Thursday, 13 June 1861
X4
Unwell all day ― boles shut up. ― Ate next to nothing & at 9 P.M. became better, tho’ the strain is at times painful.
Drew a little at times all day ― out of the window, & penning out. Slept: moaned. ― The past is the past ― the present seems nonsense, & the future darkness.
At 4.30 table d’hôte. Major Stover of Corfu days next me.
At 6 went to the Railroad & wasted till 7 The past is the past ― the present seems nonsense, & the future darkness. when the Leghorn train came in ―― no George.
Waited on till the last train at 8 ― No George.
All this is vexatious ― but not as of old. I hope he is well, & Spiro better. But I think there is so much uncertainty in these far away meetings, that I incline to arranging with poor George to quit my service.
Meanwhile, I must work on at the S. Firenze view: but, a city life is always odious to me.
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]
“The past is the past ― the present seems nonsense, & the future darkness.” Lapidary description of a traveller’s feelings under diarrheal assault.