[Boston—Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, 29, 30 September, 1 October 1867]
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Judge Russell entertained them delightfully at the School Ship on Sunday while I arranged the flowers at church and stayed afterward wh. was more than I honestly meant to do, but I did not get through until late and the pastor came and caught me at the task. All he did was to smile and say, it was the “first part of the service” but of course I did not wish to leave after that.
Was able to catch some still hours in the afternoon. J. went to Cambridge directly after our early dinner. Longfellow had invited him to lunch there with Mr M. but he went in the afternoon instead. They walked in the lovely sunset back to town—Lowell with them part of the way. Prof. Child was there too—a man so genial and lovely that we always grieve not seeing more of him.
I have been busy enough with new servants and putting the finishing touches to the house.
Tonight Mr Emerson speaks and both he and his wife will pass the night here.
Dr Holmes dropped in last night. He recalled very pleasantly a little touch of Willis’s—they were speaking of the value of first impressions to a traveller. The first week is worth everything to him—after that the sense becomes somewhat dulled and his ideas are of less value. Willis speaks somewhere of the effect produced upon him by the sadness of Mid-London life to the poor and tells of watching a little ragged girl who was peering through an area railing into an eating house watching a man at a comfortable dinner. She saw him take a beef-steak and get all things in readiness then look round. “Now a pertaty” murmured the child.
