d flower garden....

Your place (pardon _me_ as I am not a violet) could look better,
also could look worse; consequently I consider myself entitled to be
placed between hell and paradise--to have things as one wishes is an
insolvable problem--that era has not come yet.

Many people come over to the Smiling hills, some think it is not
necessary to go any farther to collect flower to make a bouquet.
With forced gentle manner I reproached some of them, ordering to
observe the rule, "vedere e non toccare." It go in force while I am
present, not so in my absence. Those that made proverbs, their names
ought to be immortal. Here for one, "When the cat is gone, the rats
dance." How much true is in the Say. Every visitor like the place
profane or not profane in artistic matter.

A glorious rain came last night to the great content of the farmers
and gardeners--others not so. While I am writing from my
Observatorio I can't see any indication of stopping. I don't think
it will rain as much as when we had the universal deluge, but if the
cause of said deluge was in order to get a better generation, it
may. I don't think the actual generation is better than it was the
anti-deluge, pardon me if you can't digest what I say. I am a
pessimist to the superlative grade, and it is not without reason
that I say so. I had sad experience with the World. Thank God for
having doted me with a generous dose of philosophic! Swimming
against the tide, not me, not such a fool I am!

Here is another pardon that I have to ask and it is to take the
liberty of decorate the Smiling hill with the American flag. La
Bandiera Stellata (note: I am not an American legally, no; to say I
renounce to my country, impossible, but I am an American by heart if
U. Sam can use me. I was not trained to be a soldier, but in matter
of shooting very seldom I fail to get a rabbit when I want it, more
so lately that a box of shells from 60 cents jumped to $1.00). As a
rule the ridents colline are very monotonous, but when I am home,
more so the Sunday, the "Marseillaise" no where is heard more than
here; no animosity against nobody; Cosmopolitan, ardent admirer of
C. Paine! The world is my country; to do good is my religion!

With fervent wishes of not having need of doctors or lawyers; with
best regards to you and family, I am