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[81] d [Fuller in Rome in 1847–1849] Emelyn Story As soon as she heard of our arrival [in Rome, November 1847] she stretched forth a friendly, cordial hand and greeted us most warmly—she gave us great assistance in our search for convenient lodgings, and we were soon happily established near her. Our intercourse was henceforth most frequent and intimate and knew not cloud nor coldness. Daily we were much together, and daily felt more sensible of the worth and value of our friend. To me she seemed so unlike what I had known her in America that I continually said to her “how have I misjudged you—you are not at all such a person as I took you to be in America.” To this she replied, “I am not the same person, I am in many respects another. My life has new channels now and how thankful I am that I have been able to come out into larger interests —but partly, you did not know me at home in the true light.” I did not know her much personally, when in Boston, but through her friends,—who were mine also—I learned to think of her as a person on intellectual stilts, with a large share of arrogance and little sweetness of Emelyn Eldridge Story (1820–1894) married artist William Wetmore Story (1819–1895) in 1843. They had three children. Although trained in law, William went to Italy in 1847 to study sculpture, settling in Rome in 1856. Their home there on the Palazzo Barberini hosted such famous people as Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne and Robert and Elizabeth Browning. Although Fuller had been cautious of both Storys during their Boston days, they became fast friends while in Italy. Fuller considered Emelyn her “prized friend,” adding that she was on “a very cordial footing” with both: “Many Americans have shown me great and thoughtful kindness, and none more so” than the Storys (10 May 1850, 8 March 1849, 16 November 1848, Letters, 6:84, 5:200, 5: 149). Because of the “tender and generous friendship” which the Storys showed Fuller, she told Ossoli that she had left their son’s birth certificate with them and asked the Storys to take care of Angelo if the Ossolis died (5 February 1850, June 1849, Letters, 6:53, 5:236). Story’s account of Fuller’s first meeting with Ossoli should be compared to George Palmer Putnam’s account. fuller in her own time [82] temper. How unlike to this was she now,—so delicate, so simple, confiding —and affectionate,—with a true womanly heart and soul,—sensitive and generous, and what was to me a still greater surprise, possessed with broad charity that she could cover with its mantle the faults and defects of those about her. We soon became acquainted with the young Marquis Ossoli, and met him frequently at Margaret’s rooms. He appeared to be of a reserved and gentle nature, with quiet gentlemanlike manners, and there was something melancholy in the expression of his face which makes one desire to know more of him. In figure he was tall and of slender frame, dark eyes and hair and we judged that he was about thirty years of age, possibly younger. Margaret spoke of him most frankly to us and soon told us the history of her acquaintance with him which as nearly as I can recall was as follows:— She went to hear vespers—the evening soon after her first coming to Rome [spring 1847]—at St. Peter’s. She proposed to her companions, Mr and Mrs Spring, that some place should be designated where after the services they should meet, she being inclined, as was her custom always in St. Peter’s, to wander alone among the different chapels. When at length she saw that the crowd was dispersing, she returned to the place assigned but could not find her party. In some perplexity she wandered about, with her glass carefully examining each group. Presently a young man of gentlemanlike address came up to her, and begged if she were seeking any one that he might be permitted to assist her. And together they continued the search through all parts of the church. At last it became evident, beyond a doubt, that her party could no longer be there, and, as it was then quite late, the crowd all gone, they went out into the piazza to find a carriage in which she...

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