[Author’s note: This series, on Mrs. Gray’s reading habits, began here.]
61 Bowdoin Street, Boston, Friday, 4 March 1864: Frank [Gray][2] got home on Tuesday at 9½ p.m. after 3 weeks in Philad[elphia] and 1 in New York. He had a good time, and has grown decidedly; but brought home a heavy cold, by wh[ich] he is quite sick, and wh. he considers a decidedly ignoble termination to his festivities. He is now at Cambridge, though I strenuously urged the prudence of staying at home to be nursed up, [until] Monday next. He brought me from Horace [Gray][3] a copy of “Chron’s. of Schönberg-Cotta Family”[4] wh. I was delighted to get – three people having recommended it to me within a week as a most charming book – one to own &c.
Horace is too generous. He sent me $300 a few weeks since, and on Wednesday, Dr. Gray’s birth day, a present of $1200 came to him! The birth day dinner went off well – Uncle J. was too sick to come, but Aunt E.[5] did and sent a splendid pile of lovely flowers, so that after the guests had gone, we sent one large dish and 3 vases of roses, japonicas, azaleas &c to as many sick folk.
This morning I made a round of calls in Boylston St. and Arlington. Have had a busy week – Miss Choate[6] at work here for the boys – but I have not had time to sit down once steadily to work with her.
Frank Bowditch and Lizzie Perry[7] were married on Wednesday; Dr. Derby and Miss Bessie Parsons[8] yesterday. Ellen and Isa Gray[9] with Sarah Wallace[10] are expected tonight. Wm. Gray[11] is very poorly, completely overworked and run-down. A man who works on to the last minute and then stops, because he breaks down utterly – and it takes his constitution forever to rally.
Frank made over to Sam [Gray][12] the cabinet of shells which R.P.W.[13] gave him some years ago. F.C. never cared much for them; books and coins are his specialty in the collector’s line. Sam is delighted – and spent great part of yesterday and to day washing, sorting and re-arranging…
To night Mary [Gray][14] has 4 girls to take tea – and play besique,[15] with candy prizes. She seems very popular with her companions, and is very full of fun from all accounts. She promises to be a woman of brilliant gifts and what is yet better, of intelligent conscientiousness, and warm heart, with great refinement and delicacy and [a] very good share of common sense.
As for our precious Sam, he grows daily in grace – a conscientious, sensitive, aspiring boy, with a wonderfully steady quiet perseverance, intelligent, thoughtful and unpretending – with a sweet fair face and a saintly purity of expression, such as methinks the apostle John might have worn – a most precious boy.
Sunday, 13 March 1864: I have been poorly for several days, rather overdid myself the early part of the week, on Wed’y especially – shopping all the morning beside calling at Aunt Sarah B[radlee]’s[16] and to see Isa Gray. After dinner to Dr. Rimmer’s lecture on Art Anatomy,[17] till 5 o’c then to King’s Chapel Soc’y – then a visit from Mrs. Sprague,[18] which left me barely time to smoothe up a little before Miss Wilby[19] arrived.
We are busy on a set of shirts for F.C.G. of which he stands greatly in need, and that hurries me – and to crown all, Regie [Gray]’s[20] eyes are weak, and he cannot study, so I distract myself over his arithmetic and Latin grammar. I who never studied Latin, and never fairly understood even English grammar! This duty really exhausts my brain-power, more than anything else.
Continued here.
[1] Hedwiga Regina Shober (1818–1885) was married to Dr. Francis Henry Gray 1844–80. Entries from the Hedwiga Regina Shober Gray diary, R. Stanton Avery Special Collections.
[2] The diarist’s eldest son, Francis Calley Gray (1846–1904).
[3] Dr. Gray’s brother Horace Gray of New York (1821–1901).
[4] Chronicles of the Schönberg-Cotta Family (1862) by Elizabeth Rundle Charles (1828–1896).
[5] Dr. Gray’s uncle John Chipman Gray (1793–1881) was married to Elizabeth Pickering Gardner 1820–79.
[6] A family seamstress.
[7] Ebenezer Francis Bowditch (1841–1891) married Elizabeth Fessenden Perry on 2 March.
[8] Dr. George Derby (1819–1874) married Elizabeth Parsons on 3 March.
[9] Dr. Gray’s sister, Ellen Gray (1830–1921), and niece Isa Elizabeth Gray (1841–1923).
[10] The Grays’ cousin.
[11] Dr. Gray’s elder brother, William Gray (1810–1892).
[12] The diarist’s second son, Samuel Shober Gray (1849–1926).
[13] Mrs. Gray’s best friend, Rebecca Parker Wainwright (1820–1901).
[14] The diarist’s daughter Mary Clay Gray (1848–1923).
[15] A “French … trick-taking card game.”
[16] Mrs. Gray’s stepmother’s aunt Sarah Fletcher Bradlee (1789–1866).
[17] Dr. William Rimmer (1816–1879), director of the Cooper Union School of Design for Women 1866–70; his lectures were published under the title Art Anatomy in 1877.
[18] Sarah Deming (1794–1881) was married to Senator Peleg Sprague 1818–80.
[19] The headmistress of Mary Gray’s school.
[20] The diarist’s third son, Reginald Gray (1853–1904).