Diary of Annie Adams Fields

Sunday. Went to hear the Messiah with our guests in the evening. The choruses were unrivalled—probably just now they are nowhere else given so well. When the vast audience rose to the “Hallelujah” the hearts of all rose too to the Great Throne.

Monday. A party of 25 persons. Miss Adelaide Phillipps sang “Hannah binding Shoes.” Also Mr. Castelli sang, and Miss Huntington & Mrs Knox—it was a pretty party all together.

Tuesday. Wednesday we dined at Mr. Longfellow’s. The day was Spring like and the air full of the odors of fresh blossoms. Longfellow talked a little of the “Jesuitical preface” Rossetti has written to a new edition of his poems. He was the soul of sweetness and hospitality. As we came down...

Thursday. Lucy Larcom came to town. J. was kind enough to go to a party for me in the evening while we went to hear Miss Phillipps sing.

Friday. To North Street.

Saturday May 30. A long morning visit from Grace Greenwood. A sad overworked woman. Her illness takes the form of paralysis of the will—I observe that to be a common expression which the worse of illness can take. Brain trouble usually evinces itself in this way, (I believe, from observation.)...

June 1—Last night went to see the opera of Faust. The weather had been excessively warm the previous day but it was cool again & Lissie and dear J. went with me. Castelmary for whom Gounod wrote the part played admirably as Mephisto.

Saturday June 3. Excessive heat 95 & 97 degrees. In spite of which Alice Longfellow, a young friend, her noble and dearly beloved father and ourselves went to see Faust together in the afternoon.

Sunday June 4th Louise Kellogg & her mother lunched here. The latter a coarse woman, but with the cleverness of a double distilled Yankee. Her talk is one flow of continued sparkles. Louise sang very sweetly at my new piano which dear J. has given me for a birthday present. “Going to Sleep”...

Monday. Maggie my chamber maid very ill. The other maids with that feeling too common in the vulgar mind, were not eager to take care of her,—so reduced to my own resources partially, I was many times by her bed side during the day. All the week she has remained very ill and two or three queer...

Tuesday. A police man drops in telling me he has found the right man to keep my Coffee Room. Mrs Atkins comes to say her five hundred dollars is all ready, I go and discover we can have the shop, so I really trust we may have the new Eliot Street branch in a week or two.

Wednesday. Still very warm. We dine at 3 and afterward drive or walk about a little. Thinking of the Erie Railroad scamps, Jamie says the bible writes “Buy the Truth and sell it not.” The Erie men say “Buy the Truth and sell it out for a profit.”

Thursday he goes down the harbor with the Thursday Club and in the evening we go to see Charles Mathews act. Wonderful vraisemblance. The world contains nothing better. It was a hot night and I was much exhausted by sitting in the theatre until eleven but I did not think of that until afterward...

Friday. Just a year today Dickens died. Sat at home in the morning; I wrote out some of our reminiscences for Jamie to use in his papers. Went into the garden before breakfast and cut a wreath of flowers for the Coffee house. Went to my North St. school in the afternoon. Jamie did not get home...

Saturday came to Nahant to pass Sunday with Louisa & Mr. Beale. Jamie was hunted out at once on the boat and with his usual readiness to amuse others created such merriment in the retired corner I had chosen that the circle grew as we came on towards Nahant.

June 15. 1871. Was dressing somewhat hurriedly to come to breakfast at eight o’clock (having been out late the night before which could be my only excuse at this season) when I heard the bell ring and I thought at once it was probably Mr. Whittier who had come to breakfast on his way home from...

Friday 16. Longfellow came in to lunch at one. He was looking very well. I had been in town all the morning buying good things for his Nahant house. He was full of cheery talk. His bright beautiful eyes shone. Maggie was then very low. He had been to Manchester (Mr & Mrs Curtis’s) to dine the...

Saturday. One of the perfect June days. Having paid the last debts and duties to poor Maggie’s body I went out into the beautiful light of the day to leave the house undisturbed to her family. “J.” and I went about the town which was gay with the bad Colonel Fisk’s regiment and the...

Sunday. A pouring South rain—drenching the whole green world.

Monday June 19. Beautiful morning. Gardening for three hours and a half.

Tuesday Dear J. went to Portsmouth.

Saturday June 24—at Lebanon, Berkshire Co. again the rain is falling without promise of a clear day tomorrow. Yesterday as we left home the day was cool and fair but today we have come from Springfield thither in a pouring flood, driving from Pittsfield over the mountain in a carriage. Last...

Sunday morning at Lebanon. The day rose fair and strong in the perfection of June. It was a surprise too in its marvellous beauty because last night gave no promise of clearing. To be sure we are not skilled in telling the signs of the skies in a hill country. I know not if anyone can be! But...

Monday June 26. Left for Catskill.

A tedious journey all day Tuesday. Tuesday night found us at Roslyn.