[Boston—Sunday, 11 May 1873]
Sunday May 11th Jamie at home, happy but plagued somewhat with the ague. My cook Julia who has been here 4 years went away yesterday.
Rubinstein gave a Matinée yesterday a wonder of musical genius—he played steadily and unassisted, and without notes for two hours.
Jamie found marvellous waterfalls at Lewiston. He was astonished and penetrated with their beauty. He spent the entire afternoon before the lecture gazing at them. Afterward “the man” took him to walk on a fine bridge in the moonlight. He expressed much delight over the lecture and said he much preferred it to the “ephemerial productions” they often had. He said he was probably the greatest student of Shakspeare in the State of Maine—he had seen the play of Hamlet performed 53 times!!! And he was convinced that Shakspeare understood human nature! Now take that passage where Polonius says to Hamlet “The players shall be disposed according to their desert,” and Hamlet replies “nay for who then shall escape whipping” now I want to ask you if that don’t show a knowledge of human nature in Shakspeare.
