[Boston—Friday, 9 November 1866]
Friday. Weather warmer. Indian Summer; went down town early finding it difficult to study, too much Ristori alas! Mrs Stowe was in Mr Fields room full of stories for her new book wh. she intends calling “Old Times in Natick.” Uncle “Flyakim” who could always be found by standing still in one spot was one of her chief favorites. Also the old clergyman with his fashionable wife who married him because he came next to a nobleman and noblemen being scarce in Natick—and Sam. Lawson who was ready for every body’s business except his own—the Yankee Rip Van Winkle—all these characters tickled her mightily. She said the trouble was there was so much matter—she has allowed nearly 8 months to pass without having written a word as yet. We went to Lissie’s studio together to carry some drawings by a Miss Oakey in whom she is interested.
Went to see Ristori’s Pia de Tolomei in the evening it was pure and beautiful—being R’s benefit she made a short speech and exquisitely simple as it was, her fine voice and the slight difficulty of enunciating the English words made her speech one of the most touching features of the time.
