Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Readjusting to Britain
- 2 Crim. Con.
- 3 On the Road Again
- 4 Stockholm
- 5 The Second Continental Tour
- 6 Pest and Buda
- 7 A Short Break
- 8 The Third Continental Tour
- 9 Home Again
- 10 The Fourth Continental Tour
- 11 The Fifth Continental Tour
- 12 The Sixth Continental Tour
- 13 Taking a Break
- 14 The Seventh Continental Tour
- 15 Another Break
- 16 The Eighth Continental Tour
- 17 The Ninth Continental Tour
- 18 Final Acts
- 19 Postmortem
- Notes
- Selected Bibliography
- Index
16 - The Eighth Continental Tour
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 May 2021
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- Introduction
- 1 Readjusting to Britain
- 2 Crim. Con.
- 3 On the Road Again
- 4 Stockholm
- 5 The Second Continental Tour
- 6 Pest and Buda
- 7 A Short Break
- 8 The Third Continental Tour
- 9 Home Again
- 10 The Fourth Continental Tour
- 11 The Fifth Continental Tour
- 12 The Sixth Continental Tour
- 13 Taking a Break
- 14 The Seventh Continental Tour
- 15 Another Break
- 16 The Eighth Continental Tour
- 17 The Ninth Continental Tour
- 18 Final Acts
- 19 Postmortem
- Notes
- Selected Bibliography
- Index
Summary
Aldridge began his next Continental tour in November 1865, heading first to Odessa, more than a thousand miles away, where he had performed four years earlier with great success. On December 1, he sent the following letter to Amanda:
Semperkoff on the road to Odessa
My dear Amanda,
I received your last letters and I am glad to hear that you and the children are in health. I hope you received the money. I am in middling health. The travelling at present is dreadful such desperate roads and so cold and cheerless.
The English Engineer and his wife, a German who are leaving this country promised to call upon you and say they had seen me. When they do so ask them to Lunch and shew them any politeness you can. I will write when I get to my journey's end. I suppose the little stranger may be soon expected, God bless it. Keep a merry Christmas. Kiss Fred and Luranah for me. Best respects to Mademoiselle. I am glad that Simpson is to be with you, it will be less expensive and more comfortable.
Things are very indifferent in this country. The cattle plague has been very bad and trade generally, everything is dear in the extreme. I received a letter from Ira and expected one from Mr. Grist.
God bless you all,
I remain,
Affectionately yours,
Ira
The “little stranger” was the child Amanda was expecting. She was now about six months pregnant.
Aldridge wrote her again on January 2 with disturbing news:
My dear Amanda,
I have been for the last fifteen days unable to leave my room. I took cold and was very ill on the journey and on my arrival here was prostrate. I am now scarcely able to sit up but hope ere this reaches you to be enabled to resume my journey to Odessa. I do not know what the direction will do in the matter I am so much behind my time. I send you twenty pounds through Mr. Ray. I expect to find letters from you in Odessa.
I hope all are well with you. Kiss the children and I wish you all a happy New Year.
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- Information
- Ira AldridgeThe Last Years, 1855-1867, pp. 227 - 243Publisher: Boydell & BrewerPrint publication year: 2015