Resting in Florence

Did not sleep at all well. At 5:40 a black cat crawled up in the window sill and cried. I tried to send her off but she wouldn’t go. Then we had a thunderstorm and heavy rain and I let the cat in.

Florence and I talked all the morning about everything and in the afternoon, Helen came in and we talked a lot more and had afternoon tea. Didn’t have any dinner as I had a little fever (100). Fortunately I had carried the fever tablets that Dr. Cogswell had given me in Amherst, so I took those and I kept awake till eleven so as to get the three doses in.

I had a nice letter from Hazel containing two pictures of John and also one from Florence.

I finished Eleanor* by Mrs. Humphrey Ward. I am beginning Diana Mallory** by the same author. I think I have read it before. Manisty in Eleanor is just like Tommy,*** I think.


Helen brought me some delicious strawberries. I do not dare to write to the children for fear of giving them the infection.

*Eleanor published in 1900
**The Testing of Diana Mallory published in 1908, a strong anti-Suffrage book. Mrs. Humphry Ward (1851-1920) was the niece of Matthew Arnold and a popular late Victorian novelist who was brought up at Oxford and whose work was marked by religious conflict.
***Tommy Sanford is her son-in-law married to her daughter, Florence.

In Florence with Florence and Helen!

Was called before six - dressed, finished packing and was off before 7:30. Miss Shakspere Wood said she hoped I would return. They were kind and I was sorry to go.

Took twenty minutes and cost 8 fr. 20 to get any trunk billed through to Florence. Got a nice seat. 2nd class by the window. An Italian family of five came in. I felt headachy and half sick.

Watched the scenery which was interesting. Very primitive methods - hardly scratch the soil with their ploughs.

Italian family went to lunch. 3 English women came in. Thought they would come to blows.

Florence and Helen* both at station to meet me. It was raining. Had to wait half an hour for my trunk.



Drove out to Pension Le Lune which seems very pleasant. I am to have a small room and pay 7 frs. a day. Helen did not come up as she is staying at the Montebello, to have her clothes fixed.

We had tea in Florence’s room and in eating a piece of zweibach. I broke off my other tooth, so that means more money and more distress but it can’t be helped.

My cold is growing worse so I shall not go down but have my dinner in my room or rather Florence’s. Had soup and whipped cream and cake. Had a hot water bottle and went to bed.

Florence came in and we talked till eleven. My cold is so stuffy, I could not sleep. Had a nice letter from Margaret** forwarded from Rome.

*An old friend, Helen Chase.
**Her daughter, Margaret Morse who is living in Amherst, MA. at this time.

Visiting the first Montessori School in San Lorenzo

Had b’fast in my room as usual. Was ready at 8:45, but the others were not and it was after nine before we started to visit the Montessori School in a poor part of the city.*



Got there a little before ten and I spent the rest of the morning there. There were over 30 children all dressed alike in pink gingham and a head teacher with assistant, both Italian. Children came up and shook hands, wrote on slate in very legible writing, drew flowers, vases, balloons, backs, and worked with different parts of the apparatus. They talked freely, but were nevertheless under much discipline and the teachers scolded them in loud voices.



Miss Patterson and Miss. Hayward left at 11. I stayed till 12:20. After they left, other children came in and teachers till there were 126 children and 10 teachers. The chairs and tables were taken out and then they tried to teach them a motion play. The teachers were so slow and so cross and spoke so very loudly while the children were models of patience, endurance. Altogether I was much disappointed. The teacher told Miss Patterson that it was the first school of its kind in point of time.

Couldn’t get a tram so walked to the T. station where I got no. 14. Lay down after lunch - also finished a letter to Percy - then went with Miss Wood to an exhibition of the best of American artists in Rome.** It was very interesting and the school and grounds are charming. Met Dr. Edmiston and his wife in the car going out. Miss Wood was invited by Mr. Thomas, a young artist from Buffalo, N.Y.

A letter from Helen which I answered at once. She says Florence seems to have very little reserve strength.

*The school, La Casa dei Bambini, was located in the San Lorenzo district. It first opened in 1907.
**”International Exhibition of Futurism” in the Galleria Futurista took place in Rome in April and May, 1914 and included American artists, but this is not necessarily what she saw.
**Or it could be the American Academy in Rome, which has a School of Fine Arts and frequent exhibits