[Manchester—Monday, 18 June 1877]
June 18. Sarah came and went—meanwhile the delicious rains descended and filled our cistern but the cistern proved teacherous and silently when no one suspected it, let the water all out again, so just as we were ready to go we found we must wait for more rain.
Jamie passed yesterday afternoon with Longfellow who read him some of his finest poems J. thinks. He is 70 years old. The lovely old house was all open and they wandered through it after finishing their reading.
This morning J. went to the Printing Office; as he got out of the Cambridge cars two colored women were standing waiting for the next car. “That’s a fine looking gentleman” said one of them as he passed. Hearing the remark he turned took off his hat and gave them a low serio-comic salutation. A shout of negro laughter filled the street, he said.
