[Boston—Sunday, 8 December 1872]
Sunday Decr 8th This is the last day of Robert Collyer’s visit. He has given up his visit to Providence today for the sake of rest and recuperation. Last evening Mrs S.R. Putnam our dear friend and neighbor came in to talk over the occurrences of the last few weeks, our future political prospects, and to share our cup of tea. Her influence is like a benediction to every house she enters and I am always reminded of what Mrs Jameson said once to Barry Cornwall—“Barry you seldom say anything at dinner, but your silence is better than the talk of anybody else.” Mrs Putnam does not talk easily except when she is lighted by a great topic, but her silence, or her attempts at expression are always full of feeling and significance.
Longfellow sent us 6 bottles of wine and after them he sent a note, as he had no time to label them. Wine of Avignone, he said, and should bear this inscription from Redi
“Benedetto
Quel Claretto
Che si spilla in Avignone”
Every day this week has been spent in going from house to house hunting out the sad cases of girls thrown out of employment. With this duty, and the sketch of a plan in my mind for a class of young girls in French Literature and a shadowy glimpse of Xmas doings, my week has been filled. A visit from Charles C. Perkins last night made me rather ashamed I had not been to the Athenaeum to watch the beginnings of the Art Museum. One gentleman lost $10,000 worth of engravings in the fire and the coming Museum lost irreparably armor given by T. Bigelow Lawrence. Mr Perkins saw this armor burn. He said the mailed figures were attached by ropes to the wall and they appeared like so many bound knights, martyrs to the flames.
Horace Greeley has been busied this week with great demonst[r]ation of real feeling from the people of the country, high and low. Wendell Phillips has been lecturing, there has been glorious music and stirring Ward meetings but I have been obliged to let them all go! And a bit of a sketch of Molière and an act of L’Etourdi is all I have read! Alas! for --
