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Brookline March 15th

Dear Mr. Lee

I suppose I shall
just accomplish one letter to
you before you come home, when
I meant to write so many. Real
winter has only just begun in
the way of snow and a decent
temperature we country people
have had a very hard time
trying to amuse themselves and
make believe it wasn't a hum-
bug, as for me I have been
spreeing it in town for a
month with Clover and a
few days with Mary Hig. I was
there during the Mclellan ex-
citement which was beyond
everything I remember and as
an expression of genuine feeling
from the soldiers and rough

men it was very nice but
Beacon St. laid down and begged
to lick his shoes. "They say" he
detested it and it is only fair
to hope he did. I did not see
him for I had only two chances
both of which involved a degree
of dress I couldn't aspire to–
one kindly person I forgot asked
me to come and "look over the
stairs" as he was going to a
dinner party but I thought
it would be kind of like
lying under a circus tent to
see the 'orses 'oofs and gratefully
declined. The women treasured
up their gloves which had shaken
hands with him and cut off
his hair and saved just as
they always do. The young woman
in New York cut off his hair
and taking another lock from
her bosom exclaimed "This I
have worn for 4 years but this I shall wear forever!" Where does
this element of excitement hide
itself in times of serenity in
Boston I wonder? It always
seems such a quiet dignified
little place and all of a sudden
uprises everybody in a wild
state of rapture about somebody.
When I was at Mary Higs I
went to the Sunday tea at
your father's, Henry Higginson
came home while I was there
looking very brown and pleasant
as usual. He is just as nice
as he can be and Frank is
going to be just like him, as
far as pleasantness goes. He has
gone into the negro regiment as
2 nd lt. to be under Robert Shaw.
If he can learn to get up early
and be patient with the
poor nigs I think he will
get on finely. How I hopethat undertaking may succeed,
it is no use to ask people
about their experience for half
the men like Edward Hooper
and Robert Shaw say the
negroes behave with discretion
and fidelity and the other
half say they are utterly
superficial and discipline is
in vain and this comes some-
times from men who have
gone to the war as abolitionists
and come home proslavery
though I shouldn't think any
experience would change a
man's principles should you?
They are getting up a "Union
Club" in Boston of which w Mr.
Josiah Quincy was the nominal
president and Mr. Everett is
the real one. They are never
going to say anything against
the government (shouldn't youthink conversation would flag?)
and are to oppose both publicly
and privately all seditious re-
marks & Mr. Elliot Cabot was
quite interested in it at first
but he has decided not to join
now because they have not
done as they said they should.
It is in opposition to the Somer-
set Club, of course where however
some latent spirit is yet to
be found for a man who
drank Jeff Davis's health the
other day was knocked down
and obliged to retract his
sentiments. Boston has been
"springing to" in earnest with
regard to engagements, first
came Harry Russell and Mary
Forbes which is very slow I
think but don't tell I said
so and then Robert Shaw
and Miss Annie Haggerty whom I never saw only I
know she ought to be a noble
woman to marry Mr. Shaw
and then Harriet Appleton
and Mr. Greely Curtis, she looks
like a kind of woman made
for emergencies not for every
day, and then comes what
has transfixed us all (I mean
we girls) with amazement
and delight, Effie Shaw and
Mr. Charles Lowell. She saw
him for the first time on
the 8 th Dec. and I should
be kind of scared if I didn't
know Effie Shaw who knows
her own mind thoroughly.
They are a most romantic
looking couple and I like
him very much only he
is a little too argumentative
Mr. Harry Lee says he is
the Alexander Hamilton of the present day. I have rattled on
to the 7th page and never said
one word of Chestnut Hill. I
was there day before yesterday
but everybody was gone to drive
Mrs. Lee and I always talk
over the regiment's affairs just
as Mrs. Cabot s & I do and one
Sunday evening she read me
all she could of your letters.
Levy Saltonstall's death made a
great impression on all the
children I think it did on
everyone who knows them, Mr.
Saltonstall looks very sad
I believe he said he loved Levy
better than any of the rest
of his children. Until now
we have had such a hard
winter for playing outdoors I
haven't seen half enough of the children. Mary and
Frank and I dine tomorrow
at Mrs. Harry Lee's. I dine
with Mr. and Mrs. Elliot Cabot
every Thursday and we always
talk about the 44 th and you
all. He says he has only
one letter from you and that
you hate letterwriting please
then don't write to me for
I like to write and am
willing to take the will for
the deed. I feel just as if
I were gabbling to you so
please don't be too particular.
What paeans we shall sing
when you come home!

[Postscript]