[Boston—Wednesday, 4 December 1867]
Wednesday. Dr Holmes & Governor Musgrave were added to the above company, with the exception of Julian in the morning at breakfast. Dr Holmes has seldom been more delightful—so courteous & kind—so full of conversation and deference.
He described the pleasure he bought, (too cheaply to call it a good or a virtue) by giving cents to small children at the door of the hospital where he lectures daily. He described the little circle, until we could see their bright expectant faces.
He interested us deeply by saying how poor a character was shown by that man or woman who was forever saying, “if I had so, or so”—instead of saying “As I have so and so”—which is the only true way to accept our destiny and make the most of circumstance. He paid devoted tributes to good women, for whose qualities he said he never could feel a sufficiently deep reverence. They were capable of action from such utterly disinterested motives, in a way wh. seemed impossible for men to conceive. He sat talking with Mrs Hawthorne, Rose, Miss Dodge & I until near half past eleven.
A broken day—but full of broken light very sweet and kindly—yet no gayety can make sorrow seem other than the larger portion (in one sense) of our best experience. I went to see Mrs Andrew and found her the picture of disconsolate widow-hood. True to our human nature she was glad to talk of other things than her grief so I told her about Dickens & she was glad to hear.
Jamie dined with Dickens & they went to Selwyn’s theatre afterward. The acting was bad enough but the gayety of the house pleased him. He had been giving imitations and acting pantomime all the evening until they were choked & convulsed with laughter. Especially he gave a deaf man in the pit of the theatre making his nephew tell him what the man in blue & the woman in red were saying. J. could hardly get to sleep afterward for he began to tell me of these queer things & they seemed to have no end. His recollections of old Rogers were peculiarly queer.
