Writings by Susan Dickinson


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  at all theirs was a cheeriness and warmth with
hand grasp quite away from the blase' limp formula
of modern fashionable use. As it is not as far away as
Dolly Madison and Mrs Stearns still graces the
village with her genial hospitality I ought not to
dwell perhaps on her personality personalities, but her cap and
[?] shy manner and beautiful pearls did well grace [?]
the youthful beauty of the President with his family
celestial smile -- no touch of a simper or approbative-
ness about it-- I think it came from a rift in Heaven --
The galantries of the green seniors seemed rather trite
after his invitation to promenade in the grounds in the
moonlight. With them came a touch of the world
in the general appearance of the house always so plain
and simple -- Very rich odd cabinets and chair and
bric a brac from the southern living in India and
inherited silver of aristocratic pattern but an
air of elegance quite agreeable and suitable -- The
early hours were long kept -- the inherited ten o'clock
Pres. Hitchcock hour I believe still lingers in the social at-
mosphere rather banefully -- The late witching hour -- the
golden glow of the night -- the foam of the beakers? alas has
no potent charm for our rather heavy-balanced folk.
Sometimes funny episodes could have been chronicled
as the result of our early hours. A wife of one of our
Prof's coming among in ignorance uninitiated in the
simplicities lost several of her guests before her
leisurely elaborate supper served after the manner of her own
gay city was entirely served -- Can he blame her

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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