On Board the Cunard R.M.S. "Laconia."Tuesday morning.
The second beautiful morning! Mild and sunny, a smooth sea. No qualms so far. I am writing in the pleasant library on the A deck. My first five dollar bill is changed to English money and my first shilling and sixpence expended upon twelve penny halfpenny stamps. I am living in solitary elegance in C72. I do appreciate that. My port hole is open all the time. The steamer letters & packages overwhelm me by the [...]ness of their remembrance. I shall write directly as soon as I can. Please thank Miss Randolph, Miss Cushing for their letters, Miss Doak for her letter and package. If you happen to think of it, add Miss Blakely & Miss Ellen. I had a happy last night with Mrs. Dewey & the doctor. They gave me a little medicine case with various remedies that I lacked, including one for sea-sickness! I met Helen & Rommie at Park St and they escorded me to the boat. We had hardly arrived, when my sister & Mr. Larrabee appeared, brought up by the Balches from Newburyport. Mrs. Arnold & Margaret came also, with a box of candy. I have a beautiful bunch of glads from my sister's garden and a half dozen of the loveliest roses I ever saw from Rommie. They make my room look like $50. Miss Hartshorn sent a big stack of magazines & some candy. Mary Stafford some candy. Your box of prunes I shall keep for the trip to India, for I shall need it more then. Thank you, dearie.
I had a long talk last night with Mrs. Hume. She looks like a spirit, over seventy years old, and returning to India to give her last years to helping those poor Hindus. Probably Mary will never see her again. Cancer was the trouble with Dr. Hume but he did not suffer very much. I hope that brother may be spared that, too. My sister is terribly upset over my leaving for she forsees the end. Dr. Dewey spoke very discouragingly about brother. I think he feels himself that his days are numbered. Probably I should not have gone away. But it was time to start if I was ever to do this trip. You must tell me, if you think I ought to turn back from India, fir I don't think my sister will let me know the whole truth, for fear of worrying me. Helen is such a trump. She and Rommie have a dear little apartment on Irving St. and will live quite cheaply.
I have not seen any congenial spirits so far among any companions on board. There are four of us at table, two English women and an Amer. doctor. The older English woman is the type of Lynette Roger's mother-in-law, but she spoke with appreciation of having spent the summer at a little hotel in Camden, Me. My steamer chair neighbors have not yet revealed possibilities. How ever the day[s] pass quickly. Last night we had a get-together party in the dining room where balloons, whistles, confetti were everywhere.
Thursday morning - no excuse for seasickness so far. It is summer weather. The officers are wearing their white duck suits. I have made a little progress with the acquaintance of my ship mates. Miss Sullivan, a charming Irish girl, is returning to Ireland to be married, having been a number of years in the States as governess. She was in Whalen's family for a time and enjoyed the experience much. Dr. Jessamine Whitney sits on my right at table and yesterday she confided her life history. She is statistician for the Tuberculosis Society, head quarters N.Y. City, and is on her way to Paris, the only woman out of a delegation of seven from the States, to attend a congress on the causes of death. She knows Ruth Adams, Mary Clark, Margaret Gault [?], Dr. Dublin, of course. An interesting woman. Mrs. Gardiner still remains a mystery. I think she is a globe-trotter of limited means. Very sophisticated. She is the fourth at table. I met some more of the India group this morning. Pleasant people.
Later - Well, Mrs. Gardiner came to my room after lunch to set me right as to Miss Sullivan. In the opinion of he former Miss S- is a wicked Simon Fein-er. At any rate she is a south Ireland Irish girl on humble connections in the opinion of Mrs. G. And then she proceeded to tell me a long and harrowing tale of her personal experiences with the S.F.s. Her sister's husband is a retired colonel in the Brit. army, has a beautiful estate in Ireland. I have felt from the first that she must be a person of some consequence for the chief stewart is always coming around and begging her to allow him to provide some extra delicacy for her. I have been much interested today in Lord Ronaldshay's Life of Curzon, the volume relating to his years in India.
Sat. noon. Queenstown at 2 oclock tomorrow. Liverpool at 8 on Monday. The Laconia is a great boat and this has been an easy trip. The last two days have been rough but so far I have not missed a meal. Had a pleasant chat last night with a nice Mr. Macintyre from Worcester whose daughter married Martha Carr's brother. Mrs. [...] had spoken of me to him. There is a Mrs. Brown who is with the missionary group, from Westport, Conn., who may meet me in Madras in January and go to Darjeeling with me. I wish I could find you on the pier, dearie. My love to Eleanor and Gertrude and Miss Searles. I am sending a note to Miss Goldthwait.
With best love, S. E. S.