Rome, April 18. 1880


My Dear Carrie


I was very glad to hear [throug to?] your very welcome letter, that you are still in the “land of the living,” and that you still enjoy “[free?]” and the “good things of this world” as well as in the days of “auld lang syne “ at [...].


Yes, I should be most delighted to see you at


my house in Cincinnati, but I am afraid it is beyond my power, as I should have to travel night & day to reach there before you. Yes, I have been abroad now nearly a year, - a year in June - We traveled during the summer, - we was my sister, brother & his wife and myself - in Sept. my brother went home, while my sister & I spent the winter near Paris. This spring we have spent in travelling in Spain and as far in Italy as Naples,


so your letter reached us, as you feared, neither in Boston nor Cincinnati but here in Rome. It seems almost like a dream to hear about the girls at Vassar, so many of the girls that we know so well have left. I have heard from one there for two years at least - Why did you leave? - You were so sure of going through & graduating in the same class with Blanche [...], that I surely thought you would do so, and had heard nothing to the contrary.


Do you remember Miss O’Leary? I wonder if she is still as sweet as ever and if she ever studied to be a Dr. as she said she was going to do - How I wish that I was going to see you and talk over “old times,” but since that cannot be, I hope that I may see you again sometimes in [Cin?] and in the mean time, and if you care to write, I hope you will realize how gladly I will receive any [...]s from you.


My address here is Lovingly
Care of Monroe & Co. Your old friend & chum
Bankers of the 47
Paris Helen Rawson