The Emperor is a splendid old hero! That he could survive such wounds never entered my head--yet by the news I judge he is actually recovering. It is worth something to be a Lincoln or a Kaiser Wilhelm--& it gives a man a better opinion of the world to show appreciation for such men--& what is better, love of them.--I have not seen anything of this outburst of affectionate indignation since Mr. Lincoln's assassination gave the common globe a sense of personal injury. Ich habe der Consul Smith gesehen ein Paar Wochen ago, & told him about that Pass, und er hat mir gesagt das er wurde be absent from this gegen--(something) zwei oder drei Wochen, aber wann er sollte hier wieder nachkommen, wollte er der pass geschlagen worden & snake it off to Berlin. Vielleicht hat er noch nicht zu Mannheim zuruck-kehrt. Now as to the grammar of this language; I haven't conquered the Accusative Case yet (I began with that) & there are three more. It begins to seem to me that I have got to try to get along with the Accusative alone & leave the rest of this grammar to be tackled in the future life. With our kindest remembrances to you & yours Yrs sincerely, S. L. Clemens Hotel de l'Ecu de Geneve Sept. 8/78 My dear Mr. Taylor: I have learned the German language & forgotten it again; so I resume English once more. I have just returned from a walking trip to Mont Blanc--which I was intending to ascend, but was obliged to give up the idea, as I had gone too early & there was still snow on it. I find your letter here; if you will be so kind as to forward Slote's letter to the above address I think it will be in time to catch me--& in any case I will make arrangements to have it follow me. (I am going to try to enclose the necessary stamps in this, but if I forget it--however, I won't) We have been poking around slowly through Switzerland for a month; a week hence we go to Venice--to Rome & other places later; & we are booked for Munich Nov. 10 (for the winter.) One of these days I am going to whet up my German again & take a run to Berlin, & have a talk with you in that fine old tongue. Yrs Ever S. L. Clemens No. 1a Karlstrasse, (2e stock) Munich, Dec. 14 [1878] My Dear Mr. Taylor: When we were poking around Italy 3 or 4 weeks ago, I was told that you were ill, but straightway saw it contradicted in a newspaper. Now comes this paragraph in Galignani which not only shows that the contradiction was erroneous, but shows how ignorant one may be in this country about what is happening only a few hundred miles away; especially when one is buried in work & neither talks with people or often looks in the paper. We three folks are heartily glad to hear that you are coming happily out of it; & we are venturing to hope that by this time you are wholly restored.