[Boston—Saturday, 2 March 1867]
Saturday March 2. Walked out in the morning, the air Spring-like in the afternoon received Mrs Chapman one of the Weston sisters and mother of Mrs Auguste Laugel. Even in her declining years the eyes of this lady would out-shine those of ball-room belles. She has been beautiful as morning and even now something of the freshness of the hour of the dew hangs about the healthy roses of her cheeks. She is a grandmother and has been passing much of the winter in New York playing with her grandchildren on the floor. “Believing I may be something to them, but feeling sure they can be much to me”! Her life has been an eventful one as she was one of the first women to espouse the anti-slavery cause in this country. All her ability which is great all her spirit and heart were given to the cause.
In the year 1848 she first opened a salon in Paris. She soon became acquainted with M. Amperé and many of the most distinguished men and women of that period and her career both at home and abroad has been that of a noble and able woman. The marriage of her daughter to M. Laugel was a pure love match & perhaps not one she would have chosen in her motherly solicitude looking at the affair from a purely worldly point of view but it has been a singularly happy union and although they were obliged to begin life very modestly and have never been wealthy people M. Laugel has made for himself a high place in the esteem and regard of all who know him. He is now secretary to the Duc D’Aumale and of course should there be a change of dynasty he would be high in power—they are too wise to anticipate this however but he has written many books & made a good position for himself in literature.
