All Roads Lead to Rome

Grand Hotel Boulevard Capugines 12 Paris 14 March 1897 posted 15th March You did not enclose Mrs Bak[]’s daughter’s addrtess in Rome but I will look her out, I think her house is 03eudeu + he is chaplain there is he not? My dear Mother, Fancy my writing to you from Paris on sunday afternoon! I sent a rather hurried letter to dear Father from Baileys to wish him many happy returns of his birthday. It was rather a rush in London. I wentr to call on Caline Seymorers + saw May on Thursday then walked to Mrs Seymours + had a very pleasant visit. She always has visitors at tea time. [] G Stapleton is always there. She has heard fr. you + could not realize such grand buildings in Victoria as the New Govt ones. They say I never stay in London long enough for there to be [] to me + laughed when I said I was off to Folkestone. The next morning when I got back to the Hotel I got a note fr. May Seymour

crossing and came out direct to this hotel, arriving about 6pm. After dinner I proposed a walk to see the street etc. + then after much persuasion we induced Uncle Joe to take us ino the opera house. It was a struggle. You will be amused to hear that I don’t think he would have consented but I got something in my right eye + I think he really thought I was crying with disappointment when I scrubbed it!! Eventually, we got places in a box in the second tier from the top + were rewarded for going. The singing especially the tenor was delightful and it was beautifully put on the state. The dresses + scenery lovely “La favourita” Douizetti’s opera. We only say the two last acts but it was well worth it. How I wish you had been there + were with us now. After the opera was over there were two acts of Ballet. I have never seen one before the real old fashioned kind with a story running through it + there seemed to be hundreds of people on the stage Uncle Joe owed that he enjoyed it much + says he thinks the principle dancer was as

saying Lady S. was not well + [] [] + take her place at dinner/a party of sixteen. I dressed in a hurry + rushed off was almost the first to arrive. It was a very pleasent party + beautiful dinner very well done. Lots of nice servants. Sir M. very friendly + bright. He us very [] for Father to come to England. There were a Sir _ + Lady Bedford. The [] Mr + Mrs went Mrs Cerbuthurst. Lady _ _ a cousin of the Seymourers. Lady Selina + Mr Harvey do you remember her in Victoria? She was very friendly. Has a []

Jack took me in to dinner + I had a very pleasant dinner. He made particular inquireies for our Jack + said he wd so like to see Nice again. The wet day/Friday/ we all went down to Folkestone. I stayed with Carry + Uncle + Josephine were at [_cliffe]. The [] is looking so nice + well lit it might last how happy it wd be. He has been well over since. I left in []

good as the great []/ I don;t know if it should be spelt so/ Uncle Joe does not seem to kow Paris very well. He had [] been in the Opera house + could not understand why I wanted to go. He thought it wd be like any other theatre but it looked really splendid last night. All the grand staircase et. He must have been delighted for he says we must go again on the way back from Rome. Today has not been a bit like Sunday. Jack now writing after dinner. [][][] After breakfast we walked to La Madeline Place de la Concorde + to the Louvre Picture Gallery, saw a good deal of the latter + drove back to the Dejeuner a la Fourchette, this hotel is quite close to the Opera House. Unfortuenately the drizzling mist of the morning had turned into a steady rain. Such a pity but we drove off to Les [] to see Napoleons [] + the chuirch behind it which I don’t remember going to with you. Also a wonderful collection of [] in beautiful order for men + horses, I had not seen such before

except in pictures + was much impressed by the the beautiful workmanship of it + the suits of chain armour. From there we went to Notre Dame but with the dark rainy day + growing twilight we did not see it to advantage, I know you will empathize with me when I tell you that there was such a crowd of people coming out that we could hardly get in. A service must just have come to an end. It was a rather bad looking set of people so I felt in my pocket for my purse + it was not there. I felt miserable + Uncle Joe scolded me for not having it safe tho he was very sorry + sympathetic for me. I had a little over £6 in it. I felt sure I had put it in my pocket before coming out as I thought we might go to Bon Marche + get the gloves you asked me to get and had taken out the money for that purpose. You can imagine my relief to find my purse with its contents lying safely on the dressing table in my room when we returned to the hotel!! It seems funny to write all this does it not? This hotel is very gay. worse [so] than all American one. The people to be

given us strict instructions not to tell Aunt [] about it. He says I am not to get the gloves at Bon Marche till we are on our way back to England as I might have to pay duty in Italy but I am afraid we may wisk through Paris on our return as he says he must be back by the 8th April for Hall [] [] in London on 9th. and he is anxious to stay as long as possible in Rome. We leave for Nice about 9 tonight and travel in wagon de lit. Have breakfast in Marseilles + should reach our destination about 2:30pm tomorrow. I hope we shall be there three days at least + then go to Rome to remain there a week + do as many more places as we can in the time! I am afraid I have not written very much to you lately. Many dear thanks for your nice long letters I meant to have written to [] [] give her my love. I called one knowing to see Mrs Ward at her hotel on my return from Ireland but did not see her. I saw Mrs Scowdon looking very they talk of returning in May to BC.

This morning we have been driving about nearly all public places are closed on Mondays to sweep them out after Sunday visitors. We have been again to notre Dame. Seen Eiffle Toer exhibition buildings + [] old churches etc. It is well fortunante it is threatening to rain againl. Uncle Joe has just come to say he is ready to go out if I am am so Goodbye for today. Much love to Father, Frank and Jack and yr dear self, from your loving daughter C Kathering O’Reilly Did I tell you I had a lond amusing letter from F A G [] some place down South. Miss Godley asked me to tea they are in London. Sloan Street + I had a [] letter from Mrs Garratt Lucy is at [Leancriffe] + [] house in May. such a lot of correspondence for me