[Washington—Sunday, 23 March 1873]

Sunday. Not well—kept my room in the Arlington Hotel all day; obliged to refuse to see guests also and dear “J” has gone alone to dine with Sumner. I had hoped to see his house once more and to see him among his peers. There is always a doubt of course but especially in his state of health whether we may ever meet again—if not, I shall not soon forget his stately carriage at the Capitol yesterday nor the store he sets at present upon his counted friends.

He pointed out the great Avenue named Massachusetts and the School-House named after himself with a just and noble pride yesterday!

The trees are all ready to burst into leaf.

Read Bayard Taylor’s Norwegian Story “Lars”—very sweet and fine it is—just missing “an excuse for being”.

Laura Johnson fills us with new respect and regard. Her devotion to her queer nervous daughter Bessie is so perfect and so wise.

Jamie returned about 12 o’clock. There had been a gorgeous dinner. The guests were Caleb Cushing, Carl Schurz, Perley Poore, Mr. Hill, J.T.F. The service was worthy of the house of an English nobleman, the feast worthy of Lucullus. It fairly astounded J. to see Sumner eat. He of course sat at S.’s right. Not a wine, nor a dish was left untasted and even the richest pud[d]ings were taken in large quantities. I thought of poor Mrs Child and other devout admirers of this their republican(!) leader—then of Charlotte Bronte’s story of Thackeray at dinner. Some day said J. we shall take up the paper and find Sumner is no more, and it will be after one of these dinners.

The talk astounded J. utterly, unused as he is to look behind the scenes of government. Caleb Cushing, a man over 70, who appears to have the vigor of 50 called Stanton “a master of duplicity.” Caleb Cushing said Seward was the first man who introduced ungentlemanly bearing into the Cabinet. Until he came there, there was no smoking, no putting up of the feet, but always a fine courtesy and dignity of behavior was preserved.


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