Livy wrote from Venice to her mother about the city:
“It is so fascinating, so thoroughly charming—I sit now before a window that opens on to a little piazza; where I can look right on to the Grand Canal…We have the morning sun in our rooms and the weather for three days has been perfect” [MTNJ 2: 157].
The pace of acquisition increased considerably here with purchases of furniture, dishes, glass, and brassware for the Clemens home. In addition to visits with Livy to well-known commercial establishments like Besarel and Salviati, Sam frequented old shops, rummaging through ‘many small rooms crowded with images, armor, pots, lanterns, &c,” motley storehouses which seemed the hallmark of Venice [MTNJ 2: 157].
Livy wrote to her mother, with Clara Clemens adding about riding in a “Gondoler”:
…Mr. [Gedney] Bunce, a cousin of Mr. Ned Bunce, an artist called and he staid until after eleven…
I love Grandmamma very much and I like to see her— Clara Langdon Lews O’Day Bocketer Placklick Lewis Bay Clemens—that is really my name [Salsbury 85].
Gustavo Sarfatti wrote to Sam (enclosed in Sarfatti Oct. 30). “I duly received yr. Esteemed letter of the 18 inst. Mr. [illegible word] case being ready I forwarded it to [illegible word] by the S.S. Cemerana (?)” 2 copies of a shipping receipt dated 22 Oct 1878 enclosed for 5 cases of furniture [MTP].