloom—Nightingale songs—The grand climb up the Alps—The glaciers—Snow flower, edelweiss—The ruins of castles—The moonlight scene—The descent from the Alps—The aching heart, like the dying gladiator.

Vienna Letter—October 17, 1883,

214

No end to the beginning—The opera—Letters—The surface of things—Below the surface—Knowledge of more breadth—My hostess—Wagner’s operas—The object of my pilgrimage to Vienna—The aurist of Europe—The specialist’s quarters—The Imperial Library.

Siena Letter—March 4, 1883,

224

Things we saw on the way—Shrine of Petrarch’s Laura—The Papal palaces—The frescoes—MusÉe Calvet—Vernet Gallery and pictures—The moonlight drive to Marseilles—At Cannes—An English lady—Hotel on the sea-front—The moonrise out of the sea—Bishop Littlejohn, of Rhode Island—A tram-drive—Excursion to Monaco and Monte Carlo—Pisa—Geneva—Mt. Blanc.

Rome Letter—March 19, 1883,

231

An Ohioan from Granville—Naples and views—Museums and the palace of Capodimonte—Picture of Michael Angelo and Vittoria Colonna—Pompeian frescoes—Vittoria Colonna’s husband—Vesuvius at night—Longfellow’s poem, “Amalfi”—Paestum—Ideal drive—Museum—Narcissus listening to Echo—Palm Sunday at St. Peter’s—The Sistine Chapel—Goethe’s words—Hawthorne’s Rome—The Marble Faun—Springtime—Christmas flowers—Christmas souvenirs.

Rome Letter—April 4, 1883,

238

Scenes along the coast of Italy—Little villages—The mountains—Monastery of the Capuchins—The macaroni factory—The monastery and monks—Our Paestum day—Vesuvius before the charmed gaze—Birthplace of Tasso—Celebrated places—Second trial of Naples—Trip from Naples to Rome—Ancient Capua—Monte Casino, its associations—Rome—Palm Sunday—Various services—English lady—Holy Week—Drive on the Via Appia—The Catacombs and tombs—The grotto—The tree of Numa’s wisdom.

Rome Letter—April 24, 1883,

251

Importance of address in a foreign land—Guercino’s fresco of Aurora—Scene in Imperial Rome—“Rome mistress of the world”—Story of Eve—Tasso memorial room—Swarm of lizards—A view of St. Peter’s—Pompey’s statue—The Plaza—The Jews’ quarters, called Ghetto—The house of Rienzi—Protestant cemetery—Burial place of Keats and the heart of Shelley.

Rome Letter—May 2, 1883,

261

“While Rome stands, the world stands”—The rounds of churches—The galleries and museums—Palaces and shops—“Being in Rome, do as Romans do”—Piazzi di San Giovanni, the largest in existence—One of the eleven obelisks—Mosaic frescoes—The queen in her carriage—Church of St. Onafrio, on the Janiculus—The three frescoes by Domenichino and Leonardo da Vinci—Tasso buried here—Three churches of the Aventine—Galleries—Artists’ quarters—Our Rodgers and Ives—Their art—Italian artist—Dwight Benton, formerly of Cincinnati, Ohio—Italian scenes.

Maiori Letter—April 5, 1886,

274

Apology for delinquent letter—“What a butterfly she is!”—One of the party sick—On the Mediterranean—Longfellow’s poem—The steep climb—The poor little donkey—Features of the scene—“The death in life”—The region abounds in drives—Talk of Sicily and Africa—A letter—The sacred few ...—The little book—Blessed be the potato, henceforth and forever!

Naples Letter—May 1, 1886,

281

A drive to Salerno—From there to Paestum—The temple of Neptune—An incident of missing glasses—Return to Salerno—Then to Pompeii—Naples—Friends from Tunis—A steamer for Sicily—Storm at sea—Palermo, its environs—The palaces—The drives and places we visited—The museum, Metopes, and splendid art—Beauty of the country—The fountain of Arethusa—Roman amphitheater—The quarries—Mt. Etna—The seven rocks of Cyclops—Messina—That coat of arms of Sicily—The heart-ache of good-byes.

Lauterbrunnen Letter—July 29, 1886,

291

Wrought up over letters—“Poaching on your preserves”—The cause of wit—Friends, their character estimated—Of writing—Sojourn in the beautiful valley—The Staubach—The Jungfrau.

Egypt Letter—December 30, 1886,

295

Aboard steamer Prince Abbas—On the Nile—“In the teeth of a storm”—Sunrise and sunset on the Mediterranean—Acquaintances, a citizen from the “hub”—At Alexandria—The seven wonders—To Cairo—English officers—The Pyramids—Pillars at Heliopolis—“The Virgin’s tree”—The island of Rhodda—Mosques and tombs—The site of Memphis—“Twelve miles of wonderland”—The air—The flowers—The guests on steamer—One can live too much in books.

Egypt Letter From Paris—February 10, 1887,

302

Agreeable surprises—Down the Nile—The atmosphere and mysterious influence of scene—Landing of steamer—Our donkey ride—The tombs—The imposing magnificence of the monuments—Rain in Egypt—Reflections—Pictures to help tell the story—The coming book.

Cuba Letter—April 7, 1885,

307

The magical isle of Cuba—Tropical vegetation—Sunrise in the harbor of Havana—The trip on the steamer—Moro Castle—Strange scene on landing—The buildings—The drive, atmosphere and scenery—The watch incident—Shopping expedition—People we met—To Cerro—Sugar plantations and process of sugar-making—The caves—The beautiful island, Cuba—The freedom of slaves—Spanish government.

A Vision of Fatigue,

322