Before he came I grew almost nervous in my anticipation with a ^{of this}
vision of our New England Seer - for years I had read him, in a measure un-
derstood him, revered him, cherished him as a hero in my girl's heart, 'till
there grew into my feeling for him, almost a supernatural element, so that when
I found that he was to eat and sleep beneath our roof, there was a suggestion
of meeting a God face to face, or one of the Patriarchs of Hebrew setting, ^as
as Aunt Emily says " As if he had come from where dreams were born". I re-
member very little of the lecture except a fine glow of enthusiasm on my
own part, and an almost unconscious contempt for anything but Emerson and
his table-lands. I felt strangely elated to take his transcendental arm ^afterward
and walk leisurely home, I remember with how much warmth he spoke of Julia
Ward Howe, indeed he talked of her nearly all the way home, begging me
to read her "Passion Flowers". . He seemed greatly pleased to find Cov-
entry Patmore's "Angel in the House" on the Library table, which we were
just reading, he ^and praised it with great enthusiasm ^warmth. His manner in talking
was so very quiet, that it quite put me out. He turned his gentle, philo-
sophic ^face toward me, waiting upon my common places with such expectant quiet
gravity, I became painfully conscious that I was I, and he was he, the
great Emerson, and I shut up like a spent flower. It suited your father,
whose own way of giving and taking in conversation is so deliberate, quite
relieving me of any part but a listener's. He was our guest at several
other times, once when I was away, your Father invited him to tea with a
little comapny of young people, Prof. Neill, then in College, was one of
the number, who longed to meet him,. They said the [sic] was wonderfully sweet,
and simple with them, and seemed greatly to enjoy their fresh enthusiasm.