[Boston—Friday, 9 October 1863]
October 9. Went at eleven o clock to pass the morning with Mrs Silsbee. She showed us many beautiful things; among the rest a marble group of a weak-faced woman with her foot upon the back of a powerful man—it might be called Virtue and Vice she said if one could tell which was which.
Mrs Frémont and her daughter came in to lunch. They were full of fresh-air health, and strength. They live for hours together out upon the rocks at Nahant although Mrs F. said there is no one there “under the age of 70 years”.
She said Starr King was the statesman and governor of California—could we only know the details of the half million of dollars which he collected for the Sanitary! The way in which he made rich men ashamed of themselves and forced them to give! She thinks the Kings would enjoy a visit to Boston again, but he would not be happy to live here. It would be like putting a plant back into a pot after having taken it once out, and allowed it to enjoy a year in the open fields!
She likes Mr Davis very much. The Misses Dewey returned after lunch. Miss Lily was clad in a red cloak and red in her hat. Her mother said she looked like a young maple tree which was true. How free and western and noble is Mrs Frémont.
