Diary of Annie Adams Fields

Tuesday morning. Somewhat fatigued. The Marigold went off brilliantly. He never read better nor was more universally applauded. Mr Emerson came down to go and passed the night here; of course we sat talking until late, he, being much surprised at the artistic perfection of the performance. It...

Feb. 27. Longfellow’s birthday. Last night Dickens went to a supper at Lowell’s & J. passed the evening with Longfellow. L’s tragedy comes on a-pace. He looks to Fechter to help him. Dickens has doubtless done much to quicken him to write. He has two nearly finished in blank-verse, both...

Sunday March 1st What a week we have had! I feel utterly weary this morning although I did start up with exceeding bravery and walked four miles just after breakfast in order to see that the flowers were right at church and to ask some people to dinner today who could not however come. The air...

Tuesday March 3d We have been laughing over the absurdity of giving each other electric shocks. I stooped to kiss J. on his forehead when a spark flew out strong enough to burn each of us a little!

Wednesday March 3d [sic]. Mr. Dickens came over last night with Messrs Osgood & Dolby to pass the evening & have a little punch & supper and a merry game with us. He was full of life and fun and kept winning the games of “Lady Nincumtwitch” in such a preternatural manner that at last we...

March 6th Mr. Dickens dined here last night without company except Messrs Dolby & Osgood & Howells. We had a very merry time. They had been to visit the Cambridge Printing Office in the afternoon and had been shown so many things that “the Chief” said he began to think he should have a...

Saturday March 7th Am reading the 2d volume of “Récit d’une Soeur.” The book is full of tenderness. It restores one’s knowledge, apt to become tarnished in the light and air of the world, that tenderness is the sweetest gift we have to give each other, the quality which makes heaven’s...

Monday March 9th For the first time since November I have come to write early in the morning at the table in the tiny room up-stairs we call “the study”. This is like Spring indeed. It has come as suddenly as winter did this season, bringing us real joy, as Spring always can. I suppose we...

Tuesday March 10th The funniest of letters from dear C.D. undergoing miseries at Syracuse N.Y. My letter there could never have reached its destination for he found a dreary hotel in which he passed a dreary lonely Sunday with a dismal thaw going on outside. This weather, beautiful as it is when...

Wednesday. River nearly freed from ice, and Spring seemingly at our doors. The change is delicious. Was out of doors three hours & a half yesterday taking out poor Mrs. Andrew. I think she will learn to live but I fear it will be by putting her grief out of sight instead of holding it, her cross...

Thursday morning—cold again, ground frozen. In search of a laundress. I think I found too much fault with ours though she was sometimes very careless nevertheless I would have kept her and said less if I had not thought she would take my reprimands kindly and improve under them; instead of...

Friday March 13th Warm and rainy. J. went to a meeting of the Thursday Club last evening where Colonel Lyman made a very brilliant & unpremeditated attack upon a carefully prepared paper by Dr. White. Colonel Lyman is beginning to win a noble place for himself among the workers and thinkers. His...

Sunday. Yesterday Saturday March 14th the first vessel went down the bay to the sea. Earlier than last year, but it seems as if Spring were here.

Monday morning. Up early to send flowers to the funeral of Lucy Larcom’s mother. Dressmaker—new washerwoman—Mother & Sarah—French-teacher—pouring rain—this is a picture of the day externally.

Wednesday night. Katy the chambermaid ill in bed 3 days, doctor each day. I have been out less than usual & miss my walks, together with dress making, French, Katie ill, and today pleasant visits from Celia Thaxter, Mrs Agassiz & Mrs Lowell the time has gone fast enough. Tonight too came a dear...

Friday. March 20th How full of small businesses these spring days are. Yesterday J. & I went to a wedding at 10 a.m. at Brookline; at one he went as pall-bearer to a funeral (that of Mrs. Rice, wife of our representative to Congress) walking in from Mt. Auburn in the afternoon. He was very...

Sunday March 22d Yesterday was the grand snow storm of the season. We were half afraid Whittier was “snow bound” again as he came to town the day before and hesitated about returning. I was not out of the house but sat to see it pile itself about the doors and windows in its own inexplicably...

Tuesday. Snow has almost gone again. The whole aspect of the sky & earth is that of advancing Spring!! We are enjoying a few quiet days before Mr. Dickens’s return and our flight to New York—in the meantime French 3 times a week, studio sittings and dressmaking advance also. The days and...

Monday March 30th We cannot understand the flight of this winter. It has fairly gone now although there are yet wreaths of snow to be found under hedges & fences or on slopes sheltered from the sun. But the mists of Spring (the morning of the year) float over the landscape and the greening of...

Tuesday March 31st Dined with Mr. Dickens at the Parker House—found him in the best of good spirits because his travelling is all over and he is within eleven readings of home. His catarrh still clings to him but he is better and will feel quite well if he can sleep—but he has no talent that...

Thursday Fast Day. Yesterday was warm as summer with a west wind. Today the easterly gusts come blowing back over us. We heard the Christmas Carol for the last time in Boston. And such a wonderful evening as it was!! We were on fire with enthousiasm and in spite of some people who went with us...

Sunday. Kate Field is staying a few days here. Ellen Emerson passed Friday night with us. Perabeau breakfasted Friday morning. Dickens was too ill to come over yesterday. He did not walk out but took a short drive instead. He has been really in a wretched state of health yet he read, Friday...

April 7th Dickens very ill yesterday. Unremitting exertion has preyed upon his strength and he does not recover his vitality after effort. We beseech him not to finish his reading although Copperfield last night was never more tragic—it was no longer “vif” as the French have it and I...

April 8th In spite of a deluge of rain last night there was a large audience to hear Dickens & Longfellow came as usual. He read with more vigor than the night before and seemed better. Afterward he asked for Kate Field to be brought out with us, into his room. She was so overcome as to scarcely...

Friday April 10th Left home at 8 o’clock in the morning, found our dearly beloved friend C.D. already awaiting us with two roses in his coat and looking as fresh as possible. It was my first ride in America in a compartment car. Mr. Dolby made the fourth in our little party and we had a table...