The little Consul has just been here to see me and we have had a long talk and I got back at him.
He told me he had seen the Franco-German war as a correspondent of The Tribune and I asked him if he had ever met another correspondent of The Tribune at that time a German student named Hans who cabled the story of the battle of Gravellote and who Archibald Forbes says was the first correspondent to use the cable.

The Consul who looks like William D.
Howells wriggled around in his chair and said "I guess you mean me but I was not a German student, I was born and raised in Philadelphia and Forbes got my name wrong, it is Hance." So then I got up and shook hands with him in my turn and told him I had always wanted to meet that correspondent and did not expect to do so in Cardenas, on the coast of Cuba.
Thank you all for your letters.

I am glad you liked the Jameson book.
I thought you knew I was a F.R.

G.S.

It was George Curzon proposed me and as he is a gold medallist of the Society it was easy getting in.
Lots of love.
DICK.
Richard returned to New York from Cuba in February, 1897, but the following month started for Florence to pay me a long-promised visit.
On his way he stopped for a few days in London and Paris.
ABASSADE DES ETATS-UNIS 59 Rue Galilee, Paris, April 1st, 1897.
DEAR FAMILY: I got over here to-day after the heaviest weather I ever tackled on this channel.