June 19 Sunday – At the Villa Reale di Quarto Sam wrote to Charles J. Langdon.
I am a man without a country. Wherever Livy was, that was my country. And now she is gone. It is 2 weeks to-day. But it seems only yesterday. Tomorrow we quit this residence—without her. That is strange: it has never happened before. For four days the trunk-packing has been going on—and Livy not superintending. That has never happened before: for even when we were leaving Riverdale she gave instructions from her bed. We have had to do all our planning by ourselves; for our journey, & if she were here she would show us that we have done it poorly, & we should see it ourselves. We have been beset with perplexities and uncertainties—she never had any. How we miss her clear head!
Clara left her room this morning, at last, & drove half an hour, which rejoiced us. It decided us that we could leave this sad house a day sooner than we were hoping for. We remain at the Hotel de Ville several days; then go to Rome & let Clara rest a day; then to Naples the evening of the 27th & sail next day.
I am bringing nothing dutiable except a couple of side-saddles, which the children have used several months. IF they are dutiable, all right; I think they cost Livy $30 or $40 apiece. They & the horses were her last important gift to the children. She wouldn’t let me share—she paid the whole out of her own Elmira money, & took such an enthusiastic pleasure in it. Those are the most precious horses in the world, now. I am bringing home the trunk of family silver—it came here from the Lincoln Safe Deposit some months ago. None of it is dutiable.
Dear, dear Livy, she bore the burden & privations of our poverty for years, & never uttered a murmur nor allowed me to curse myself for causing it; & just as the relief came she was stricken down & cruelly robbed of her reward. Even after we arrived here she was not willing to spend money freely, because our expenses were $1650 a month—hardly $500 a month short of Riverdale; but I said I would earn $10,000 by magazine work if she would throw away every penny of it on whatever she chose, & please me. Before the end of January (I think it was,) I had managed to work 3 days in every week; & when I showed her that I had earned $11,000-odd, she never again refused to buy whatever she wanted. What a beautiful spirit passed from the earth when the light went out of her dear eyes! How sweet she looked, & young & lovely & worshipful, when she lay in the hallowed grace & dignity of death! [MTP]. Note: Sam headed the letter “Villa di Quarto” though from the text it seems they moved to the Hotel De Ville in Florence this day.
Sam also wrote a letter of recommendation for Ugo Piemontini to an unidentified man: “Ugo Piemontini, a man of good character and habits, whom I have sent over in charge of two gray mares…” [MTP: Dawson’s Book Shop Catalog, No. 141, Item 218]. Note: See June 13 to Langdon.
Frederick J. Hall wrote a letter of condolence to Sam [MTP].
Odoardo Luchini wrote a letter of condolence in Italian to Sam [MTP].