[Boston—Sunday, 18 March 1877]
Sunday March 18th Reading Harriet Martineau’s life, a grand heroic book, on the whole remarkably free of pettiness considering that she was a human being like ourselves and the effect which is always produced by great crises of plunging us down into abysses afterward. Her life was full of struggle and considering her great popularity and the vast amount of literary labor she achieved, her poverty was something very sad. She is far from complaining, indeed she is too proud to receive a pension but when we remember the strain required by such work as hers and of the value it has been to the world, I feel it a disgrace that conscientious literary labor should be forever so illy repaid.
Friday night Mr. & Mrs Aldrich, Mr. & Mrs Anthony and Miss Doria dined with us. Afterward came dear Jessie Cochrane’s pretty concert for our poor people.
Mr. Fields went to the Brunswick Hotel to a reception in behalf of the Old South Fund where he read a poem by Longfellow.
Heavy snow-storm today which would allow me to stay at home if I were not thinking of poor mother.
