[Manchester—Tuesday, 5 August 1879]
Longfellow came August 5 and stayed a part of three days. He was pleased with everything and said we must read Schiller’s poem of The Ring of Polycrates to understand how he felt! He read us from the book of his memory a few lines in hexameter of the first book of Homer. He believes it may be translated more perfectly into this form and who knows? I dared not ask him because it is not a question to be asked, but I believe he will leave this work behind him if he may not like to print it.
