May 12 Thursday – Sam’s notebooks in Florence (he used two this day):

May 12 ’92 — 10 a.m. Several companies of soldiers came marching along & passed with its spirited music on down the Lung’arno, & this most strange fact was again observable: that not a boy, not a youth, not anybody trotted at the head or tail of the procession, & nobody on the sidewalk stopped to look. How different from Berlin or any other city in the world! What is the explanation of it? [NB 32 TS 10].

Ask Mr. Ross how to pay Orsi, who has hired the Villa for us from Sept. 1 at 3,000 francs a year (furnished) with a two-year privilege (of re-renting.)

Will Mrs. Ross please keep that man-servant where we can get him Sept. 1? What wages? Shall we hire him now?

And if your cook can be on the lookout for a cook for us.

Mrs. Orsi (widow) came with Orsi the agent this morning to close the contract for Villa.

What is the name of Villa?

Villa del Viviani, / Settignano, Firenze [NB 31 TS 42]. Note: Leopoldo Orsi.