Letter from CHARLES ELIOT NORTON to GEORGE PERKINS MARSH, dated August 23, 1870.
Primary tabs
My dear Mr. Marsh
I was greatly pleased to hear a few days ago from Miss Blagden that Mrs. Marsh's health had much improved during the summer. If this be really the case I beg you to accept our sincere congratulations.
Before I left Florence you gave me some hope that we might have the pleasure of
seeing you here in the course of this month or the next. I should have written to
you before this time to ask you to fix a time for coming to us, had it not been that
for some weeks past my Mother has been confined
to her chamber by a pretty sharp, though not
alarming, attack of illness. She is slowly recovering, & now sits up every
day for a short time. --
But I write today in the hope that you may be willing to oblige me by coming to
Siena, even at this time, to render us a personal service. I have received today a
conveyance deed, of a somewhat important piece of property, which must be signed by
my Mother, before a competent American official, and must be returned to America as
speedily as possible. -- Were she in her usual health she would go at once to
Florence to sign the deed in your presence there, but
as this is impossible I am
compelled to ask the favor of a visit to us from you. I trust that you would be
willing to spend at least two or three days with us,--but if this be impracticable
for you, you could by taking the early train from Florence (6.20 A.M) reach here in
time for a stay of some hours, & return by a train that reaches Florence at
nine in the evening. But I should be sorry to have you thus hurried,--and I hope, as
I have said, that you can stay longer. We should all be very glad of as long a visit
as you can make us.
With our kindest regards to Mrs. Marsh, I am
Faithfully YoursC. E. Norton.
------
Over.
I ought to express more strongly than I have done my regret at being compelled to ask a favour which may cost you so much inconvenience & trouble in my behalf. If you will have the kindness to telegraph to me in advance of your coming I will meet you at the R.R. station.