Milan: Pope's Funeral. Last Minute Sightseeing, and Consula Notice

Helen and I went to the Duomo to the service in honor of the dead Pope. The church was draped in black – the music was fine. Cardinal [blank] was there and preached from a pulpit hung with red. There was a large crowd. We stood on chairs for over an hour then left while the cardinal was preaching.

Went to Thomas Cooks, found out about trains. We shall have to leave at 7 A.M. and go 2nd class as the next train does not start till 1.15 for change at Boulogne [Bologna] and do not get in till nearly or after midnight – so many trains have been taken off. We paid for the trunks Helen’s and Florence’s and ordered them sent to the station at S.P.W. Monday. Then it will cost us 29 + for 2nd class as against 19+ 3rd class. Went to White Star office. They offer Canopic at 475 lire first class four in an outside room. 52 pounds for two in a room.

We had our usual lunch and started out to find Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. It was beautiful. Then we looked around the cloisters and the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie* and walked to the Castello**. We did not go into it for it began to thunder and we hurried home and got in just as it began to pour.

Found in coming back a notice to Americans about transportation from Genoa. I got mad at Helen over it and jumped at her three times and stamped my foot and acted like a crazy fool and she behaved very well. I was tired and I think the succession of thunderstorms (one almost every day) got on my nerves. Made 3 copies of the consular notice and sent one to Mrs. Oudesluys in Cortina and one to Mrs. Tanner in Lauerine and one “express” to Florence in Florence to see if it might change her plans and asked her to telegraph answer. Helen and I went way to the post office to mail it.

*Famous church in Milan which is the location of the Last Supper.
**Castello Sforzesco - a Renaissance castle in Milan with large art holdings.

Milan: Consul's Advice and Making Plans

Miss Anna Horsey said she was going to Genoa and would personally mail my letters given to her in an America-going steamer so I wrote to both Margaret and Alfred telling them I expected to go back to America. Miss H. left at noon today.

Helen went out soon after nine and did not return till after one. I had a letter and two postals from Florence. She said the consul advised everyone to go to America and that she went to see what she could do. $110 was the cheapest rate and that means steerage so she had had the co. wire for berths. She herself does not want to sail for Boston but for New York. Her ear bothers her again and she is going to Rome next week. She is very undecided and does not like to take the responsibility of deciding for other people.

I went to the consul’s office after I read the letters. He said the bank ought to pay me the whole of any check since it must have been deposited after August 4th. He said the bank should have paid Florence 10 per cent instead of 5 - as it was the Royal Command. The consul said we had nothing to fear if we decided to remain on in Italy only prices would probably go up and it might be very hard to get money. On the whole his advice was to go back to America.

Got back to the house and Helen wasn’t here so started lunch. She soon came back and I read her the letters and we decided to go on to Florence so I wrote to F.B.H. and told her we would leave here Monday or Tuesday and to wait for us.

Lay down awhile then got ready and Helen and I went out on the top of a double decker car to Monza* – beautiful ride. Saw the chapel where the king was assassinated – the royal palace, then the cathedral which was most most interesting. Had a lovely ride home. Had our dinner in a café near the Porta di Venezia. The dinner was poor but the surroundings were most interesting.

*Monza is 15 km. from Milan. On the evening of 29 July 1900, King Umberto I of Italy was assassinated in Monza by the anarchist Gaetano Bresci.

Death of Pope

The Pope is dead. Late in starting from the fact that I did not sleep well and I am tired. Helen had a poor night. I was in with her after midnight and fixed her peppermint and hot water. Finally got off about 11 and left the milk bottle. Saw some splendid peaches in the street. Thought Alfred would want me to have them so bought them and then our usual supplies of milk eggs and rolls and came back to the house.

Found a telegram from F.B.H. saying, “Consul advises sailing on Canopic* Sept. 10th - Am booking places.” Well I was struck off of a heap and felt old and discouraged and all my ambition gone. I don’t want to go back for I shall never come again. Read it to Helen. – She is half pleased to go. We went out together and went to the Scala Theatre and saw behind the scenes and to the Council Chamber in the Palazzo Marini. Mailed home letters. Went into Duomo - then home to lunch. Then I had Italian lesson, very good one and then I went out tram riding. Took the Circum?? at Porta Venezia and went all around then took car the wrong way and had another ride. Had a note from the Oudesluys. They are still at Cortina. Also a letter to Florence which I forwarded. It had been sent on from Amherst. We had a nice dinner here in the house – soup, roast beef, and stewed peaches – I read all the stories in the volume I have of Conon Doyle’s around the fire. Most of them are gruesome.

*S.S. Canopic of the White Star Line

Boats to America

Did not get an early start – so I persuaded Helen to go off to the park while I stayed home and mended and wrote to Alfred to send him birthday greetings. Miss Horsey came in and I chatted with her awhile. She is a cousin of Chief Justice White* and a Catholic but very nice for all that.
Helen came in about one bringing the provisions and we had lunch. On the kitchen table I spied a postal for me from Florence saying two Italian boats were to sail from Naples. Aug. 22 and 25th and that Americans in Florence were advised to go by one of those – also that transports for 8000 were being sent over by the U.S. and wanting to know what I wanted to do. Miss Anna Horsey had a letter from Mr. Jones, the Am. Consul at Geneva, saying that the Am. Transports would be here in two weeks.
I don’t want to return to America, but I would prefer to go in a transport. I wrote to Florence at once telling her what Miss Horsey had told me. Then I had my Italian lesson. I feel I am improving. Then I went to Cook’s and met Helen and Miss H. and we took two nice trolley rides in new parts of the city and then went to the Orologia and had dinner and the waiter overcharged on everything and I made him take most of it off. Then we went into the Galleria and met Miss Horsey and we had ices and listened to the music. Came home at 10 – I found the outside door locked and had a time opening it.
Finished my letter to Alfred and wrote this. The paper tonight said the poor old pope** is dying.
*Edward Douglass White, Chief Justice, 1910-1921.
**Pope Pius X died on Aug. 20, 1914.

In Milan, Visit to the Brera & War Worries

Tried to read the Italian newspaper while I was eating b’fast, but there were too many words to look up that I couldn’t very well.
Helen went to the French Consul’s with a Miss Horsey, the new boarder, while I went to the Brera Gallery which I very much enjoyed, especially the fore-shortened Pieta by Andrea Mantegna, the most powerful picture I think I ever saw. I also especially liked the Dance of Cupids by Franc [Francesco] Albani. I was so impressed by the Pieta that before I left, I went back through all the rooms to see it again. I was there almost two hours and a half.
Came back and found Helen here. She said the French Consul said you could go into France all right, but he was not sure you could cross the Channel. We had a nice lunch, scrambled eggs in my little pans. It was late when we had the dishes washed – so I looked over my Italian paper till 4 when I took my lesson. I can see I improve even with so little study. Then Helen and Miss H. went to interview the Am. Consul, but I had a waist re. soaking in the washbowl – I washed them out – and intended to go in the train around the city, but I felt tired and stayed at home and mended instead.
We had dinner here – we were promised soup – which we had and roast-beef which turned out to be a pot-roast. Talked awhile after dinner. Then went into my room and went on with my sewing. Helen read me aloud a short story of Conan Doyle.
I had a letter from F.B.H. She says Dr. G. wants us all to go to the Mts. He thinks Italy will be drawn into the war and that conditions will soon improve. F. is having a new blue silk dress made. A nice letter from Hazel telling about little John and one from Hortense Oudesleys written Aug. 4 from Cortina. Said the war had broken out and advising me not to come. I hope they are all right.

Shopping and Eating

We went out about eleven and bought some little things we needed. I bought the materials for a boudoir cap and an aluminum pan to scramble eggs – and Helen bought blacking* and braid. We wandered around the streets gazing in the windows, and finally came back for lunch about one. Then the wood alcohol gave out and I started to find some and went to six stores before I got it. A man started to give me some thick brown stuff which proved to be varnish. We had a nice lunch – eggs, milk, rolls, and I had a melon and cake besides. Then I took my daily lesson in reading the newspaper from Mr. Betham. Then Helen and I went out and took a long walk in a new direction following Via Torino. It was very interesting. We went into several old churches – came back to the Cooperative Ristorante and had a good dinner for 2 francs a piece. Then we went home and found a new boarder, a Miss Horsey from Washington. She has an engagement Nov. 1st in Washington and she is crazy to get back on the first boat going. She is very pessimistic about the situation. I suppose I ought to be and perhaps don’t realize the danger, but I am entirely enjoying myself very well. I began a letter to Alfred this morning.
We had a curious dessert – a kind of egg nog whipped up with white wine – very good. It is called Zabalione. [zabaglione]
* shoe polish

English Church, and sight seeing,

I got so excited studying last night that I didn’t sleep last night very well, so it was late before I got started.

I went to the English church. There was no minister but they had a lay service and I liked it very much. It was slow and reverent. It was dark and began to rain before I got home. Then Helen came in; she had been to the Brera gallery.

I cleaned the spots of my white dress and Helen cleaned hers. Then we had our usual lunch of eggs, milk, rolls, and fruit and cake. I lay down and slept nearly two hours. It rained at intervals all day, and sometimes poured. About 6, we started to take the train that goes around the city. We went ¾ of the way around when it began to lighten and to rain hard so we got out of the car and went upon the Porta Venezia, and stayed there until the storm broke – then we took No. 26 train back to Via Brera – there we went to the Cooperative restaurant upstairs and found it crowded. No meat was left but roast veal so we left and went down stairs and had dinner in the restaurant below where we sat in the Vittorio Emmanuelle and watched the crowds.

Came back about 10 – Did not take a lesson today because it was Sunday. Read a column of the paper with difficulty.