August 1st. Friday. [1851]
This was another chill and sulky day, so cool that I put a knit jacket on Julian when we went for the milk. There was a general conclave of clouds overhead, but interspersed with blue, and then partial gleams of watery sunshine. Monument Mountain was in shadow this morning, and the western ridge had the sun on it. The atmosphere was particularly clear; insomuch, that I do not recollect ever seeing Taconic bulge so prominently forth from its outline as it did now. It looked but a little further off than the Monument.
Bruin ran along with us, much to Julian's delight; but on our return, the dog began to caper and frisk somewhat obstreperously.
It was so cheerless out of doors, that we spent the morning within. I was occupied with two letters (excruciatingly short ones) from Phoebe, and with papers, which Mrs. Peters brought from the Post Office.
At about eleven came Deborah and little Ellen to take Julian to Highwood; so his majesty departed, and I saw nothing more of him till after dinner. I packed up and sent off Phoebe's sculpturing tools, which Mrs. Mann wants for some purpose or other. I trust Phoebe will not be persuaded, among ll her other cares and annoyances, to undertake any alterations or modifications of his bust. If this had occurred to me sooner, I certainly should not have sent the tools.
We had, to-day, the first string beans of the season; the earliest product of our garden, in- deed, except currants and lettuce. At three o'clock Julian came home. He said that he [had] had tomatoes, beans, and asparagus for dinner, and that he liked them very much, and had had a good time. I dressed him and myself for a walk to the village, and we set out at four. The mail not being in at our arrival, we went to Mr. Farley's office (where we saw him and Mr. Sedgwick), and afterwards to Mr. Farley's house, or rather to his hen-coop, to see his splendid rooster and chickens. I gave Mr. Sedgwick to understand, by the bye that we should take Mrs. Kemble's house for the autumn. Returning to the Post Office, I got Mr. Tappan's mail and my own, and proceeded homeward, but clambered over the fence and sat down in Love Grove to read the papers.
While thus engaged, a cavalier on horseback came along the road, and saluted me in Spanish, to which I replied by touching my hat, and went on with the newspaper. But the cavalier renewing his salutation, I regarded him more attentively, and saw that it was Herman Melville! Thereupon, Julian and I hastened to the road, when ensued a greeting, and we all went homeward together, talking as we went. Soon Mr. Melville alighted, and put Julian into the saddle; and the little man was highly pleased, and sat on the horse with the freedom and fearlessness of an old equestrian, and had a ride of at least a mile homeward.
I asked Mrs. Peters to make some tea for Herman Melville; and so she did, and he drank a cup, but was afraid to drink much, because it would keep him awake. After supper, I put Julian to bed, and Melville and I had a talk about time and eternity, things of this world and of the next, and books, and publishers, and all possible and impossible matters, that lasted pretty deep into the night. At last he arose and saddled his horse (which we had put into the barn) and rode off for his own domicile; and I hastened to make the most of what little sleeping-time remained for me.
This was another chill and sulky day, so cool that I put a knit jacket on Julian when we went for the milk. There was a general conclave of clouds overhead, but interspersed with blue, and then partial gleams of watery sunshine. Monument Mountain was in shadow this morning, and the western ridge had the sun on it. The atmosphere was particularly clear; insomuch, that I do not recollect ever seeing Taconic bulge so prominently forth from its outline as it did now. It looked but a little further off than the Monument.
Bruin ran along with us, much to Julian's delight; but on our return, the dog began to caper and frisk somewhat obstreperously.
It was so cheerless out of doors, that we spent the morning within. I was occupied with two letters (excruciatingly short ones) from Phoebe, and with papers, which Mrs. Peters brought from the Post Office.
At about eleven came Deborah and little Ellen to take Julian to Highwood; so his majesty departed, and I saw nothing more of him till after dinner. I packed up and sent off Phoebe's sculpturing tools, which Mrs. Mann wants for some purpose or other. I trust Phoebe will not be persuaded, among ll her other cares and annoyances, to undertake any alterations or modifications of his bust. If this had occurred to me sooner, I certainly should not have sent the tools.
We had, to-day, the first string beans of the season; the earliest product of our garden, in- deed, except currants and lettuce. At three o'clock Julian came home. He said that he [had] had tomatoes, beans, and asparagus for dinner, and that he liked them very much, and had had a good time. I dressed him and myself for a walk to the village, and we set out at four. The mail not being in at our arrival, we went to Mr. Farley's office (where we saw him and Mr. Sedgwick), and afterwards to Mr. Farley's house, or rather to his hen-coop, to see his splendid rooster and chickens. I gave Mr. Sedgwick to understand, by the bye that we should take Mrs. Kemble's house for the autumn. Returning to the Post Office, I got Mr. Tappan's mail and my own, and proceeded homeward, but clambered over the fence and sat down in Love Grove to read the papers.
While thus engaged, a cavalier on horseback came along the road, and saluted me in Spanish, to which I replied by touching my hat, and went on with the newspaper. But the cavalier renewing his salutation, I regarded him more attentively, and saw that it was Herman Melville! Thereupon, Julian and I hastened to the road, when ensued a greeting, and we all went homeward together, talking as we went. Soon Mr. Melville alighted, and put Julian into the saddle; and the little man was highly pleased, and sat on the horse with the freedom and fearlessness of an old equestrian, and had a ride of at least a mile homeward.
I asked Mrs. Peters to make some tea for Herman Melville; and so she did, and he drank a cup, but was afraid to drink much, because it would keep him awake. After supper, I put Julian to bed, and Melville and I had a talk about time and eternity, things of this world and of the next, and books, and publishers, and all possible and impossible matters, that lasted pretty deep into the night. At last he arose and saddled his horse (which we had put into the barn) and rode off for his own domicile; and I hastened to make the most of what little sleeping-time remained for me.
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