Florence: March 15, [1853].

  ... The spring has surprised us here just as we were beginning to murmur
at the cold. Think of somebody advising me the other day not to send out
my child without a double-lined parasol! There's a precaution for March!
The sun is powerful--we are rejoicing in our Italian climate. Oh, that I
could cut out just a mantle of it to wrap myself in, and so go and see
you. Your house is dry, you say. Is the room you occupy airy as well as
warm? Because being confined to a small room, with you who are so used
to liberty and out of door life, must be depressing to the vital
energies. Do you read much? No, no, you ought not to think of the press,
of course, till you are strong. Ah--if you should get to London to see
our play, how glad I should be! We, too, talk of London, but somewhat
mistily, and not so early in the summer. Mr. and Mrs. Marsh--he is the
American Minister at Constantinople--have been staying in Florence, and
passing some evenings with us. They tempt us with an invitation to
Constantinople this summer, which would be irresistible if we had the
money for the voyage, perhaps, so perhaps it is as well that we have
not. Enough for us that we are going to Rome and to Naples, then
northward. I am busy in the meanwhile with various things, a new poem,
and revising for a third edition which is called for by the gracious
public. Robert too is busy with another book. Then I am helping to make
frocks for my child, reading Proudhon (and Swedenborg) and in deep
meditation on the nature of the rapping spirits, upon whom, I
understand, a fellow dramatist of yours, Henry Spicer (I think you once
mentioned him to me as such), has just written a book entitled, 'The
Mystery of the Age.' A happy winter it has been to me altogether. We
have had so much repose, and at the same time so much interest in life,
also I have been so well, that I shall be sorry when we go out of
harbour again with the spring breezes. We like Mr. Tennyson extremely,
and he is a constant visitor of ours: the poet's elder brother. By the
way, the new edition of the Ode on the Duke of Wellington seems to
contain wonderful strokes of improvement. Have you seen it? As to
Alexandre Dumas, Fils, I hope it is not true that he is in any scrape
from the cause you mention. He is very clever, and I have a feeling for
him for his father's sake as well as because he presents a rare instance
of intellectual heirship. Didn't I tell you of the prodigious success of
his drama of the 'Dame aux Camelias,' which ran about a hundred nights
last year, and is running again? how there were caricatures on the
boulevards, showing the public of the pit holding up umbrellas to
protect themselves from the tears rained down by the public of the
boxes? how the President of the Republic went to see, and sent a
bracelet to the first actress, and how the English newspapers called him
immoral for it? how I went to see, myself, and cried so that I was ill
for two days and how my aunt called _me_ immoral for it? I was properly
lectured, I assure you. She 'quite wondered how Mr. Browning could allow
such a thing,' not comprehending that Mr. Browning never, or scarcely
ever, does think of restraining his wife from anything she much pleases
to do. The play was too painful, that was the worst of it, but I
maintain it is a highly moral play, rightly considered, and the acting
was most certainly most exquisite on the part of all the performers. Not
that Alexandre Dumas, Fils, excels generally in morals (in his books, I
mean), but he is really a promising writer as to cleverness, and when he
has learnt a little more art he will take no low rank as a novelist.
Robert has just been reading a tale of his called 'Diane de Lys,' and
throws it down with--'You must read that, Ba--it is clever--only
outrageous as to the morals.' Just what I should expect from Alexandre
Dumas, Fils. I have a tenderness for the whole family, you see.

You don't say a word to me of Mrs. Beecher Stowe. How did her book[18]
impress you? No woman ever had such a success, such a fame; no man ever
had, in a single book. For my part I rejoice greatly in it. It is an
individual glory full of healthy influence and benediction to the world.

[_The remainder of this letter is missing_]