[Rockford—Thursday, 14 October 1875]
Thursday. Oct 14. Left Rockford soon after noon and came to Madison—capital of Wisconsin—before dark.
Mrs Ole Bull sent a kind note to the station urging us to pass the night at her house. Unhappily we must leave at midnight after the lecture. We have only had time to look about the place and rejoice in its lovely situation. It is one of the clearest, cleanest, and most beautiful of western cities. The college has four hundred students, half men & half women and the State House, which stands in the Square opposite our hotel, is like a small Greek temple surrounded with fine trees. Longfellow was the lecture.
Mrs Ole Bull & Mrs Colt of Milwaukee called. We went to Mrs B’s after the lecture. She is a lovely creature of highly excitable temperament—a musician by nature. She played to us with great feeling & beauty of touch.
