[Boston—Friday, 20 October 1865]
Friday Octer 20th. Passed the day with Lissie Winthrop at Dr Lewis’s in Lexington. The day was chrystalline yet stained with color. A beautiful girl rode before us in the car who attracted our admiring attention. She proved to be a daughter of Mrs Tudor of Boston and cousin of one of Dr L.’s pupils Miss Verplanck of N.Y.
There is hardly a more beautiful sight than the gymnastic class. The young girls skip like fawns and with such positive delight in their physical enjoyment that it is contagious. One child I observed especially for poverty of physical gifts was a daughter of G.T. Davis. She has eyes that shine like coals of fire. This establishment of Dr L.’s is entirely unique and Yankee women can no longer be quoted, thanks to him, as poor physical specimens. Besides his labor or his benefaction rather, is continued to the next generation. Some of the girls grow very beautiful under his hands, surely beauty belongs to the order of God’s universe.
The only unsatisfactory part of the day was a slobbery lecture upon history by Miss Peabody. Theodore D. Weld the venerable head teacher seems everything which could be desired. His white hair & kindly face win respect and love.
There was a Miss Haskell assistant of Dr L. who was the most perfect specimen of physical development I ever saw. Her healthy control both of body and (Dr L. says) of mind are marvellous. It was a pleasure to see her.
