Siena
30th December 1869
Thursday
My dear Papa,
The year will still, I think, be young enough when this reaches you (although not on the right day) to wish you a very Happy New Year! Since Mamie wrote yesterday to Tilly we have had a blessed change of weather; a hard bright frost has set in, and fringes of icicles hang from all the roofs. We have just been out, and owing to the wise exertions of the municipality in carting away the snow most of the streets are clear and dry; but in every place where it was not well cleared it is now a sheet of ice and very dangerous. The Piazza Vittorio Emanuele (the old market) is covered all over with heaps of snow like hay-cocks.
We thought Mr Kennedy’s letter might interest you, and contain some particulars which the newspapers may not have mentioned, so I hereby enclose a copy. We had quite a lucky escape, having at one moment thought of going back to Pisa rather than remain here so long. We hope soon to hear that your plans are settled, for it seems high time to be gone into one “Quartiers d’Hiver”.
With Mamie’s love and mine I am, dear Papa,
your most affectionate daughter
Rosamond