Petersburg。HereMr。Curtinandpartyremained，hebeingourMinisteratthatcourt;alsoFredGrantleftustovisithisauntatCopenhagen。ColonelAudenriedandIthencompletedthetourofinteriorEurope，takinginWarsaw，Berlin，Vienna，Switzerland，France，England，Scotland，andIreland，embarkingforhomeinthegoodsteamerBaltic，Saturday，September7，1872，reachingWashington，D。C。，September22d。Irefrainfromdwellingonthistrip，becauseitwouldswellthischapterbeyoudmypurpose。
WhenIregainedmyofficeIfoundmattersunchangedsincemydeparture，theSecretaryofWarexercisingallthefunctionsofcommanderin—chief，andIdeterminedtoallowthingstoruntotheirnecessaryconclusion。In1873mydaughterMinniealsomadeatriptoEurope，andIresolvedassoonasshereturnedthatIwouldsimplymovebacktoSt。LouistoexecutemyofficethereasbestI
could。ButIwasembarrassedbybeingthepossessorofalargepieceofpropertyinWashingtononIStreet，nearthecornerofThird，whichIcouldatthetimeneithersellnorgiveaway。ItcameintomypossessionasagiftfromfriendsinNewYorkandBoston，whohadpurchaseditofGeneralGrantandtransferredtomeatthepriceof$65，000。
Thehousewasverylarge，costlytolight，heat，andmaintain，andCongresshadreducedmypayfourorfivethousanddollarsayear，sothatIwasgraduallybeingimpoverished。Taxes，too，grewannually，fromaboutfourhundreddollarsayeartofifteenhundred，besidesallsortsofspecialtaxes。
Findingmyselfcaughtinadilemma，Iaddedanewhall，andmadeoutofittwohouses，oneofwhichIoccupied，andtheotherI