Diary of Annie Adams Fields

July 24. The Aldrich’s came. He was full of droll sayings and fancies—meant to have a stone house at once and live all the year round at the sea-side. J. lent him a queer pair of slippers with an ornament of some awkward pattern on each toe. He said he had the shoemaker in an Eastlake fain...

Sunday August 12. Perfect summer day. We drove to E. Gloucester and passed the day with Miss Phelps & Mr Livermore. The latter preached. It was a holy season for us all. 

August 14th We have been nearly a week without guests but today we hope to see Mrs Bell and Mrs Pratt. It has been a season of fogs and rain, but the days have each brought their own sweetness and grace. Mr. & Mrs Kingsley who were to have been with us have been kept away by her illness...

August 16. Our friends came and were as sweet & beautiful as they alone know how to be—not that they are more sweet and beautiful in their spirit than all others, but they have a sense of beauty and of fitness, which is delightful to the senses. Neither are they lacking in quickness of...

Longfellow came August 5 and stayed a part of three days. He was pleased with everything and said we must read Schiller’s poem of The Ring of Polycrates to understand how he felt! He read us from the book of his memory a few lines in hexameter of the first book of Homer. He believes it may be...

We drove August 6th to see Miss Phelps. We were wrapped in a close fog all day but his enjoyment of the green woods and the sea breeze were beautiful to see. Ay me! Ay me! Woods may decay and fall but such a life I dare not think of ceasing from the earth. He is a joy and grace in his age quite...

I was much impressed by E.S.P.’s little house. “the whole place only as large as my study, I cannot get over it.”