[Boston—Tuesday, 19 February 1867]
Tuesday. Spring-like again. Reading Seneca it is tranquillizing like the presence of a friend whose character you believe in.
Passed the evening with the good Bartols. They have had a strange experience with some old pictures which have hung for years in an upper chamber so begrimed that nobody knew they were worth anything. About a year ago and [sic] old man living in Pepper[el]l addressed Mrs Bartol a stately note saying he knew these old pictures were in existence and were worth very little, but such as they were he had a fancy to possess them and he would send some old books to the Sunday School library in exchange if she would allow him to have them. She, rather glad to be rid of what she fancied were somewhat indecent pictures (although she had never fairly seen them) sent them to Pepper[el]l by express begging him not to trouble himself to send her anything in return because as far as she knew the pictures were worthless.
The man turned out to be a perfect fox. While he was writing Mrs Bartol these letters signing himself “your friend in Christ,” he knew that those old pictures were undoubted originals by Rubens. Having succeeded in getting them in his possession he carries them to Howorth, has them cleansed and restored and auctioned as Rubens’ pictures. One gentleman offered $5,000 for them, but a branch of the family who had had the two companion pictures stolen from their possession a few years since, & seeing these advertised as belonging to the old Swarm collection, went to Howorth and laid a claim upon them. The dealer seeing there was some difficulty was hesitating to let them go when one day Lissie Bartol was stopped by a dray as she was going through Kneeland St. towards the South End and she thought she would step in to Howorth’s to see what he had new or old of interest. As soon as she saw these pictures & had asked a few questions she saw they were her mother’s. She said nothing but asked the price and flew home full of laughter to her mother. The consternation and amusement of the family can be imagined. Mr Bartol at once determined to get them back and by the payment of about 500 dollars has at length accomplished it. They hang now in the large back drawing room which they make radiant with their superb coloring.
Lissie Greene is there.
