AT SAN REMO 235 



things, whilst the young Augusta ("Star"), born 

 twenty -one years after her eldest brother, added 

 much gaiety and brightness to the travellers. He 

 stayed first at Cannes, but San Remo was our head- 

 quarters. A letter thence to our eldest daughter, 

 Mrs. H. C. Shann, shows how much he enjoyed the 

 place and surroundings, and how keenly alive he 

 remained all through his illness to general interests. 



Hotel Royal, San Remo, 

 January 3, 1899. 



My dearest Mary — Here I am sitting by the wide-open 

 window, with a brilliant hot sun shining in, its power greatly 

 increased by the dazzling reflection from a wide expanse of sea 

 which our high-up rooms command. It really seems as if 

 winter (two days of overcast and windy weather) was over and 

 full summer set in again, but of course we cannot altogether 

 expect this, and know that when the sun goes down into the sea 

 amid gloriously coloured clouds, as is usually the case, a keen, 

 crisp feeling (which I like, though it does not suit the pulmonary 

 weak people) will pervade the air. That it never can be really 

 cold here (however much people complain of it) is proved by the 

 wonderful out-of-doors vegetation, trees, shrubs, and flowers, and 

 fruit, the beauty of which is quite beyond my expectation. I 

 should explain that this is due, at all events at the time of year, 

 to the careful gardening, so much having been done of late years 

 to introduce so many kinds of exotic plants, palms, india-rubber 

 trees, pepper trees, eucalyptus, mimosa, aloes, yuccas, prickly- 

 pears, oranges, lemons, and numbers of others, the names of 

 which I do not know at present, which must have greatly 

 changed and beautified the place to what it was thirty years ago. 

 The gardens round some of the hotels and private villas are like 

 visions of Paradise. I have many letters to thank you for, 

 especially the last long one of Christmas Day with the " Holy 

 Family" almanac. It is pleasant to hear of all the kind and 

 useful presents you have had, and of all your Christmas doings, 



