Washington- Sunday
April 15
1883
1607 H. St
Dear pater,
here I am again
after a most amusing
four days visit to
New
York. My hostess was char-
ming & devoted - her father
an elderly man, not in-
teresting was only on hand
at dinner time. Monday
eveng - Mr
Schurz & Agatha
& Mr Arnold Hague a
scientific associate of
C. King came to dine.
Tuesday early went to St
Gaudens studio - he's a
friend of Miss Palmer
& we had no time to get
there again. his great bas-
relief monument to Bob
Shaw is very fine they say.
Anne Palmer has seen
the cast or plan - it's to
be inserted in the wall
by the side walk in front
of the State House & a seat
under it in low relief
an infinite body of soldiers
with bayonets pointing
up - & in front in much
higher relief Bob Shaw
on horseback - let us be
for ever grateful that Wm.
Story has not got this
in hand I dislike the
man & all his works. Saw the
"American Artists" exhibi-
tion that same morning
as a whole very poor we
thought. One very striking
full length portrait of a
Miss Burckhardt by John
Sargent a promising Phila
delphia artist- whom we
fell in with at Seville
in 1879- this picture made
a sensation in last year's
salon- a youngish woman
not pretty- in a most
severely fascinating black
satin gown - not one touch
of colour any where
only a while rose in
her left hand- strolled
into an inner room
where Sutton has some exquisite
gold lacquer. Which he
showed us. Suddenly I
saw a big 5 x 4 picture
hanging on his wall -
a Turner from top to bottom
Conway Castle - found
by an American artist
Moran in the Island of
Jersey in the hands of
an English family some
years ago- he holds it
at $10,000 I wish some
good samaritan would
give it to the Art Mu-
seum in Boston. tell
Ned I saw there a superb
old Chinese dish-jade
colour s- tracery under the
dull glazeabout two feet in diameter
& turned up at right
angles a brim about
3 inches deliciously modelled
made beyond everything
for 5 lily pads & 4 white
lilies - $175 - I don't
wish to put so much money
in anything so easily
broken - but it is haunt
ingly fascinating-
Home to lunch - only a
little hunchbacked ar-
tist an intimate friend
of Ann Palmer very in-
telligent & full of
humour- he had two pic-
tures in the exhibition
which I didn't care for.Early 6.30 dinner only a
Dr Stimpson - young man.
Other men failing we made
the papa go as fourth.
Saw a roaring farce by
an English troupe at the
Union Square Home to a
supper of lager beer, cheese
& pretzels. Weds - out early
with A. Schurz mousing in
shops for two hours - lunched
with George W. Curtis at
Effie's she being in Al-
bany watching a bill in
the legislature - had an
hours or more pleasant talk
with Mr Curtis then drove to
52d Street to see Emily Beale
Found her in a dreary little
hole of a room about
12 x 7 flat on her back
& low in hermind unable to drive
having daily surgery &
in for it till June at
least Dr Thomas promises
a thorough cure - She would
be more than grateful if
you'd write to her tho'
she cannot answer. She'd
had a long letter from
Atty Genl Brewster the
morning I saw her. From
there back to Miss Palmer
& then to Mr Beckwith's
studio whose black
poodle walked about
on two legs - sweetly. then
all 3 in a coupe to F.D.
Millet's whom I'd not
seen since he was at Bev
erly in /76- he was cordial
& his wife pretty & nice
& an exquisite young girl
infinitely prettier than
Langtry who was sitting
as a model in Eden like
costume stayed after
working hours to let him
drape her in many charming
eastern stuffs to amuse
us I've urged Mr & Mrs
Millet to come on here in
dog-wood week & they've
half promised to & stay
with us. Dinner that eveg
at Godkin's- Schurz - H.James
Miss Sands & Miss Cary -
the latter is most distaste
ful to me - a loud voice
& a coarse tongue I think
but she may be better
underneath. I knew her
twenty one years ago
in Lenox we were a month together
in the same boarding
house She goes this week
to Cambridge to stay with
her cousin Astor Cary-
had bought return tickets for
Thursday but stayed a day
longer to see Barnum's Circus
Saw C. King's mother that
morning about a school
of art for Charleston S.C.
for which she is most
anxious to raise money
For Allston's sake it may
be grateful to give them
a helping hand. They'll be
very glad for some good
casts. I wrote to Aunt Ann
two weeks ago - & Miss
Folsom writes me that the
A.S.H. will give "a hundred
or so" & she thinks willjust as readily make
it $500- "if you tell her its
a good thing."- won't you
speak to Carrie Tappan
& perhaps Mrs. Wm Weld-
we must help educate
& cultivate a vanquished
foe. Allston & Richardson
show that there is seed
worth forcing in that
barren land. Went to
Ned's friend Feuordent in
p.m. wishing to verify a
coin- gold one of French
Minister here- who was
depressed on finding that
mine was in Smith's
Dicty - & his was not-
from my description Feu
ordent said it was struck
at Panormos in Sicily-
about 300 ye B.C.& the head with ear-ring
that of Proserpine - etc.
then I showed him my Apollo
thinking Ned had bought
it of him in 1863- but he
sweetly & firmly declared
it a forgery done probably
in Smyrna 200 odd years
ago - & made out a strong
case I must say. tell
Ned it will interest him
the man is very charming
I thought- he said if it
were possible that it
could be what we thought
its value would be
$1000-! Went that eveg to
Barnum's two jolly youths
dining & going with us- a Mr
Pryor & Polteney Bigelow
son of our erratic friend
Mrs John Bigelow- the show was very fine es-
pecially the races. Came
home to beer cheese & songs
by a wood fire & many
good stories- home Friday
Chatted with Mr Harry Lee
& Genl McClellan on the
train. Henry came to sta-
tion in the Victoria & we
took a long drive with
the pair in summer heat
& came home with a
big bunch of blood root.
H. says he's glad I en-
joyed my week-but
that its his last alone
tho' he had a charming la-
dies dinner Wedy- & party
at the British Legation. Thursday-
Alex came yesterday a.m.
early. Phil Schuyler to dinner
last night. eight today we [This text appears on page nine.] are off in saddle now & shall
find peach
blossoms
out today.
Affecty
M.A.