Diary of Annie Adams Fields

Monday. Read Matthew Arnold on Heine—but chiefly read the woodlands.

Tuesday. Walked 4 or 5 miles over a perfect hillside—as beautiful as Eden. Sucked up new strength from the brown old earth. Began Thoreau’s letters.

Wednesday. Arose at ½ past 4. Met Silver on the road gathering “Indian Wickanny” he said for a sick man. We were prepared to dislike Silver whom we had previously thought well of having heard he was a “Copperhead” but he is kind as was soon known.

Thursday. Woods vocal with the thrush. Mists clinging to the mountain sides. Walked up on Durgin’s Hill for the first time in our lives.

Friday. Read the larger portion of the 1st Vol. of Robertson’s life. A sad suffering man, bowed not alone with his own griefs but he suffered as keenly for others, and died daily.

June 13. Weather wondrous. Arose at ¼ before 5—the hills were spread with dew and the world alive. Yesterday we drove to Cook’s Hill in the afternoon and saw the most beautiful mountain effect we have known upon our return. The mountains lay in dark blue upon the clear yellow west—the...

June 15. East wind, cloudy cold & storm approaching. Drove round Willey’s Secret. Are continuously reminded of Wordsworth. The pastoral character of the country is so novel & beautiful in our experience.

July 5. At home. Yesterday was one of the most exquisite most exultant days of our lives. We could hear the chiming bells and the hurrying feet from our quiet retreat out of which I did not venture all day not being quite well and knowing Jamie would report to me. Dear Emma Stebbins’ statue of...

July 6. Longfellow amused Jamie much yesterday with talk about his youth and gave him a description of the first poem he ever wrote called “The Battle of Lovell’s Pond” and of his having it printed in the Portland paper. That same evening he was invited to Judge Mellen’s to meet his son...

Sunday July 9 [sic]. Passed Friday in Concord. Called at the Emersons but were disappointed to find them all in town, Jamie particularly who wished to tell him that his new essay on Character is not suited to the magazine. Ordinary readers would not understand him and would consider it...

Saturday July 8. The moonlight was more beautiful than I ever remember before. Jamie and I walked in the commons alone for hours.

Brilliant cool Sunday. Mr Bartol preached excellently—“a time to kill & a time to heal”. Read Life of Horace Mann.

Forceythe Willson came to tea. It was an event indeed. A man of sensitive humanities through which the immortal shines and struggles & burns. He affects me like a wild Tennyson, being like him in fundamentals, as to appearance, constitution; and all except what may be most properly termed...

July 15. Yesterday Mrs Hawthorne completed her two days visit here and Mr Emerson came with Julian to dine in the afternoon. Mr E. said he would like to admit Mr Thoreau’s poem to the Maiden in the East partly because it was written of Mrs Watson—Miss Russell—and would please her partly...

July 16. Sunday. Day cool and exquisite. All the day musing with J. by the sea. We met our good friends the Darrahs thereby in the afternoon.

July 17. Rainy muggy morning, celestial evening.

July 18. Jamie stayed down. Walked in the pines in the morning. He had a severe head ache in the afternoon. Discovered a delicate fern which was fragrant in the woods. Read the 6 books of Plotinus.

July 19. Commencement at Cambridge.

July 20. Phi Beta Jamie went out with Mr Baker who came to deliver the poem from Pa. Mr B. has known Andrew Johnson and fears his severe measures. He says he is not a man to forget the kind of suffering he has endured. While he was Gov. of Tennessee the Rebels entered his house early one morning...

Friday 21. Warm but breezy & delightful early morning walk. Plotinus, Dante, a little writing.

Saturday. In my dreams last night the music of Dante verses returned to me and I saw a woman bring music out of a strange shell instrument. Commemoration yesterday at Harvard for her young dead heroes!

Saturday July 28 [sic]. Jamie stayed in town until late for the club dinner where he saw the Marquis de Chambrun in addition to the other interesting club members. The marquis married the daughter of M. de Candolle whose mother was the daughter of Lafayette. His interest in our country is...

August [sic] 31. Found tall yellow Gerardia in bloom. The millet is perfect in its beauty in Mrs Cobb’s garden. Heard the “Phoebe” bird among the trees.

August 2. Jamie in town—walked to Manchester with Mary Dodge in the afternoon.

August 3. Warm. Ticknor & Fields have removed from their old corner.