[Manchester—Saturday, 17 July 1875]
July 17. After a glorious rain yesterday we read Browning’s “last adventure” aloud and amused ourselves on the veranda all day with the water quietly falling upon the thirsty earth. Mr & Mrs Stevens, our neighbors, called in the evening. Have begun the re-reading of Chaucer, also “for take up work” Macready’s most interesting life. For the next six weeks our house will be filled with guests—after that we shall have the luxury of staying by ourselves—both are luxuries, for I can imagine no greater pleasure than this of giving to those who long for it the power to breathe our delicious atmosphere.
Robert Carter says he “believes Julian Hawthorne to be the coming man—” He comes in such a questionable shape, says J.
