A Letter Written on Nov 28, 1908

[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading]

Pensione Villa Ludovisi,
Rome, Nov. 28 -

My dear Miss Turner -

I have a few minutes to spare before I visit the dentist and it is these odd minutes which I use perforce for letter writing. I am quite aware that the result is scrappy but I cannot help it. If my letter of a few days ago reached Miss Smith all right you know of my doings until quite a recent date. But I am sure I wrote to her before we had visited the Forum with Commendatore Boni[.] We had a most beautiful sunny day for it finally after two rainy day appointments on which it had to be given up. We all met, about twenty, at the Arch of Titus at half past ten. From there we went up to Signor Boni's office and laboratory. There is, of course, a "terrace". No Italian house could exist without some kind of out door promenade even though it (the house) is used exclusively for business and work. This so-called terrace is about the height of the third floor and is really what we should call a balcony with a most beautiful view over the Coliseum and away on the Campania to the Alban mountains. From the windows of his office Signor Boni has a fine view of the Forum and also of the Palatine. So you see he does not lack for inspiration.

Then we went in the laboratory. There are a series of long tables and on each, sometimes on sections of each, are placed bits of pottery etc. which are taken out of the same place or which are of the same kind. From these bits he often succeeds in reconstructing a shape hitherto unknown. He has just been excavating a private dwelling not far from the Arch of Titus - private dwellings of the republican period are practically unknown. This is earlier than anything hitherto done found in Rome. H[e] is, however, not sure whether it is late republican or early Augustan. But they have found a kind of pottery with raised figuring which has not been seen before and the excavation will broaden considerably our ideas of the mode of life and the domestic civilization of the time, if I may so call it. He had some charming little bits and also some most clever reconstruction. When done those things look so easy, but when one sees only the piles of bits you wonder at the patience. The drawings are most beautifully and accurately finished for publi[c]ation in the reports.

After we had admired this we went through the house itself. It is not yet open to the public so that we felt very grand. It is like going around a camp with the commanding officer. The house is where we know that some friends of Cicero lived and who knows? Some inscription might sum up with most exciting possibilities - but enough of "dull, dead" classics. Now I am going to tell you of "high life".

Mr. and Mrs. Carter entertained the school at lunch on Thanksgiving day. The guests of honor were the Embassador, Mr. Lloyd Griscom, and his wife. I was taken out by Mr. George Armour of Princeton, N.J. A man who speaks casually of "cabling to his wife every morning" while he is in Europe, of "building a church", "riding three thousand miles in his motor" and such other diversions not usually in the compass of a Professor in Mt. Holyoke College. I sat between him and Mr. Griscom. I must say Mr. Armour is the more entertaining of the two. He is a rattling good talker, not at all ostentatious of wealth nor at all a snob as my quotations might lead you to suppose. Mr. Griscom is also a delightful gentleman, but a little in doubt as to whether a Professor of Latin is interested in anything but books of the most erudite kind and I felt particularly frivolous, so that it was a little boresome to be told of Mr. Griscom's longings to be able to read Latin with ease etc. very commendable but not so interesting as Mr. Armour's funny stories.

In the afternoon with a host of other Americans were invited to a tea at the Embassy. They (the Griscoms) live in the Palazzo Drago, the old Prince occupies the piano nobile and the floor which the embassy has was occupied by the son who died two or three years ago so that it has never been rented except to the American Embassy. The rooms are simply magnificent. The large salon where we were received is all in red damask which is a beautiful background for handsome gowns. We went through a number of smaller, handsome and also more home-like rooms to the state dining-room where the refreshments were served. I heard Mr. Griscom say that they could seat forty-two at dinner. So you see that is not a small room. We had a really good time as we were fortunate enough to strike a number whom we knew.

We are having the most charming weather now. Almost cold enough for frost with beautiful sun. The band plays on the Pincian every afternoon from half past two to four. I am going up after lunch. Miss Taylor is off on a two days' archaeological expedition which I thought best not to undertake. She will be home late to-night. I have finished my dentist and been to S. Giovanni since I began this letter. We sail Jan. 27 by the Canopic and are due in Boston February 8th. Our steamer touches at Gibraltar and at the Azores. I do hope we will have decent weather.

Yours sincerely,
Helen M. Searles

[another letter is enclosed with this one, but it starts in the middle of a sentence.

looked at the "trophies of Marius," which are not trophies and had nothing to do with Marius - then we found some bits of the Servian wall which, by the way, was not built by Servius, and the Auditorium of Maecenas which probably is really of Maecenas. Then we went by the baths of Titus and the glorious Coliseum - That brought us up to the Fountain of Trevi just in time for Benediction at Santa Croce. The singing of the nuns there is famous and it is one of the most devotional services in Rome - The nuns are all of noble family. They are cloistered and sit back of a grating. Their uniform is a long pale blue cape with white veil. Some young girls took the first vows and the service was unusually elaborate and also very beautiful. This afternoon it does not look very bright. I spent the morning at the school, and since lunch I have just had my Italian lesson. Now I am going down to Piazza di Spagna on an errand and then home for some study. Next week will be Thanksgiving. We are invited to the Carters' with all the members of the American school. We shall enjoy it, but holidays make one think of home and home friends. You will probably be at home and find this waiting for you on your return. Let me hear from you when you can -

Yours sincerely,
Helen M. Searles