Diary of Annie Adams Fields

Jan 1st 1877. Mr. Monti and Jessie Cochrane called. Mr Little sent me a beautiful bouquet. Spent a large part of the day in sending to others. Jamie went to see Dr. Langmaid again about his throat.

Jan 2. Tom Appleton called and stayed two hours, remaining over lunch. He was full of the Bensons whom he is obliged to throw over at last after having given them a great deal of money. He spoke kindly of Gay and of his gentleness.

Jan. 3. The bright cold winter weather continues. Jamie went to Hartford. Mabel Burnett called, looking very well and young and handsome. I do not yet go out.

Jan. 4. Ida came and brought me flowers, a blustering cold day.

Jan. 5. Went out—a beautiful clear winter’s day. Mrs Bartol called, Mr. J.F. Clarke, Sarah.

Jan. 6. Sat with mother. Ole Bull came with his wife to pass Sunday. Jamie dined with Mr. Longfellow, a dozen guests in the evening to tea—invited to meet Miss Maria Mitchell who was ill and did not come. Ole played exquisitely. Mr. & Mrs Claflin, Miss Pitman and her brother, Mr. & Mrs...

Sunday. Great thaw. Remained at home all day. Ole and his wife were guests.

Monday. Jan. 8. Called at Miss Whitneys with Ole and wife. A successful morning. Miss Manning was at home also. Saw a head of a child Miss Whitney did while in [illegible word] which is as beautiful as the antique fawn—an enchanting thing.

Jan. 16. Richard Dana is engaged to Miss Edith Longfellow. Mr. Dana was here this morning—he is as much pleased as the Longfellows—it is not yet out. Miss Phelps called. Miss Beedy is staying here. She spoke very pleasantly yesterday at the Woman’s Club. Every day at mother’s. Often at...

Jan. 26. The days hold so much and my pen goes in so many directions that I am too tired to write even this short record.

Saturday. Jan. 27. Beautiful day. Jamie returned from Andover where he lectured most successfully last night with an increased audience on Christopher North. At 10 A.M. he went to hear Mr. Seelye, President I believe now of Amherst College on English Literature, before the Saturday morning Club,...

Sunday. 28. Went to church, sat in Mrs Putnam’s pew with her and heard a good discourse. Took tea at Louisa’s in the afternoon, with a little visit at Mrs Dresel’s between. Went to mother’s.

Monday 29. Mother’s and other visits—finished 1st vol. of Balzac’s correspondence. What a strange career! A short call from Mr. Longfellow; not finding “J” he went away saying hopefully "il n’y a rien de certain que de l’imprévu.”

Tuesday 30. Miss Phelps returned and I read “Pandora” to our Club here in the evening. They all expressed great satisfaction. We number 10.

Wednesday 31. Still exquisite weather—for ten days the beauty of the sky and air have been inexpressible! Such moonlight, such mornings, such sunsets.

Thursday. Feb 1st Early in the morning at mother’s then at the State House to assist the Incorporation of the Boston University Women’s Education Assn Later at Chardon St. until 3 and afterward to hear the Symphony Concert. I came home rather tired but was happily unconscious that my cold...

Friday. Anna Hellrigl came to dine & told me of her engagement.

Saturday stayed in all day. A lovely day it was out of doors, like Spring and the colors over the bay at sunset were like one great opal.

Monday. Feb 5. Mrs Lodge, Mrs Bell, Mr. & Mrs Dresel dined here. Mrs Pratt, Miss Nelly, Mr. & Mrs Howe came in the evening.

Tuesday. Feb 6. Wonderful sunsets and dawns. Four weeks of this perfect weather—never too cool, seldom oppressive with premature warmth. Club in the evening. Mrs Martin read. Charity meeting here in the afternoon.

Wednesday 7th Dickens’s birth day—wrote to G. Hogarth. Last Centennial meeting—here. Visit from Mrs L.M. Child—she was very witty and said of the Moody & Sankey Excitement, that she thought the mind was like the body, if we perspired very much we were apt to take cold. She saw two men at...

Thursday 8th Chardon St.—Dear J. has the strangest questions asked him. A fine looking old gentleman stopped him in the street today, and said “How do you do, Mr. Fields, I have long been hoping to see you, I wished to inquire who is the author of “Mary had a little Lamb”. I think it is...

Sunday. 11th Radiant weather. Call from young Richard Dana. Read Wm Morris’s beautiful Norse poem. Took tea at Louisa’s, went to a reception for Mr. & Mrs Chadwick at Mrs Wells in the evening. Went to mothers and to North St. in the morning.

Wednesday March 7th It is a daily regret that I cannot or do not make time to write down here some of the many interesting things which absorb our lives, but while my dear mother is so ill every extra thought and moment is directed her way if I am not by her side. Last night Lily Phelps came...

Sunday March 18th Reading Harriet Martineau’s life, a grand heroic book, on the whole remarkably free of pettiness considering that she was a human being like ourselves and the effect which is always produced by great crises of plunging us down into abysses afterward. Her life was full of...