in spite of the tragedy the party did not return home cortland wrote a ' sad letter ' about the whole affair to his wife and sons , and explained that they had hired a 'lovely italian woman ' who took better care of antha than bertha , poor child , had ever managed to do this italian woman , who was in her thirties at the time , was named maria magdalene gabnelli , and she returned with the family and was antha 's nurse until the girl was nine years old .