Vienna Austria,
Sept. 4, 1895

Dear Father,

Your letter of Aug 12th was received here. The telegram for which you inquire was only received on ship board with great joy and I have already acknowledged both the telegram and joy. I am sorry I should seem so tardy – where can the letters be?

I must also make suitable acknowledgement of the intelligence of the death of Mr. H. Russell again for 2nd time related by you, and also mentioned by others in the mail received here today.
I’m so delighted to hear again from everybody – that means you and Nellie and Fred and Newyork, that I feel I ought to celebrate and perhaps I shall if nothing happens to prevent.

I cannot so greatly congratulate myself that you send my letters to Nellie as I should think she might be wearied with them. They are not ____ with a Samuel L Clemens wit nor guided by a Gladstonian intelligence.

Should I see any of the people mentioned I will embrace them at once, but _____ I have not even glanced at any lists or registers of names.

My stop in Dresden was the pleasantest yet and I make no reservation in saying how much you will like it when you go there. It cannot be justly compared to great cities like Berlin and Paris, but it contains some perfect pearls of Architecture – that you look at and look at and then go back and look at for an hour at a time. This is notably true of the Opera House which, smaller than the Berlin, less ornamental than the Paris, stands by itself more beautiful than either and to me to most beautiful of any building I have seen exteriorly. There is also a very unique catholic church and the museum containing the picture gallery is known as one of the most perfect works of architecture In the world. It consists of seven large pavilions irregularly placed and connected by smaller buildings nearly all the public buildings in Dresden are in the rococo style, highly ornamented in carved stone now grown old and beautiful[.] The new barracks - nearly equally ornate, has a frontage of two and a half English miles and the Imperial Palace (containing the finest collection of jewels and gems in the world which I would like to describe if I had room) is also very extensive. There are many other beautiful churches and public buildings and one quickly realizes that a whole kingdom has been taxed sapped to build them. The bridges are also very artistic – one of them in particular with bell shaped piers and many fancy towers takes the eye at once.

The picture gallery is one of the 4 finest in the world, easily surpassing those of London, Berlin, Vienna and Rome. The streets are remarkably fine, the shops tempting, and the people look as though they knew a thing or two.

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