Life of James Buchanan, Fifteenth President of the United States. v. 2 (of 2)Curtis, George Ticknor
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Life of James Buchanan, Fifteenth President of the United States. v. 2 (of 2)
Curtis, George Ticknor
Buchanan, James, 1791-1868
In regard to the bringing of dear Mary’s remains from San
Francisco to Lancaster or Franklin county, I have not a word to
say. This must be left to her nearer relatives. She sleeps as
sweetly on the distant shores of the Pacific as she could do on
any other spot of earth, and her disembodied spirit will be
equally near to you wherever you may wander. Still I know it is a
sort of instinct of nature to desire to have the tombs of our
friends near us; and even if I had any right to object, I should
not exercise it. Do as you please, and I shall be content......
James Henry is with me very busy and persevering in sight-seeing.
I am sorry I do not feel it proper to detain him with me. The
carnival comes so early this year that he must soon be off, as he
intends to take Naples en route to Rome. I get along very well
with Mr. Moran, though the labor is too great for one man to
perform. In truth I cannot answer all the letters I receive, and
attend to my appropriate duties. I shall, however, endeavor to
write you a few lines every week. Friends still inquire after you
with great kindness.
January 11, 1856.
I have received your favor of the 25th ultimo, together with an
agreeable little note from Mrs. Plitt, for which give her my
thanks.
James Henry left us yesterday afternoon. He had drawn all his
plans with mathematical precision, and I did not like to mar them.
He was to go direct to Naples, and be at Rome during the carnival,
so that he had but little time. He is a calculating, and I think a
determined boy....... He has certainly made a favorable impression
here on the persons with whom he has been in company, especially
on Lady Holland. The dinner went off extremely well; some of them
said _almost_ as well as if you had been present. As you would
probably like to know the company, I will tell you:
Mr. and Madame Tricoupi, the Count and Countess de Lavradio, Count
Bernstorff, the Brazilian Minister and Madame Moreiro, the Swedish
Minister and Baroness Hochschild, the Danish Minister and Madame
D’Oxholme, Mr. and Mrs. Comyn, Sir Henry and Lady Holland, Lady
Talbot de Malahide, R. Monckton Milnes, and J. Buchanan Henry,
Esq.
Count Colloredo had the commands of the queen, and could not
attend. Countess Bernstorff was ill. Baron Bentinck had an
engagement in the country, and so had Mr. and Mrs. Musurus. So you
have the list of invitations as well as of those who attended. I
expect to leave the house next week.
I very often think of poor Mary, and shall always cherish her
memory with deep affection. I trust that ere this your grief has
moderated, and that you begin to bear your loss with the
philosophy of a Christian, and with humble resignation to the
Divine will.
James desired me to send his love to you, and say that he would
write to you from Rome.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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