Clara Barton
General Coresspondence
"Y" MiscellanyTell Robt. Seymour that I left directions
by his friend & also by the
persons in charge of the Waverly to have
him come immediately to the depot.  I
found that as I had determined on
going that there was no use in delaying.
At the rate I am going I shall be
able to see Paris in about a year.
My feet are so sore & lame that it is
about as well to get some one to
run around & make notes while I sit
in my room & with a little imagination
picture them out in full
Yours as ever
Yard

[*M Sterling Yard
ansd Sep 14 1869*]

[*12*]
Paris,
Hotel Des Capucines
Sunday Sept. 12th
8 PM. [*1870*]?
My Dear Clara Barton:
I am here and thankful
that you have not been
obliged to go through last nights
experience of second class passengers.
It was frightful to the timid, disgusting
to the nerved, piggish to
all.  Let me say that all who
went into the mean, contemptible
hole set apart for 2ds were huddled
together like sheep in a storm,
& rather than enjoy human Cascades
I went on the deck of the
Taft, --& got completely soaked, spoiled
my good coat, waited wet at Calais
from 1 15 to 6 1/2 AM. rode in the
beat of a train until 2 30 P.M.
--was taken to the Grand Hotelbecause the Cab man was a fool,
& I did not care where I went
so that I could feel decent - At
the office of that immense piece
of elegance, I discovered that the
clerk couldn't speak English, though
I tried to hammer into him the
fact that he did, if he only tried.
He couldn't so I took the reins in
my own hand. Came here, & after
ten minutes of a mixture of the
bad English on my part, & the Gods
only know how much good, bad
& indifferent French & motions
of ones arm & the d  knows
what, I succeeded in getting
into a room large enough to
accommodate a husband &
three wifes with seventeen small
children.  The price is expected,
on my calculation to be the same.
   I am not mad--but feel that
I am an ass.  Not being able
from appearances, to stand the

press.  I shall endeavor to get
in somewhere else, As usual
I will lose a day.
   Now for advice.  Don't come
as second on that night line.
I dont know how it might
be in day line.  The first cabin
or class reached here at 1 am we
arrived here at after 2 PM
   I really cannot advise what
to do.  The house I am in is in
an elegant neighborhood.  It is
the very first class neighborhood
for hotels, yet this house does not
rate like the Grand Hotel, & what 
the actual charges are I cannot
say, nor can I make them understand
me.  In the meantime I
will look for lodgings, & if found
advise you at once.  You can send
me a note addressed to Grand
Hotel des Capucines, Paris