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Hte.Engadine,Suisse,
July 29,1873.

paper-weights, toys, Japan curiosities and other articles "too numerous to mention".

August 4. I have been obliged to intermit my writing for a few days to play the nurse for Mary, John and the baby. The nearest place where Medicines can be bought is 4 miles off, and I have been obliged to go there twice for that purpose: Mary having taken a severe cold, and John being a good deal deranged in his digestive apparatus. In fact, I think that the whole family was poisoned by the heat and the bad air, mixed with the Cholera miasm (whatever it is) of Venice: they were all very much run down, having diarrhea, nausea &c &c during the last fortnight of their stay there, and all had become thin and pale and feeble.  Emily seems to have suffered less than the rest, and John and the baby most.  But all are now improving.

# I send you photographs of Emily and John, which Mary had taken in Venice: they are very good likenesses. But you see that the boy looks thin and pale and "hove down" generally. He has not yet regained his usual vivacity and love of walking about over the hills, but I hope that these will soon re-appear.  He looked forward, Mary says, to his arrival in Switzerland with great pleasure, and formed divers plans for walking, sketching &c; but the strength of mind and body are not yet adequate to the work he had cut out for himself.  He is very much pleased with the Chinese paints and brushes which Gorham was kind enough to send him, and with the camp-seat from Tom - all of which will be put into requisition soon, I hope.  

John, baby and I are now sitting on a hill side under the shade of pines, close to the house, with a little Swiss shaver to whom the baby has taken a great fancy - Whilhelm is his name.  He was at first very devoted to the baby; but one day she told him that he was not so handsome and so polite as Charley, a little American boy, and for several days, Wilhelm was quite in the sulks and would have nothing to do with Violet.