Diary of Annie Adams Fields

Monday 19. How the days will go! After a glorious morning yesterday, rain settled down. We did some talking on the piazza after meals, but I was terribly restive under these long wasteful sessions of talk. I cannot reconcile myself to them at all. I enjoy having our friends around us immensely,...

July 20. Mrs Diaz came yesterday. Lively sweet and earnest as ever. She is a blessing to any house. Another sweet day—quiet and clear.

July 21. Another fine day. Mr. James Freeman Clarke came yesterday. Also Mrs Baker with Colonel Eytinge & Mr. Porter called in the afternoon and Mr. R.H. Dana Jr., his daughter and niece. We were just reading Mrs Kemble’s Autobiography when they arrived and only the faces of friends could have...

July 22. Mrs Winkley and her daughter arrived yesterday. Lovely people as the world can send. They sang all together in the evening. Mr. Clarke told admirable stories. In the afternoon went to Eagle head and saw Mrs Towne & her family. Ernest Longfellow and his wife called here, Mr. & Mrs...

July 23. A heavy rain. Mr. Clarke went yesterday and Miss E.S. Phelps came. In the evening she read us a noble lecture she has just written upon George Eliot. Having been appointed Professor at the Boston University she has written four lectures on this topic.

July 24. Yesterday a hard rain. Miss Phelps read us two more of her G.E. lectures, one in the morning and one in the evening. They are fine subtle pieces of analysis but she has no delivery. I think she cannot be understood from the desk.

25. Sunday. Miss Phelps and Mr. Lehmann. Burlingames came in the evening to hear Miss Phelps last beautiful lecture on George Eliot. It was very high and fine; we were all delighted.

26. Monday. House empty. Jamie and I dined alone, the first time for two or three weeks. John Gilbert passed the morning here and his niece and a friend came in the afternoon. Jamie read Tennyson last night after the lecture. It was beautiful to hear. Today for the first time he has found quiet...

27. The warmest day of the year—beautiful shower almost without warning or thunder save at a great distance. Wrote quite a long poem during my walk this morning. Came home to answer letters, read Life of Macready and pass a quiet early afternoon with my darling who read to me Mahaffy’s book...

28. Rained a little in the morning but not too much for a walk. The clearing up was wondrous. J. continued the reading of Mahaffy’s Greece in the afternoon on the piazza aloud and then drove down to see Mr. Dana Sr. and ask him to come here. Mr. Foote called with 3 children, Mr. & Mrs Ringe...

29. Glorious dawn. Mr. Monti came at noon. He passed the day before with Longfellow; left him well once more. Mr. Procter, wife & daughter called & Miss Sohier—also in the morning just as I had sat down at my desk came Mrs Wadsworth and Miss Goodwin from Beverly.

Saturday—July 31. Mr. Monti and Mr. Fields gone to town. M. will not return—beautiful summer day. Mrs Leonowens arrived at night.

Sunday. Perfect day. Went with our guests to the tree where Mrs Leonowens gave us a beautiful Sanscrit poem. Mrs Lodge and Mrs Greenwood called, also Mr Clarke and children formerly of Osgood.

Monday. Mrs Silsbee has gone—soft clouded day. Mrs Leonowens & I enjoyed the quiet together. Richard H. Dana Jr came to get a newspaper. Servants all gone or going. This seems the only drawback to the luxury of living here that servants do not like it—the solitude & silence seem to weigh...

Tuesday August 3. A fine N.E. storm. Ocean tempestuous. Mrs Leonowens our only guest. Yesterday we walked out together after reading German poems. In the evening dear “J.” read us his Cowper lecture. Very beautiful— Just as we were seated, dear J and I, for an hour of quiet reading, a...

Wednesday August 4. Mist and heat & thunder. Lovely effects of sea and shore. Mrs Lang left us just after dinner. Mrs Lodge and Mrs Howe came to tea. Expected Mrs Bell & Mrs Pratt who did not appear, probably on account of the uncertain weather. Mrs Leonowens was very interesting. Every day she...

Thursday. Rain, rain, rain, thick mist and rain. It would almost seem as if the deluge had returned. The sea roars.

Friday. Glorious day. Jamie in town. Mr. Bartol called & Mrs  L. told him the story from Ramayana of the king who had lost his wife and had no child. In deep sadness he ploughed his field when Suddenly the earth was fashi[o]ned into a beautiful woman—as he gazed upon her he lost his...

Saturday morning wrapt in thick fog—much like that of my mind for I can’t remember an excellent saying Mrs Lesly gave us from Dr. Bence Jones about wearisome diversions. I will hunt it up. Taylor showed us Matthison’s exquisite poem of Adelaide to which Beethoven’s music was written. Mrs...

Sunday. Mrs Leonowens had scarcely left her room yesterday when Mr. Whittier came, to fill it. The evening was balmy and beautiful but we sat chiefly inside. All except Mr. Whittier went to the umbrella tree this morning, in the afternoon had a lovely time listening to talk and hearing Bayard...

Monday August 8 [sic]. Glorious day. Mrs Leonowens capped a marvellous day yesterday by coming in the evening from Mrs Clarke’s where she was passing the day. Taylor read German poems to us and she recited from the Sanscrit, giving exquisite translations. Dana and Bartol came in the P.M.

Tuesday. A perfect morning. Mr. James gave us a marvellous brush of fun and frolic yesterday when he arrived. They are both well and delighted with everything.

Wednesday. Mr. & Mrs James have gone today. Mr. James was brilliant and sympathetic from the moment of his arrival. They are devotedly attached to each other. Mrs James still quite a beautiful woman.

Thursday August 12. Mrs Lodge passed yesterday here talking over plans for the poor in the winter to come. I sent to N.Y. for Miss Hill’s pamphlet as collected by Miss Schuyler, so we had a basis. Mr. James had much to say upon “following our genius”: his hatred for spiritual teachers, so...

Friday. Glorious day. “J” gone to drive—not in walking mood I remain at home, listening to the sea and at work & Burlingames passed the evening.