Diary of Annie Adams Fields

Tuesday morning I rose tired but hearing Dear Mr. Whittier’s voice down stairs soon forgot that. He had come to breakfast, but as he came some time before, we had a good long talk. He expressed high regard & esteem for Robert C. Winthrop as a sincere patriot and man of ability. He thinks he...

Wednesday June 17 We have had warm muggy weather today, much more like August than like June. There is a rich thick midsummer growth of green and everything seems to say why do you stay in town.

Thursday. Gathered flowers for the Flower Mission. Call from Mrs Hunt. Went to a meeting to organize Excursions for the Poor Children.

Friday. Easterly rain! Class Day! At home all day notwithstanding.

Saturday again rainy. Letter from George Eliot (Mrs Lewes).

Sunday warm and beautiful but we neither attended church nor went out of the house until late in the afternoon. Florence Holland & her friend Miss Kennedy came to see books, pictures &c and remained 3 hours and a half! Jamie was glad to make them happy and thought the time by no means thrown...

Monday. Expected Lizzy in vain. Went to Cambridge and paid several visits. The town was leafy and beautiful, quite an ideal place to live in. Saw Memorial Hall which was in order for dedication the next day. A truly impressive sight.

Tuesday June 23. Left early in the morning for North Conway. Lizzy had not arrived—bade the women good-bye and pushed bravely off. Met Susan Hale in the cars who accompanied us as far as Portsmouth. The day was excessively sultry—no better weather at Conway, but happily we found mother...

Wednesday. 24. Grand day—took a short excursion (which lasted the morning long because of frequent stoppings) with mother and Sarah and a few of their friends whom we find here.

Thursday A.M. Dear little Willy is not very well so I play with him all the morning until eleven o’clock when I walk out with mother. The travellers have started for Mt Washington but the wind will make their trip less a pleasure than they anticipated. I find an invalid lady here of...

Friday morning. The rest of the company departed for the Glen in a large wagon, to take lunch at Glen Ellis Falls and return. Mother & I remained behind with Miss Morrill. Jamie and Boylston ascend the mountain where the wind moves but slowly compared with yesterday. They enjoy everything—come...

Saturday June 27. Warm perfect June Day. Creep about a little with mother. Poor J. finds it somewhat dull here. I amuse myself between writes observing the people. Miss Beck who is possessed with a kind of genius of the past delights me with her repertory of queer words. She said yesterday of...

Sunday 28. “J.” and I render devote[d] thanks that we have not to live in a boarding house—one room is small quarters—the plain is hot and dusty outside—the voices of men are quiet but heat and mosquitoes are abroad and dear J does not love it overmuch—but as usual he is the life of...

Monday June 29. Left Conway very early in the first glory of the day while the drops still hung on the trees. The weather was excessively warm and we were thankful to leave the hot place. The Thermometer stood at o100 at Ossipee. Soon, however, the east wind began to blow as we came towards the...

Tuesday. Warm mist over everything. Passed the morning in C.T.’s parlor. Mrs Putnam, Miss P. in a beautiful white dress and coral ornaments, Mrs Greene, Mr. Weiss, Miss Parkman, Miss Burnett—Miss Greene—each of their names must call up a picture for the future. Mrs Putnam discoursed of...

Wednesday. Again in the parlor where Celia read Browning during the morning. It was charmingly done. Mrs Putnam and Mrs Greene questioned the manners & morals but she continued to give the various pictures strongly enough contrasted, till the day had gone. Mrs Putnam & Georgina went away after...

Friday. One of the little ladies here of 17 years has adopted me for her “grandmother” a title we have laughingly assumed. Josephine Burnett is her name—a sweet little woman in ill health unhappily like so many of the girls we see.

July 12 Manchester. Yesterday (Sat. 11) we came here. The weather was very very warm and we came for the second time in a thunder-shower although last year it was June. We found Mrs Dame our landlady very ill-disposed to receive us as her only maid a kind of adopted child Mary, a good little...

Monday morning. The fog bell still rings—a long solitary walk among wet roses.

Tuesday. Mrs Darrah came to return our visit & to bid us farewell. She goes with her sister to Highgate near Canada to be treated for Rheumatic tendencies. She seemed sad but better in feeling.

Wednesday—the weather is warm and clear at last—beautiful soft summer weather—a fresh breeze comes in from the sea and the little alley of fog which I see from my window is inviting to hens & cocks if not to human feet this midsummer weather. All is peaceful and sweet save the spirit of...

Thursday P.M. This day began with fervid heat, but rain soon followed, no rapid shower, but a good long afternoon rain with occasional thunder & lightning. This is a strange season indeed.

Saturday 18. Arose before 5 and left both of us in the earliest train for Boston to accompany the Children’s Excursion—Mrs Diaz, dear woman, went with us. We had some unruly boys to manage. “If you speak to them in a low tone it will be all right,” she said and she never failed to induce...

Sunday. Perfect day—sat out of doors with J all day and inspected the site of our house—our future house. It is indeed a chosen spot.

Manchester, Mass. Mrs Dame’s. We are in the first stage or perhaps the second of the sad scandal against Henry Ward Beecher. It looked terribly dark for him at one time just after Tilton’s paper was published but he will come out and shine again before the Laws of men. The same day, this...