Writings by Susan Dickinson


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  as she laughingly asked "had they to meet a train"
The fascinating aroma of the last drops in the glass
of the after supper wit and glow never seemed to
enthrall our good busy practical folks whose duties began
in early dawn -- There was little social variety 50 years
ago -- never dinners -- occasionally small evening parties
for a college class -- small friendly suppers or tea
parties when if the number was too large for sitting about
a table it was served handed a bountifuly homely
supper was handed about on large trays, every
one seated comfortably with little tables for the tea-
cup that inferno to a man with no lap and no
tail -- The stately parlors of Luke Sweetser (now
the [arrow up] ) struck rather the grand
note of these affairs -- there was more light -- more
elegance more inherited silver more inherited
boarding school manner on the part of the hostess; Mrs S a most happy genial
hostess always receiving us in gloves usually? light
purple (an exceptional habit with us) with a rather flippant
hand shake and the long low? backward dipping
curtsey -- relic of her gay education -- Mr Sweetser was?
a picturesque looking person with a profusion of iron grey
hair and full beard; and although in ordinary daily
life he bore himself with the severity of the traditional
severity of the then N.E. deacon, at these tea-parties
he was literally wreathed in friendly smiles of welcome
and approval -- Mrs. S never sat down but moved about
among us lest there should be an empty cup or an
unfilled plate that had escaped the eye of the servant holding aloft a remarkable feather

H bMS Am 1118.95, Box 9


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Writings by Susan Dickinson Main Page
Image reproduced by permission of the Houghton Library, Harvard University.
Not to be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.
Transcription and commentary copyright 1998 by Martha Nell Smith,
Laura Elyn Lauth, and Lara Vetter, all rights reserved
Maintained by Rebecca Mooney  <rnmooney@umd.edu>
Last updated on January 25, 2008

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