Part of a collection of letters from Henry James to Dr. William W. Baldwin between 1887 and 1900 (MA 8732.1-75). This collection is part of a much larger collection of letters to Dr. Baldwin from authors, English royalty and other luminaries of the period, including Samuel Clemens, William Dean Howells, Sarah Orne Jewett, Henry Cabot Lodge, Booth Tarkington, Edith Wharton and Constance Fenimore Woolson. See MA 3564 for more information on the complete Baldwin collection.
Written from the "Grand Hotel / Rome. Sunday a.m."
Apologizing for being out of touch for so many days but saying he had heard from Mrs. Bronson that his "domestic drama had, a few days before, reached its dénoument - & that gives me courage to write to you at last - & tell you how very heartily I hope all is well with Mrs. Baldwin & everything on as good a footing as you could desire. Accept for both of you, for all three, my affectionate congratulations on the happy issue...2 other reasons I have been silent are - that, 1st, I gave up so much time to the absorbing Mrs. Benedict (a very heavy episode) that after she went away (a fortnight ago) I had ferocious arrears of private occupation to make up : & 2nd, that these very arrears have kept me from day to day, from being able, literally, till this hour, to tell you anything definite about my advent in Florence & my little visit to you. I came hither yesterday, straight, from Bologna - spending 15 minutes at the Florence station (at 6:25 pm) & having had it a little in my head to wire you to come down & meet me there. But my scruples surmounted my inclination, & I said to myself that I shld more than make up my loss in a very few days. I have come here (for 4 or 5) partly to oblige Mrs. Benedict - in relation to a matter to be settled in regard to her sister's grave; & largely just to stand beside that grave 5 minutes myself. Also I haven't been to Rome for 13 years, & this first really free chance tempted me;" asking if he will be able to stay with him for a few days when he comes to Florence; saying that he will explain to him when he sees him "...what my 1st rather ghastly five weeks in Venice were;" saying it is possible he may go to Naples for a few days which would delay his arrival in Florence but will wait to hear from him first; adding "For years & years I haven't been free to do this - & the vacation seems propitious & rather tempts me - especially if I can fall there on a hotel as reassuring (in regard to all salubrity!) as this admirable one;" asking, in a postscript, if he would be kind enough to hold the mail for him that he is having forwarded from London.