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consider their advice sufficient excuse to order up "another" and wish that all of our good friends in heat stricken America could join us here in our siestas, take a plunge with us from the rocks of Capri or a spin across the bay in one of the little lanteen rigged craft which you must remember to have seen from the windows of this hotel.

I must not forget to tell you that Tom is becoming a great collector- you know he has long possessed the mania for gathering in fine lines of drinks; well, between drinks now he gathers other things, but without his consent, and he is not with me today, I cannot give you further information. I do, however, feel at liberty to say that he spends many of his evenings in arranging and cataloguing his selections.

Excepting our trips to Sicily & Paestrum we have as yet at no time been more than twenty miles away from the wharf where we landed from the Ems- and if I were to consult my own pleasure only, the distance would not be increased until on board ship homeward bound with old Vesuvius wafting and spouting farewells.

But Tom has not seen Rome nor Florence, and of course a revisit will interest me- and I really should go to London so 'ere long we shall turn our backs upon the insidious life of the Neapolitan highways and seek new pleasures and forgiveness in the ancient city of the Caesars.

I hope that all goes well with you and yours. With my kindest regards to your family in which Tom directed me to be sure to include him, I am,

Faithfully yours,
CLF

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P.S. I have taken the liberty-of having some purchases made by Tom and I shipped to your address- Will you kindly pay charges and customs and hold the articles until Tom gets home-
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