. . . Mrs. Damer Wished Us To Come The Next Evening
To Her In The Same Way, Just To Get Our Cup Of Tea.
These nice
little teas are what you need in Boston.
There is no supper, no
expense, nothing but society. Mrs. Damer is the granddaughter of
the beautiful Lady Waldegrave, the niece of Horace Walpole, who
married the Duke of Gloucester. She was left an orphan at a year
old and was confided by her mother to the care of Mrs. Fitzherbert.
She lived with her until her marriage and was a great pet of George
IV, and tells a great many interesting stories of him and Mrs.
Fitzherbert, who was five years older than he.
LETTER: To W.D.B.
LONDON, December 30, 1847
Dear W.: Your father left me on the 18th to go to Paris. This is
the best of all seasons for him to be there, for the Ministers are
all out of town at Christmas, and in Paris everything is at its
height. My friends are very kind to me--those who remain in town. .
. . One day I dined at Sir Francis Simpkinson's and found a pleasant
party. Lady Simpkinson is a sister of Lady Franklin, whom I was
very glad to meet, as she has been in America and knows many
Americans, Mrs. Kirkland for one. . . . Then I have passed one
evening for the first time at Mr. Tagent's, the Unitarian clergyman,
where I met many of the literary people who are out of the great
world, and yet very desirable to see.
There, too, I met the Misses Cushman, Charlotte and Susan, who
attend his church. I was very much pleased with both of them. I
have never seen them play, but they will send me a list of their
parts at their next engagement and I shall certainly go to hear
them. They are of Old Colony descent (from Elder Cushman), and have
very much of the New England character, culture, and good sense. On
Monday I dined at Sir Edward Codrington's, the hero of Navarino,
with the Marquis and Marchioness of Queensberry, and a party of
admirals and navy officers. On Tuesday I dined at Lady Braye's,
where were Mr. Rogers, Dr. Holland, Sir Augustus and Lady Albinia
Foster, formerly British Minister to the United States. He could
describe OUR COURT, as he called it, in the time of Madison and
Monroe.
January 1, 1848
This evening, in addition to my usual morning letter from your
father, I have another; a new postal arrangement beginning to-day
with the New Year. He gives me a most interesting conversation he
has just been having with Baron von Humboldt, who is now in Paris.
He says he poured out a delicious stream of remarks, anecdotes,
narratives, opinion. He feels great interest in our Mexican
affairs, as he has been much there, and is a Mexican by adoption.
His letter, dated the 31st December, says: "Madam Adelaide died at
three this morning." This death astonished me, for he saw her only
a few evenings since at the Palace.
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