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[[Left page]] ness of the Louvre does not surprise me at all. It is only when I compare it with our Academy of Fine Arts that I grasp it at all. Some of the things I have always longed to see I find perfectly satisfying - the Venus of Milo - Titian, Rembrandt, and above all Rubens, with a good many others I delight in - Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and even Van Dyck are disappointing especially L. da V. & R. Some of the Van Dycks are lovely. I want to copy in the Louvre more than go to Juliens. We have not seen the Luxemboug yet nor Notre Dame! But we feel we have so much time. We are not going to start at Julien's until next Monday. We made a long expedition day before yesterday to Benj - Constant's's atelier where Miss Buttles Uncle Charley's friend is. She was there and very nice. I liked the place, and the nuannces of the work, but there were no very advanced pupils. & it is awfully far off. We would have to give up [[illegible]] here if we went there. I never saw Constance look so pretty as she does now, and she has quite decent clothes. We met her and [[Center crease]] my next letter will be to the boys and then I will answer this more fully. [[Right page]] 12 Rue Brocador - Feb 7th 89 Pension Villeneuve My dearest and only sister. How happy yours and the darling boys letters made me yesterday! I nearly wept over Jamie's - I have just finished a long letter to 4305 so I will only begin this and send it by next mail. It is not at all queer to be in Paris. Nothing surprises me but the mud and coldness - I knew before that everything would be picturesque and interesting. But the mud! There are no gutters and not a scrap of paper or rubbish in the streets but there is a universal and even coating of pale gray slime 1/4 inch thick which no matter what height your clothes are hyked up works its way up your ankles. I don't wonder Aunt Sarah and Constance got careless about their clothes. You very rarely see
