"_July 23._ Very busy all day. Rainy weather. In the evening I had a mock meeting, with burlesque papers, etc. I lectured on _Ism-Is-not-m_, on _Asm-spasm-plasm_."
"_July 24._ Working hard, as usual. Marionettes at home in the evening.
Laura had written the text. Maud was Julius Caesar; Flossy, Ca.s.sius; Daisy, Brutus."
"_July 28._ Read my lecture on "Modern Society" in the Hillside Chapel at Concord.... The comments of Messrs. Alcott and W. H. Channing were quite enough to turn a sober head."
"To the poorhouse and to Jacob Chase"s with Joseph Coggeshall. Old Elsteth, whom I remember these many years, died a few weeks ago. One of the pauper women who has been there a long time told me that Elsteth cried out that she was going to Heaven, and that she gave her, as a last gift, a red handkerchief. Mrs. Anna Brown, whom I saw last year, died recently. Her relatives are people in good position and ought to have provided for her in her declining years. They came, in force, to her funeral and had a very nice coffin for her. Took her body away for burial. Such meanness needs no comment.
"Jacob was glad to see me. Asked after Maud and doubted whether she was as handsome as I was when he first saw me (thirty or more years ago).
His wife said to me in those days: "Jacob thinks thee"s the only good-looking woman in these parts." She was herself a handsome woman and a very sweet one. I wish I had known I was so good-looking."
Of the writing of letters there was no end. Correspondence was rather a burden than a delight to her; yet, when all the "duty letters" were written, she loved to take a fresh sheet and frolic with some one of her absent children. Laura, being the furthest removed, received perhaps more than her share of these letters; yet, as will appear from them, she never had enough.
_To Laura_
OAK GLEN, October 10, 1880.
DEAREST, DEAREST L. E. R.,--
How I wonder how you R! Cause of silence not hardness of heart, but the given necessity of scribbling for dear life, to finish a promised paper for the Woman"s Congress, _sedebit_ next week. I in Boston Wed., Thurs., and Fri.--day being understood. Mowski [Adamowski] left us yesterday morning.... We had him here a fortnight, and enjoyed his visit extremely. At table, between the courses, he played on every instrument of the orchestra. I asked once for the ba.s.s drum, which he imitated, adding thereunto the cymbals. We had a lunch party last week, for the bride, Maud Appleton, and "invited quite fashionable," and after all she didn"t come. "Sick in bed with diphtheria." May by some be considered an excuse, but then, it"s very rude to be sick, and it"s very troublesome to other people. (This to make you feel badly about your own shortcomings.) We had a little dance, too, on Friday evening. An omnibus party came out and a few others. I pounded the Lancers and some ancient waltzes and polkas, ending with the Virginia reel, in which last I thought my floor would give way, the young men stamped so. I have no paper left except some newspaper wrappers, so can"t write any more. Got up and found this sc.r.a.p, then hunted for my pen, which, after some search, I found in my mouth. This is what it is to be lit"ry. Oh, my! I sometimes wish I wasn"t!...
In October, while visiting Julia at the Inst.i.tution, she missed her footing and fell down the two steps leading to the dining-room, breaking the ligaments of her knee. A letter to Laura makes the first mention of this serious accident, whose effects she felt all her life.
OAK GLEN, November 9, 1880.
DEAREST LAURA CHILD,--
Behold the mum-jacket, sitting clothed and in her chair, confronting you after long silence, with comforting words of recovery. I am now in the fourth week of my infirmity, and I really think that the offending, or rather offended, muscles have almost recovered their natural power of contraction. My exercise is still restricted to a daily walk from my bed in the small parlor to my chair in the large parlor, and back again.
But this walk, which at first was an impotent limp, with bones clicking loosely, is now a very respectable performance, not on the tight rope, indeed, but, let us say, on the tight garter.... The only break in the general uniformity of my life was dear Uncle Sam"s arrival on Sunday last. He remained with us a couple of hours, and was as delightful as ever. Oh! more news. With his kind help, I have taken Mrs. Lodge"s small house for the winter and this opens to me a comfortable prospect, though, even with his help, the two ends will have to be pulled a little in order to meet....
The furnished house in lower Mount Vernon Street proved a pleasant habitat. It was nine years since she had had a house in Boston; in spite of her lameness, perhaps partly because of it, she enjoyed entertaining her family and friends. Mrs. Terry and her daughter spent part of the winter with them.
The year 1880 was marked by the publication of her first book since "Later Lyrics": a tiny volume ent.i.tled "Modern Society," containing, beside the t.i.tle essay, a kindred one on "Changes in American Society."
The Journal makes little or no mention of this booklet, but Thomas Wentworth Higginson says of it: "It would be hard to find a book in American literature better worth reprinting and distributing.... In wit, in wisdom, in anecdote, I know few books so racy."
"_January 1, 1881._ I have now been lame for twelve weeks, in consequence of a bad fall which I had on October 17. I am still on crutches with my left knee in a splint. Have had much valuable leisure in consequence of this, but have suffered much inconvenience and privation of preaching, social intercourse, etc. Very little pain since the first ten days. Farewell, Old Year! Thank the Heavenly Father for many joys, comforts and opportunities."
Her physician insisted upon her keeping quiet, but she could not obey him, and continued to travel about on crutches to keep her many engagements. Her faithful coachman, Frank McCarthy, was her companion on these journeys.
"_January 26._ Busy most of the day with my lecture. Had a visit from H.
P. B.,[92] who advised me to keep still and go nowhere until my lameness shall be much better. Took 4.30 train for Concord, Ma.s.sachusetts. Maud would go with me, which grieved me, as she thereby lost a brilliant ball.... We went to Mr. Cheney"s, where we found Frank Barlow, a little older, but quite unchanged as to character, etc. He has the endearing coquetry of a woman. Dear Mr. Emerson and Mrs. came to my lecture. Mr.
E. said that he liked it. The audience was very attentive throughout.
Stepped only once on my lame foot in getting into the sleigh...."
[92] Dr. H. P. Beach.
"_January 28._ Busy all day with my address for woman"s suffrage meeting in the evening.... When I entered with my crutches the audience applauded quite generally.... Wendell Phillips made the concluding speech of the evening. He was less brilliant than usual, and kept referring to what I had said. I thanked him for this afterwards, and he said that my speech had spoiled his own; that I had taken up the very points upon which he had intended to dwell."
"_February 11._ Lecture at Groton, Ma.s.sachusetts. As I went down the steps to the carriage, one of my crutches slipped and the careless hackman on my right let me fall, Frank catching me, but not until I had given my knee a severe wrench which gave me great pain. I suffered much in my travel, but got through, Frank helping me.... My knee seemed much inflamed and kept me awake much of the night. My lecture on "Polite Society" was well received. The good people of the house brought me their new ledger, that my name might be the first recorded in it."
"_February 12._ Dinner of Merchants" Club. Edward Atkinson invites me.
Got back by early train, 7.50 A.M., feeling poorly. Did not let Maud know of my hurt. Went to the dinner mentioned above, which was at the Vendome.... Was taken in to dinner by the President, Mr. Fitz. Robert Collyer had the place on my right. He was delightful as ever. Edward Everett Hale sat near me and talked with me from time to time. Of course my speech afflicted me. I got through it, however, but had to lose the other speeches, the hour being so late and the night so inclement, very rainy."
"_February 20._ Very lame this morning. No courage to try to go out.
Have been busy with Kant and Miss Cobbe"s new book, "Duties of Women,"
which I am reviewing for the "Christian Register."..."
_To Laura_
129 MOUNT VERNON STREET,
February 27, 1881.
MY DEAREST LAURA,--
... Mr. Longfellow came to see us yesterday, and told us his curious dreams. In one of them, he went to London and found James Russell Lowell _keeping a grocery._ In another, people were vituperating the bad weather, and dear Papa said: "Remember, gentlemen, who makes it!" This impressed us as very characteristic of our dear one. My lameness is decreasing very slowly, and I have now been a week without the splint.
The knee, however, still swells if I attempt to use it, and my life is still much restricted as to movement....
"_February 28...._ A cloud seems to lift itself from that part of my mind which concerns, or should concern, itself with spiritual things.
Sometimes a strong unwillen seizes me in this direction. I feel in myself no capacity to comprehend any features of the unseen world. My belief in it does not change, but my imagination refuses to act upon the basis of the "things not seen.""
"_March 5._ Longfellow to dine."
"_March 30._ In the evening to the ever-pleasing Hasty-Pudding Theatrical Play, a burlesque of Victor Hugo"s "Notre Dame de Paris,"
with many saucy interjections. The fun and spirits of the young men were very contagious, and must have cheered all present who needed cheering...."
_To Laura_
129 MOUNT VERNON STREET,
March 24, 1881.
MY DARLING LAURA,--
The March wind blows, and gives me the spleen. I don"t care about anything, don"t want my books, nor my friends, nor nothing. But you, poor child, may not be in this wicked, not caring condition, and so I will write you, having oughted to for a considerable time. Nothing stays put, not even put-ty. Letters don"t stay answered, faces don"t stay washed, clothes don"t stay either clean or new. Children won"t stay the youngest. The world won"t stay anywhere, anyhow. Forty years ago was good enough for me. Why couldn"t it stay? Now, I see you undertaking to comfort me in good earnest, and know just how you would begin by saying: "Well, it should!"... Nunc Richard[93] here yesterday. Remarked nothing in particular, I replying in like manner. Kept his arm very dark, under a sort of cloak. We condoled [with] each other upon our mental stupidity, and parted with no particular views or sentiments. I have been to-day at a worldly fashionable lunch. n.o.body cared for anything but what they had on and had to eat. "He! he!" said one: "ho! ho! ho!"
the other. "Is your uncle dead yet?" "No, but my aunt is." "Grandfather Wobblestick used to say"--"Why, of course he did!" Which is all that I remember of the conversation. Now, darling, this is perfectly hateful of me to turn and snarl at the hand which has just been putting good morsels into my mouth. But you see, this is a March wind in Boston, and I can"t help it. And I hobbled greatly up the big staircase, also down.
That"s all. Auntie and Daisy and Maud lunched, too, munchingly. D. made a new capote for Maud. n.o.body made nothing new for me. I had no lace bow under my chin, and looked so neglected! Maud and Daisy always on the wing, concerts, theatres, lunches, etc., etc. Auntie and I have some good evenings at home, in which we refresh the venerable intelligence with the modern publication, we do, to wit, "Early Life of Charles James Fox." We also play Russian backgammon. Big Frank Crawford has enlargement of "s liver. This P.M. late Mrs. C. C. Perkins has recep.
for Miss Carl Schurz. Girls going, but going first to X."s weekly weak tea and weaker talk. Here again, you spleeny devil, get thee behind me!
I love my fellow-creatures, but, bless you, not in this month.... Julia Nagnos takes tea round generally, and finds that it agrees with her....
I regard you, on the whole, with feeling. Farewell, Laura, I am your poor old mad March hare Mamma. Love to Skip and the little ones.