[Boston—Tuesday, 1 October 1867]
Tuesday Oct 1st Mr Emerson came to lecture. Mr Longfellow & Mr Lowell dropped in to tea and went down with us. Subject eloquence. He said “if we could only get at a man’s actual experience from his writing or his talk! More frequently the page was filled with descriptions of the supposed life of other persons.”
As a whole the lecture was popular rather than distinctively like Emerson at his best.
Longfellow, Lowell, Holmes, Wendell Phillips, Mr Macmillan, Mr & Mrs Emerson, Agassiz were at supper in the evening. Agassiz described Brazil, told of the 127 different kinds of woods he had seen growing in one half mile of Brazilian woodland—spoke of the red passion-flower among the dark green of the forest, green so dark that it is black. His book is eagerly anticipated. Macmillan is exceedingly sorry not to have it. Lowell talked of the folly of fancying Dighton rock to have a Runic inscription. He said it was carved by some indian Sam Slick.
Mrs Emerson with her beautiful eyes and warm face is always good company, vigorous in talk, individual in expression.
In the meantime I had my under current of house-keeping. Good Irish Marcella who came as laundress and housekeeper, waited on table and spread the supper and amused us much by her interested way of winking at us & whispering to know one thing and another, put us through well. In the middle of the supper Kate Finley arrived from Canada which made 4 servants with only room for 3. However Marcella did not get to bed till 2 at any rate so I fancy there was not much sleeping done. Catherine the chambermaid too has a dreadful cold and was perfectly green at her work so she was but little help. However “’tis good-will lands intelligence” so we weathered the gale handsomely.
