SD2796. Diary Entry of Annie Adams Fields
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 32, 342 (in part).
[Boston]
Saturday Nov. 18 [1865]
Last night Miss Kate Field and Charles Sumner dined with us. Before we went to dinner Charlotte Forten, the young colored girl whom Elizabeth Whittier was so fond of and who is now secretary of the Freedme[n]’s bureau, came in to call. She is very pretty and good. It is difficult nevertheless for her to find a boarding place. People do not readily admit a colored woman into their families. I shall help her to find a good home. The northern climate is severe for her but she has many friends here and likes naturally to live among them. She became engaged to be married while teaching among the freed-people but I fear all has not gone smoothly. I intend to see more of her.
Mr Sumner opened the conversation at dinner by asking Miss Field to tell him something of Mr Landor. She smiling said, that was difficult now because she had talked and written so much of him that she hardly knew what was left unsaid. Mr Sumner described his own first introduction then at the house of his old friend Mr Kenyon, in London. He had dropped in there by accident but was positively engaged elsewhere at dinner; before he left however he was able to parry skilfully a remark aimed at the Yankees which tickled Mr Landor and made him try to hold on and induce him to stay. He was obliged to go then however but he returned a few days after to breakfast when Landor asked him why the body of Washington did not rest in the Capitol at Washington. “Because,” said Mr. Sumner “his family wished his ashes to remain at Mt. Vernon”—“Ashes” said L. “his body was not burned, why do you say Ashes, sir.” “I quoted. E’en in our ashes live their wonted fires” and he said nothing more at the time, but,” added Mr Sumner “I have never used “Ashes” since.”
Kate Field said “his wife was a perfect fiend” but Mr Sumner was inclined to doubt the statement. “These marriages with men of genius are hard” he said “because genius wins the race in the end.”
Then Kate brought the authority of Mr Browning and others to back her statement but referring to Mr Landor’s temper she said that while the Storys were at Siena passing the summer one year the Brownings took a villa near by and Mr Landor lived opposite while she and Miss Isa Blagden went down to make the Brownings a visit. During their stay Mr Landor fancied that the stock of tea lately purchased for his use was poisoned and threw it all out of the window. The Contadine reaped the benefit of this; they came and gathered it up like a flock of doves.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Massachusetts Historical Society.
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