[Manchester—Saturday, 18 July 1874]
Saturday 18. Arose before 5 and left both of us in the earliest train for Boston to accompany the Children’s Excursion—Mrs Diaz, dear woman, went with us. We had some unruly boys to manage. “If you speak to them in a low tone it will be all right,” she said and she never failed to induce obedience. We heard queer use of English—one boy said he was Grub-struck as we waited for dinner and his hunger grew.
The girls were pretty amiable. The weather was fine and the day really a success. Mr. Moore our neighbor farmer also uses queer English. Speaking of a friend of his he said “I tell you Sir he was a noble warrior in time of peace”, of another—“he swore so as to make the hair of a decent wicked man stand on end”.
Judge Thomas is a neighbour this summer. He passed an hour with J.T.F. a day or two ago. J. is busied over his lecture upon Rufus Choate—a beautiful address already as it stands and one which is much needed. Choate was a towering creature and our people should not forget his greatness and his sincerity. It is very petty to allow any failures to blind us to his great nature which did not, could not fail to interest and move the minds of men to higher issues.
