[Boston—Monday, 16 July 1866]
Monday July 16th Came to Manchester. The day was excessively warm, the thermometers ranging from 90° to 100° in the shade. I packed by slow degrees and then enjoyed a rest with the western breeze blowing in while I looked over Mr Laugel’s pleasant book. There was little life in the air however and we left town warm enough but soon the cool sea-breezes came with their reviving touch of east wind and new instincts awakened in us. We are all of us more sensitive than the musical instruments which are stowed away with such care to keep them from the changes of the atmosphere, and although we may not suffer ourselves to get out of tune it is very certain we get out of time, that is the pendulum of the brain swings slowly and we hear the mysteries of earth floating past while we slumber like the incapable weed upon the surface of existence; yet perhaps more wisdom is poured upon us while we slumber than when our puny energies awake and strive and we perchance vainly fancy the world furthered by our deeds.
We cannot understand the delightful refreshment of this change—warm as it was in town on Tuesday Jamie stayed down and we walked to “The Cliff” in the morning and lay for an hour on the rock under the Cedar. The tender veil of mist which in the earlier hours had been a thick fog lifted and passed into the distance—the ships shone from within it like opaline wings,—their heavy hulls being entirely shrouded while the rocky heights out in ocean rested like the shadowy islands Ulysses passed, with their brown feet silently silvered at times by the swelling fringe of the blue sea.
The night was starry and moonlit—too warm for the house we sat in the little apple-orchard watching the reflections of the moon on the quiet cove.
We have had an artist here for a few days Swain Gifford by name. He is certainly industrious if one may judge by what he has done here within a week—his sketches are good though somewhat realistic and lacking in suggestion for the imagination. He has also some knowledge of music and the airs he has played upon a violin he was good enough and brave enough to borrow in the neighborhood, have given us pleasure.
The artists left and the rent of our small guest room began Wednesday July 18.
