Diary of Annie Adams Fields

Nov. 21. A wonderfully lovely lonely rainy day. The flood gates of heaven opened and the grey mists from ocean rolled up over us unceasingly. Nobody but the post boy came near me until Jamie came back at 5 o’clk. What a lively friend the post-boy often proves to be unwittingly and today he...

Nov. 24. Letters from our sister in Florence. Between the offer of marriage from England, her studio, and her desire of coming home the poor child is perplexed. How hard it is for women to work in this world, they are made to love, to sympathize, to console, to labor for others, but only when...

Saturday—alone all day—walked under a heavy grey sky about six miles through the country. All was still as if listening for the coming rain; it was not cold though a chilly wind arose and blew the sea-mist against me on my return. The birds sang gently as if far away. They seemed to be...

Sunday. Cool. We took our suburban walk today in sunlight and with the sunshine of dear companionship. Mr William R. Alger called in the afternoon looking many years younger, and like a much happier man, than when he went to Europe. He saw the three men he most desired. Martineau, Matthew Arnold...

Monday. Went to see Edith Forbes in her pretty new cottage at Milton. She showed us Col. Lowell’s field-glasses.

Tuesday. Out making visits and doing business 3 hours and a half—too tired to do anything when I returned. Two precious days. Alas!

Wednesday. Sewing Circle (which I went several miles for but could not find the house) & calls filled the morning. Louisa & Mr Beal & the children came to dine and passed the early evening—too tired for much after they went.

Thursday. Morning heard Jamie read Willson’s new poems. He read “Horsa,” tempus memorabile!

Friday. Began to think of book notice of Sir Joshua Reynolds—nice rainy morning the Aldrichs’ wedding day.

Saturday. Mrs Hawthorne to lunch. Jamie went to a fine dinner at Mr Schlesinger’s to meet Mr Benzon. Wendell Phillips, Longfellow, & Holmes were there. He came home with the two latter.

Sunday. Soft and clouded. I could have walked out into the country—but we did have a good sermon and service of good brother Bartol and afterward called on the happy Aldrichs. Dear little people! They had not their carpet yet but she said, they were just as happy without one! Launt Thompson &...

Monday. A pale white mist from the sea with a low soft wind.

Tuesday morning clear and beautiful. Jamie often says he would like to keep some account of the people who come in to him begging. Their grounds for making a demand are sometimes truly laughable. Yesterday a man came in snivelling to say that the last thing his daughter did before her death was...

December 6. Wonderful pellucid sunshine—no winter yet—let us give thanks for this.

7th Thanksgiving. Snowing hard although the stars hung out of heaven last night as if to assure us of their continued lustre—they are still lustrous indeed but veiled to us for a time. May our sight be purified to see them and God’s sun through all clouds.

Dec 12. Warm sunshine mist and damp. In the house all the morning.

Dec. 20. How the days have sped away and without one word here to record them. I hope it is better so. Bayard Taylor made us a pleasant visit and we had a delightful dinner (at least it was so to me and I believe to others during his stay) we were nine at table all poets—Mrs Aldrich & myself...

Christmas Day warm and fair—the tree a grand success—about 30 children and 20 grown folks. Mother danced the “country dance” and seemed wonderfully well. Jamie was Santa Claus.

Dec 28. Heard Mozart’s symphony in G. minor and a “Chaconne” of Bach by Dresel and Carl Rosa at the Music Hall—exquisite.

Dec. 29. Snowing but mild. The distance clouded and full of meaning. Met T.S.A. when walking yesterday he had just left a medium. He looks worn and old and is serious under all his fun.

Jan. 2d 1866. Yesterday was a dull raining day in Boston but pleasant things happened, cheery and kindly things as they always will on New Year’s Day as if to assure us that the solemn tolling of the passing bell of the year should not mean tears altogether for us but love and immortal joys...

Wednesday. Dined with the Grahams and went to see Booth upon the occasion of his re-appearance. The unmoved sadness of the young man and the unceasing plaudits of the house, half filled with his friends were impressive and made it an occasion not to be forgotten.

Thursday. Saw friends & pictures all day—home in the evening.

Friday ditto. Jamie ill with cold.

Saturday. At home with J. until time for dinner at Mr Blodgett’s where Botina with her sweet kind manner & a few others came to meet us. Mr B. owns a real Rosa Bonheur, Fichel, Couture, Meissonier, Bouguereau, Merle, Boughton, Church, Kensett, Durand, besides many other fine pictures.