[Boston—Monday, 9 June 1873]

June 9th Dickens’s death day. Sent flowers to two Coffee Rooms and to the North End Mission. Went to the latter with Dear J. in the evening where we did our best to amuse the poor unhappy inmates. There are but eleven at present because they are getting the refuge in order out of town. They do not like to keep so many shut up together in town. There was one very pretty girl—American—who sent a message by a police man beseeching the Mission friends to take her out of the horrible abode into which she had fallen.

Mrs Hemenway dropped in, in the morning to ask us to go to hear the story of a Southern Clergyman who was devoting his life to the education of the poor white children of good family whose fortunes were annihilated by the war—as we sat round Mrs H’s sumptuous lunch-table I could not help thinking what a contrast Mr. Porter (that was the clergyman’s name) must see between that and the terrible scenes he was depicting. The war has graven deep lines of suffering upon his face. He needs help for his school. I wonder where we shall find it for him—afterward I went to Mr. J.F. Clarke’s church to rehearse for “Miranda” in the Tempest which I am to read this evening to help get money for the Children’s Festival.

3 Quaker ladies and one gentleman came to see our library and pictures at noon time.

Bade mother goodbye for the summer.


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