[Boston—Saturday, 5 April 1873]
Saturday April 5. Last night at a party at Mrs Hunt’s where was a brilliant collection of people of musical talent who seemed to succeed in disgusting each other. Mr Dresel accompanied Miss Liebe on the violin; the latter certainly played exquisitely, but as later in the evening she played with Theodore Chase some second rate music it was a wrong in Mr. Dresel’s eyes, the Miss Doria sang and Dr. Langmaid and Mr. Howe, and altogether two hours slipped away very pleasantly.
In the afternoon went to the North St. School where Mrs West sang so I could not be said to have been without music. It is interesting to see how much the women depend upon us in this school.
Another Coffee Room about starting in Providence. On Tuesday we had a French class, “Madame Sand.” We have been unusually quiet this week—and I have been immensely well. Jamie has nearly finished all but two lectures. He passed last Sunday with Longfellow who is about to finish a new volume.
Saturday April 5. Robert Dale Owen passed the evening here. A hale old gentleman of 71 years. “If I have anything the matter with me I do not know it” he said. “I sleep three quarters of an hour every day and wake up fresh as if it were morning”. He had known Mary Shelley! William Godwin too, her father he had known, but in his old age. He found him much less interesting than Jeremy Bentham who was also known to him at that time, the latter enjoyed wonderful health and was highly sympathetic & ready to talk. Godwin was taciturn and out of spirits. Mrs Shelley seemed to him one of the most graceful and lovely of women—what the poets wife should be ________. Jamie soon took up the conversation and talked of De Quincy delightfully reading the passage about dancing of which he is so fond—also Charles Lloyd.
