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this morn a priest came in to bless the hotel for the year of 85 and as I was working hard about that time the said priest kindly condecended to bless the unfinished picture. He sprinkled a little holy? water on the canvas and as Gaines says "Old man we are all right now and nothing to fear. 

They think about as much of a priest here as they do of a car driver at home: but all the same they are willing to take their blessing. 

A funny thing happened the other day when some Americans who were stopping at the hotel were out sight seeing. They strolled into a church where they were having a funeral. The priests or pall bearers were standing about the coffin and each had a large candle about 5 or 6 feet long in his hand and of course the tallow was dripping all [[strikethrough]] of [[strikethrough]] over 

[[Right side]]
the floor; now it is the law in Italy that the tallow so dropped is common property; so when the services were just at their height in rushed half a dozen [[strikethrough]] ruffs [[/strikethrough]] roughs and began to scrape it up in their hats. Where upon the pall bearers began to demur but with no effect: pretty soon there was a free fight between the [[strikethrough]] ruffs [[/strikethrough]] roughs and the mourners all the time the priest was praying devoutly but at last even he could not stand it and came down to see what the fight was about and succeeded after a while in stopping the commotion and the [[strikethrough]] ruffs [[/strikethrough]] roughs went out swearing eternal vengeance and shaking their fist at the whole funeral. Now I guess I'll stop and write the rest to your dear mother. Love [[strikethrough]] a  [[strikethrough]] to all.
As ever- Ned.