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and to begin on the last - on Thursday ev'g when I went to the concert of "The G Clef" ladies' chorus at St. George's Hall, there was Col. Cooper and the Hoopes girl, the one he painted, & he gotten up like a swell & his hair brushed beautiful & she stunning in black raiment & both very attentive to each other & perfectly satisfied on the stairs when they couldn't hear the music.

The Aunts have just gone to church, & Grandma is in front of the blue screen, & I'm in front of the parlor fire to write to you, and O Lilie dear! the hole you left when you went out of our home seems getting larger instead of littler & the tears still come very close to the voice when we make our Sunday morning prayer for you.  How long it seems since your going! and this only the first little beginning of it all! 

Friday & Saturday were vile days, bitter cold & sleet first, then snow & rain, & dismal generally, so that we were very quick to appreciate your weather woes, when your letter came in the midst of it.  Your Florence letter was from Meggy B.B. I suppose, & the Roman one from Ann Meggs.  The 3 BBs you will doubtless see before the Salon opens, as "Henry" is to exhibit his "group", - & like enough Meggs & the other B's will come to Paris for the Salon too. 

It has occurred to me that if you do not find easy & pleasant access to Wm. S.[[H.]] Stewart's gallery in Paris (the Fortuny patron, you know, & father of the painter "Jules" Stewart) thro' the letter you have taken with you & the ways those letters open to you, I would write you a letter of introd.n myself to Mr. Stewart.  Did I propose this to you once before you left?  If so, I forgot it completely, & it has just come into my head again & freshly.  Write for it if you would like to have it.  It is just 21 years since I crossed the Atlantic with him, & staid at Fenton's in London with him—