[Boston—Thursday, 18 July 1867]
Thursday. Arose at 5 and worked in my garden until breakfast then it was time to dress for Phi Beta at Cambridge. We drove out leaving home at nine o clock. We expected Professor Andrew D. White to go with us but he called still earlier to say he had been summoned to a business meeting by Prest Hill. The day was soft and pleasant with a clouded sky. We were among the first on the ground but we had the pleasure of waiting a few moments to see our friends arrive before we were admitted to the church. Only ladies went in. I went with Mrs Quincy, the poet’s wife (poet for the day, for he is apt to disclaim this title usually) and we found good places in the gallery by and by however Mrs Dana beckoned to me to come & sit with them so I changed my seat to a place on the lower floor. It was an impressive sight to see those men come in (though they kept us waiting until 12 o’clock) Lowell, Emerson, Dana, Hale, and all the good brave men we have with few exceptions.
First came Quincy’s poem, then Mr Emerson’s address—both excellent after the manner of the men. Poor Mr E’s mss. was in inextricable confusion and in spite of the chivalry of E.E. Hale who hunted up a cushion that he might see better the whole matter seemed at first out of joint in the reader’s eyes. However that may have been it was far from out of joint in our eyes being noble in aim and influence, magnetic, imaginative. I felt grateful that I had lived till that moment and as if I might come home to live and work better. Thank heaven for such a master! He was evidently put out and angry with himself for his disorder and taking Mr Fields arm as he came from the assembly, had to be somewhat re-assured that it was not an utter failure.
Mrs Dana tried to carry me to lunch, most kindly, I could not make up my mind to go anywhere after what I had heard but for a moment to see if the good James’s were well and thence homeward. It seemed if I could ever work it must be then.
At ½ past 6 Jamie returned from the dinner where J.R. Lowell presided in the most elegant and brilliant manner. In calling out Agassiz he told the story of the sailor who was swallowed by a whale & finding time rather heavy on his hands thought he would inscribe his name on the bridge of bone above his head but looking for a place jack-knife in hand he found that Jonah was before him—so he said, Agassiz was able to be before others in the researchers of our day etc. And of Holmes he said that the Professor & himself were like two buckets in a well when one of them presided at a dinner the other made it a point to bring a poem, when one bucket came up full the other went down empty.-- And so on through all—Phillips Brooks the distinguished preacher of Philadelphia was there and many other men of note.
In the evening the Aldrich’s came to see us. He is witty & we laughed to hear him describe how badly he was treated by their only servant while his wife was away. How she hid all the silver expecting him to help himself with the same spoon he ate with and took away his appetite by bringing him cream in a tumbler for his coffee.
