[Boston—Wednesday, 8 April 1868]
April 8th In spite of a deluge of rain last night there was a large audience to hear Dickens & Longfellow came as usual. He read with more vigor than the night before and seemed better. Afterward he asked for Kate Field to be brought out with us, into his room. She was so overcome as to scarcely find voice. He has been obliged to give up the dinner he was to receive and at which Longfellow was to preside.
The time approaches swiftly for our flight to New York—we dread to leave home and would only do it for him, beside the pleasure must be much in the fact of trying to do something rather than in really doing anything, for I fear he will be too ill and utterly fatigued to care much about anything but rest.
