To Susan Sturgis de Sastre
On board R.M.S. Olympic
At sea. January 29, 1912
We expect to reach Plymouth tomorrow at about noon, after a voyage of just six days. The weather has been wintry, with winds, rain, snow, hail, and rather rough seas, and the ship has rolled merrily, like the old fashioned craft; nevertheless, size helps, for the motion is slow and majestic, and most of the passengers (I among them) have kept well and not missed a meal in the dining-room.
In New York, the one day I was there, I went out to lunch, tea, dinner, a play, a musicale in a private house, and the ball given by the Whitelaw Reids to the Duke of Connaught and his family. I was in bed, however, by half past twelve, as we stayed only a short time at each place. I saw some agreeable people, and some striking costumes and jewels.
From The Letters of George Santayana: Book Two, 1910-1920. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2001.
Location of manuscript: Alderman Library, University of Virginia at Charlottesville, VA.