[Boston—Monday, 9 December 1867]
Monday Dec. 9th Left home at 8 a.m. for New York. The day was clear and cold, the journey somewhat long but on the whole extremely agreeable. We only had each other to plague or amuse as the case might be and we had the new Xmas story of Dickens & Wilkie Collins (called No Thoroughfare) to read and so by sufficient attention to the peculiarities or follies or troubles of our neighbours and some forgetfulness of our own we came to the Westminster Hotel at night in capital spirits but rather frozen physically. We had scant time to dress & dine and go to the Dickens’ reading. We accomplished it nevertheless. Saw the rapturous enthousiasm, heard the “Carol” far better read than in Boston, because the applause was more ready & he felt stimulated by it. Afterward Mr D. sent for us to come to his room. He was fatigued but we sat at table with him and after a while of course he began to feel warmer so vigor returned. He brought out his jewels for us to see—a pearl Count D’Orsay once wore set with diamonds etc. laughed and talked about the way we dress and other bits of nonsense suggested by the time, all turned towards the fine light of Charles Dickens’s lovely soul and returning with a fresh gleam of beauty. We left early lest we should over fatigue him.
