When we were poking about Italy 3 or 4 weeks ago, I was told that you were ill, but straightway saw it contradicted in a newspaper. Now comes this paragraph in Galignani, which not only shows that the contradiction was erroneous, but shows how ignorant one may be in this country about what is happening only a few hundred miles away; especially when one is buried in work & neither talks with people or often looks into a paper. We three folks are most heartily sorry to hear know that you have been ill at all, but as heartily glad to hear that you are coming happily out of it; & we are venturing to hope that by this time you are wholly restored.

We are located for the winter,—I suppose. But the children are having such a run of coughs & colds & dipththeriaⒶemendation, that I can’t tell at what moment Mrs. Clemens may take fright & flee to some kindlier climate. However, I stick hard at work & make what literary hay I can while we tarry. Our little children talk German as glibly as they do English, now, but the rest of us are mighty poor German scholars, I can tell you. Rev. Twichell (who was over here with me a while,) conceived a pretty correct average of my German. When I was talking (in my native tongue,) about some rather private matters in the hearing of some Germans one day, Twichell said, “Speak in German, Mark,—some of these people may understand English.”

Many a time, when teachers & dictionaries fail to unravel knotty paragraphs, we wish we could fly to you for succor; we even go so far as to believe you can read a German newspaper & understand it; & in moments of deep irritation I have been provoked into expressing the opinion that you are the only foreigner except God who can do that thing. I would not rob you of your food or your clothes or your umbrella, but if I caught your German out I would take it. But I don’t study any more,—I have given it up.

I & mine join in the kindest remembrances & best wishes to you & your family.