Fine day though cold. To Cambridge, returning to Mr. Brooks’ and in the evening to Mrs. N. Appleton’s.

I went on my division to Cambridge today and found myself in a carriage with Mr. Hillard, and Messrs. Gould and Hubbard of the Latin Committee. We had the first division of the Sophomore class before us in six books of the Iliad and four of the Odyssey of Homer. And a very bad recitation they made of it, so much as to satisfy me that the deficiency of training could not be supplied.

The complaint now is that nobody goes to Harvard because it is dear. Sure enough, nobody will buy an article dear when the same can be got cheap, but the secret not yet found out at Cambridge is that they should provide a better article than can be got elsewhere, and then see if even in these economical times they would not have abundant demand.

The dinner was dull and I was glad to get back to town to a second at Mr. Brooks’ where were assembled Mrs. Gray and Mrs. Hall, Mr. and Mrs. Sargent and my Wife. We had a pleasant time and then home.

Evening we went to pay the wedding visit to Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Appleton. She is at once transferred into wealth and station, and becomes it well. If an old man like Mr. Appleton must marry, it is as well that he should act with discrimination as to the person he is about to admit into his family. A great crowd from which we were glad to go home.