Letter from Charlotte Cushman to the Fields family, May 23, 1860

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[page 1] Dear friends
Your sweet & welcome letter of the 13". reached our hands only yesterday morning. we were prevented from leaving Rome on the 13" as we expected by the illness of our dear artist. who was confined to the bed for a week with abscess in her jaw. she was prevented from eating drinking or sleeping for a week & I can assure you it pulled her down very much. we thus missed the boat of the 13" purposing to take the direct boat of Wednesday 16"--to reach Paris on the 18" at the latest. " Man proposes & " women are disappointed. on Tuesday 15" came a telegram saying there would be no direct boat on +++ of the Napoletan Government

[page 2] sending it with troops to Sicily. Thus we had to take the boat which stops at +++ +++ & Marseilles. This boat was crammed. Great as we fancied ourselves in Rome--we found one +++ on that boat. having achieved the +++ of lying on a mattrass [sic] on the floor for thee nights. not taking off our clothes from Wednesday morning to Sunday night. on Monday morning more dead than alive, we found a packet of letters waiting for us. among them yours: which gave us infinite pleasure. first that there should be a chance of our catching you in London & second that you want us to be with you-- but--I hear that the Sargoods [?] are expecting us to stay with them. something was said about it long ago. but I did not know I was expected--if I am--we must go them. this I shall learn in the course of a few days. & then if not too late I will write

[page 3] & ask your help in the way of lodgings Meanwhile I may as well tell you what we should want in case we should have to telegraph you that we want rooms a sitting room--one double bedded room & two single bedded rooms. If there can be but one single room. I must manage to let my nephew sleep elsewhere--but him I should prefer to have you him [inserted] with me. Will you learn if such accommodation can be had on Tuesday night. at your house in case I want it. of which I will give you timely information. Meanwhile my young chicks. The crows. bear you this note. They will like to see M^r Fields to ask him something about an apartment. in your house or some where near where you are. They wish to go to the Isle of Wight to return on Saturday nights. Will Mr Fields help their movements for my sake—Goodbye for the present! Emma Crow will tell you how we are. but she cannot tell you how much we wish to see you or

[page 4] how anxiously we look forward to the pleasure. We will see "the picture", of which I have heard so much. & many other delights. in +++ short sojourn which loom pleasantly. our Even my our [inserted] kind love to "Jamie" whose pleasant +++ we took off one hat to at Madam +++ this morning. +++ indeed ended somebody will go to the +++ - & be very happy to be taken up again by such truly good clever people. I shall be so glad to show him "our [?] Emma"--God bless you both. believe me Ever your attached
Charlotte Cushman