[Boston—Monday, 19 October 1868]
Oct 19. The weeks spin away so fast I have no time for records and yet last Sunday & Monday we had two pleasant parties, especially Monday after Mr. Emerson’s first lecture. We were 14 at supper—Mrs Putnam and Miss Oakey among the guests, but the Emersons who are always pleased and always full of kindliness, enjoyment and Christianity, I believe give more pleasure than they receive whenever they are entertained. Edward is full of his grape-culture in Milton, Ellen full of good works, Mrs Emerson very hot against her brother’s opponents Morton and those who take sides with him now that Morton himself is in the earth-mould first. Mr. Emerson alive and alert on all topics, talked openly of the untruthfulness of the Peabodys, of the beauty of Charles Auchester, of Mr. Alcott’s school, of Dana’s politics as superior perhaps to Butler and yet not altogether sound & worthy conservatism being so deep in his blood.
Tuesday we drove our friends to Milton Blue hill after the Emersons had gone—returned to dine & Selwyn’s theatre in the evening. Herman Merivale was of the party—son of Thackeray’s friend.
The Stephens went on Wednesday.
Thursday we dined in Milton with Mrs Silsbee; it was a wet nasty day.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday we were quietly enough here, Jamie with a fearful cold. Surely all this is unimportant enough as regards ourselves but I like to remember when Mr. Emerson came and what he said and how he looked for it is a pure benediction to see him and I honor and love him.
Tonight is his second lecture, except for the words, that the “one moment of ripeness which we know is what we shall be in eternity,” as the sequence to his talk about the ten minutes perfect life of a pear in the orchard, I did not find much in his first lecture which came up to himself.
Talked long with Harriet Stephen about Katie Dickens Collins. She is her best friend & told me many things shedding side lights of Dickens’s character & home—of course intensely interesting to us who love him so much. We hear nothing from him lately but that his readings are beginning again, and this from the papers.
