Diary of Annie Adams Fields

Friday. Nov. 13th A whole week since I have been able to touch this sheet.

Saturday. Beautiful weather. Mr. Parton left and we went to see the lovely Siddons play Rosalind in the evening at the Museum. She was beautiful and sweet, not powerful in any sense, but bewitching and Shakspearian. She has a few little tricks of consciousness (she could hardly be human at her...

Sunday, anniversary of our Wedding! Glorious weather. We sat together watching the sunset on the bay till it faded into night—a thread-like moon was in the west and dusky clouds threw smoke-like shadows upon the orange surface of the water.

Monday—another perfect day. Mr. Emerson lectured in the evening upon Greatness, chiefly, heroic scholars and men of heroic thought which has been the Seed Grain of the world. His quotations and illustrations appeared inexhaustible. His old & prime favorites, Thomas Taylor, Napoleon, Duperron...

Tuesday night we all went to rest early.

Wednesday Jamie went to a great dinner at Mr. Gardner Brewer’s on Beacon St. in honor of Mr. Motley. There were about 24 guests and such splendor of glass & knives and forks, pictures and things to eat could not probably be seen in any country except it might be in some royal or ducal circles....

Nov 19. We had a family dinner in honor of our own wedding day. Mother looked well and we were all very happy together.

Saturday 21. To my dismay, for the moment, Lissie Bartol stood at the door when it was opened this morning. Over nine thousand miles of sea she has come back swiftly and safely.

Monday. Wrote Sainte Beuve after reading his article on Ampére in the Revue, then went to walk & make visits. Found Adelaide Phillipps the delightful contralto singer, an excellent woman. She was able to give me good news of dear Lissie who was most kind to her in Paris. Also found Mrs Dorr, a...

Tuesday. A brilliant night. There is a sloop just setting sail towards the west—the moon is in the sky.

Thursday Nov 26. Thanksgiving Day. Dine with L.

Day after Thanksgiving. Good dinner at L’s. J. and I came to the conclusion after breakfast that few people could count their intimate friends among their own relatives and that family parties always were and always must be, trying things.

Saturday Nov. 30 [sic]. Meeting of the Saturday Club. G.W. Curtis was J’s guest. Motley was there & Emerson. It was lively and interesting. About ½ past 6 I heard a sound of reading and going down stairs found Dr. Holmes, Curtis & Lowell with J. They were full of wit and jollity. We went in...

Dec 1st Dined with Kate Field and her mother at the St. James Hotel last night. Much talk of acting and actors beginning with the lovely Mrs S. Siddons crude but ambitious and ending with Dickens. It was the first anniversary of his first reading in America. Afterward K.F. read us 3 remarkable...

Dec. 2. Have read Browning’s new poem—the longest single poem, I believe, from a noted hand, in the English language. It is obscene, dirty, unpoetic. He has slain himself.

Dec. 3. Wonderfully quiet days. Long walks (not in the country alas! which would be real refreshment, nevertheless, walks) under cold but lovely skies and still evenings over books. The best time we have had since our return. We dream of England which means chiefly seeing Dickens again. We did...

Monday Dec. 7th Walked to Roxbury yesterday on the fresh light snow with Dear J. and heard Dr. Putnam give one of his clear strong pleas for the right. He seemed as plain as Paul or Dante. Surely no one else that we know of living has such power; his style is simplicity itself. Read...

Dec. 8. Reading Auerbach’s story “Auf der Höhe” in German. It is a lovely story: full of “sweetness & light.” I know few to compare with it in beauty, glamour and purposefulness. I only wish I knew German better. My conscience gets in my way horribly and makes me look out wards. My...

Dec. 9. Cold, blowing—as I went out of my chamber this morning “Blow blow thou winter wind” went singing through my brain.

Dec. 10. Dinner company yesterday, Lucy Larcom, Mr. Clark, Osgood, Anthony & wife & Aldrich & wife. A merry time. Aldrich declared that Dickens had put us by name into the “New Uncommercial”; we declared it was impossible and bet against him, a large turkey. We waited impatiently for Patrick...

Saturday. Dec. 12. Bitter weather! But we are only too comfortable indoors; and tomorrow we have another dinner-party. I find quite enough to do just now and Jamie also. I can do no writing, but manage to get a little reading done every day—which is an immense refreshment. “Gail” and Mrs...

Mon: Dec. 14. Geo. W. Curtis, Gay, the artist, Miss Felton & Mr. Howells dined with us. A bright happy time which seemed to do them all good. They were immensely delighted with some flower-adornments, the vases for which Mr. Dickens sent me from England.

Saty Dec. 19. What a week! Fair going, giving, struggling through dust and wind. Jamie’s great success at the Thursday Club with his paper about Dickens, a party, one or two rapid but heart-cheering encounters with friends, all too short—and the days have gone.

Sunday—snow falling at last. Found Jamie had collected $100 yesterday for Miss Felton industrial school so went with it at once to Cambridge. The sky was bright, the air cold but invigorating. Dr. Holmes came into J’s office while I was there—“Come to bring some good news.” “Ah, what...

Monday Decr 28. Not one word in this vastly important volume for more than a week. Xmas went off gloriously and did not quite carry us with it although the fatigue did not wear away until today. Every kind of pleasant companies in the week of remembrances from friends and the rejoicing of...