[Boston—Tuesday, 5 January 1864]
January 5. Interested in a new life of Michael Angelo Buonarotti with exquisite heads of artists written by Herford of Oxford.
Mr Emerson came today to see J.T.F. He says Mr Blake who holds the letters of Thoreau in his hands is a terribly conscientious man “a man who would even return a borrowed umbrella.” He became acquainted with Blake when he was connected with theological matters “and he believed wholly in me at that time but one day he met Thoreau and he never came to my house afterwards. His conscientousness is equaled perhaps by that of George Bradford who accompanied us once to hear Mr Webster speak. There was an immense crowd. Mr Bradford became separated from the party and was swept into a capital place within the lines. When he found himself well ensconced in front of the speaker he turned about and saw us and with a look of great concern said, I have no ticket for this place and I can’t stay. We besought him not to be so foolish as to give up the place but nothing would tempt him to keep it.”
He was in fine mood.
A note came from Longfellow saying he had received a sad note from Hawthorne. “I wish we could have a little dinner for him,” he says, “of two sad authors and two jolly publishers—nobody else.”
