Diary of Annie Adams Fields

Sunday 6th Anne Whitney here. Read and talked together all day. Enjoyed it all. At evening drove in sunset and moonlight to Magnolia and back to hear Mr. Ames the preacher. Saw a lovely old quaker lady Rachel Jackson and many pleasant faces—Mrs Lesley among them.

Monday. Glorious day. Anne Whitney left us.

Tuesday. Came Mr. Clarke. J. and he went yachting with Mr & Mrs Boardman—Mr & Mrs Bristow of the party.

Wednesday. Mr. Clarke and J. went about the country in the wagon. I was chiefly occupied with company.

Thursday, ditto—weather of the best. Mabel Burnett came with her children.

Friday. We drove to Danvers to see Mr. Whittier. Found him in a beautiful place, a lovely country seat planted by a Mr. Lander with exquisite trees and purchased by his cousins the Misses Johnson who have kept school in Boston.

Saturday. Read Daniel Deronda aloud.

Sunday—James R. Lowell passed the morning here. Mr. Clarke preached in the afternoon. We took tea at the Danas—and drove home just about ten with the shooting stars around us. It was a day full of tender friendship. Mabel told me of her probably fatal illness.

Monday—Mabel and the children left us at ten o’clock—Mr. Clarke & Mr. Fields returned at night when we talked spiritualism until our German Anna who had never heard the like before started and screamed at her own shadow.

Tuesday—Dog-day and fog—unspeakable beauty in the afternoon.

Wednesday. Passed the morning with Mr. Clarke. He left us at 2 P.M.

Thursday August 17th An overclouded sky, threatening rain. Walked in the fields—invited company to hear Mrs Lander read. The rain began to pour in torrents about the time we were expecting our friends so only five came, but Mrs Lander brought a fine dramatization of the Scarlet Letter and read...

Friday. Mrs Lander left early. The Governor and his Suite called upon us, returning from a review at Magnolia. Jamie & I walked together alone and Anna read Iphigenia with me in the evening.

Saturday. The beautiful mists and cooler atmosphere show us that summer is on the wing. It was too damp to sit out this morning.

Sunday. A quiet rainy day. Mr. Bartol is to preach. We have no visitors except Anna. Most lame & impotent discourse—we were hoping for the Buddhist blessing of patience for those who listen to preachers of small sense—certainly we waited in vain for another.

Monday—cool glorious day. Jamie went to town. We continued with our German.

Tuesday. Blowing rather hard but extremely beautiful.

Wednesday 23. Was so fine a day as to single itself out as a peerless beauty. Jamie said to Mr. Bartol who took him out in his boat “I hope we shall have a succession of such days.”

Thursday 24. A visit yesterday from the Dana girls. One of them has found an old mss. diary kept by a young British officer during the Revolution of 1776. She has devoted her summer to looking up facts about it and a new historical link will be found in it.

Friday 25. Took tea at Mrs Towne’s. Jamie forgot he had invited Mr. Brigham. We had no sooner gone than he arrived and past [sic] the evening all by himself!! Happily we returned at nine o’clock. He was a bit chagrined but recovered before he left the next morning. He does not speak German...

Saturday. Lovely morning, a foreshadowing of autumn in the mists which hang about us.

Sunday 27. Jamie preached, reading one of R. Collyer’s discourses beside a poem by Whittier and a few words of his own. Hall full, beautiful day. We drove afterward on to the Dr’s land. Read a lecture by Fichte at night.

Monday 28. Exquisite day again. Jamie gone to town. Drove through the Essex woods alone together, the first time we have been able to do so this summer. The clear sweet air cool but like crystal was delicious.

Tuesday August 29. Aunt Harriet came. Past [sic] the morning out as usual. The rest of the day entertaining her and reading “Pandora” a little with Anna in the afternoon.

Wednesday. Day devoted to company. Rachel Jackson, the old quaker and her daughter and grandson dined with us. The old lady is one of the directors of Swathmore College. Mr. Gilbert passed the morning with us discoursing on theatrical and literary matters. He is always most gentle, agreeable and...