[Boston—Sunday, 11 October 1863]
Sunday Oct. 12. [sic] Went to Watertown hoping to hear Mr Weiss. He did not preach but as Jamie wished to see him about his memoir of Theodore Parker we went to the house. He did not preach because of a swollen face nor did I see him for the same reason. Mr Lyman took him to London shut him up till he had finished his book and sent him home again. He saw nothing and nobody. His summer has been a failure and he does not come home in good spirits.
A noble man must that Mr Lyman be!! I do not respect Theodore Parker the more for having had such a friend. He took a pique against Miss Cobbe because she was editing an English edition of T.P.’s works and had his edition printed in London in order to destroy her small profits from the labor and love she has bestowed. Also having made a contract with T. and F. he recalls it and breaks it sans façon.
We also went to see Celia and Levi Thaxter. She was wild as a sea-bird. We found them gathering grapes back of the house. So we went up into his eyrie overlooking an exquisite prospects and ate them there. He described the wounded rebels on the field of Gettysburg. She told us something of her own wild island.
