[Manchester—Tuesday, 13 July 1875]
July 13. Last evening young Mr. Burlingame, son of our envoy to China who acquired an early fame in public life and died just as he reached the top of the ladder, came with his wife and daughter and sister to take tea with us. He is a man who knows how to work. He is but 27 years old but already has made a place for himself. He is one of the men engaged on the new edition of the American Encyclopedia beside having lately published Wagner’s musical autobiography and essays in translation. I should fear he might easily overwork himself as indeed he has already done once in his life in spite of the strength of youth.
“Everybody” calls our house pretty and indeed, indeed it is so. But prettiness will be an impertinence if it comes between us and the great light of nature—and the rest we find among “green growing things”—
