[New York City—Tuesday, 10 December 1867]
Tuesday. Saw Mrs Botta looking worn and weary, the cares of this world, if not the deceitfulness of riches, have destroyed and demolished forever much fine energy there. I don’t say this could have been prevented. I don’t understand it, for from some points of view she is certainly not a worldly woman but her early social success gave her an eating ambition for “the best society” and though she is cured perhaps of that too now her life has a colorless aspect when society in general lets her alone which is a painful sight to look upon. The very intensity which ravages our natures in this life and when that fire dies the best light has gone out and real death has come.
Saw Kate Field & her mother today. K. working away on articles for the newspapers. Their enthousiasm over Dickens was interesting. Went to the reading again in the evening and to bed. J. went up to his room. Dickens is pleased with his New York audience.
