November 5 Saturday – In Florence Sam wrote to daughter Clara at Mrs. Mary B. Willard’s school in Berlin of recent events and of a visit this day by Laurence Hutton.

Uncle Larry was up, to-day, but your Aunt Larry was kept at home by illness. He was very lovely, & stayed till 4 & I walked down with him nearly to that bridge-arch which is at this end of the Via della Cenacolo. He says Mr. Booth is doubtless nearing his end — Booth himself thinks so, & speaks of it unregretfully.

Jean had the leanest catkin here for a day or two I have ever seen, & was in a state of utter sadness & despondency. It did not care for food, and nothing could raise its spirits. It ran away this morning…

Susy & the Kings are down at the Opera — Cavalleria. Next Thursday [Nov. 10] they are going down to see its author fetch out his new Opera [MTP]. Note: Sam headed the letter as on “Guy Fawkes’ Day”. Guy Fawkes (1570-1606) was famous for a plot to blow up Parliament.

Sam also wrote to (Daniel) Willard Fiske, hoping he was well and enjoying his long vacation. Sam had been to Fiske’s library “several times, but had the ill luck to call at the wrong hour & therefore failed to find your secretary in.” He finally wrote the secretary and was informed Fiske was ailing and would return about the first of November. Sam thanked Fiske for his help in securing the Villa Viviani and said Livy had made progress in her health and he hoped “she will want to stay another year” [MTP].

The Illustrated News of the World (New York issue) ran a third and last segment of “The German Chicago.” Other segments ran on Oct. 8 and Oct. 15 1892 [Willson list, Univ. of Texas at Austin].