[Boston—Wednesday, 30 March 1870]

March 30th Last week was one of much company. A dinner Wednesday Evening. Genl Quincy, E.E. Hale, E.P. Whipple, the Justin McCarthys (4). I had asked also Mr. Godkin of N.Y. & the Rockwells & Mr. & Mrs Josiah Quincy. The latter had a family dinner of their own that day, the former were engaged. Saturday night—Mrs Kellogg & her daughter, the singer, Amelia Holmes, and Louisa’s family. Sunday Waterstons and Miss Phillips. Fechter would have been here also but for illness. He is in town. Went to see him last night in the Duke’s Motto in wh. he is wonderful. It is the very play of wh. Mr. Dickens gave us such a humorous account. F. wished him to adapt it (John Brougham did it at last) and went thro’ the plot in such a rapid manner with a baby made of a pillow, wh. he snatched up from the couch in dear C.D.’s room that it was perfectly impossible to understand a word English & French getting into such an inextricable medley.

Mr. Fechter lunched here again. Fast Day with the good Waterstons, Miss Field & her mother, & Mr. Woodman speaking of making speeches after acting he said, “No I cannot do it. If I had tried to speak after that Saturday when I was so applauded I should have burst into tears. No, No, I can only make a fool of myself.” He is really modest in his desire not to talk of himself and a gentleman in his manners and deportment. Everybody feels at home with him at once. Everybody of a sympathetic nature, though Jamie & I confess ourselves to have lived too far away from stage life and education to feel ourselves at once in harmony with him. I think our feeling for him grows however.


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