Describes a visit to Fanny Fern and James Parton. Transcription: of reading. Nelly [Eldredge], the younger is fair and fat, but has moles on her face, and a resentful, willful way with her. Fanny [Fern] has been a handsomish woman, and looks well now but haggard. She is light haired, and when animated her color face flushes. Only a triangular bit of her forehead is perceptible, her manner of wearing her hair concealing the rest. [James] Parton appears very fond of her. / He, however, isn ?t jealous of Walt [Whitman] ?s kissing her, which he always does on quitting.) Walt talks well ? but occ
Describes a visit to Fanny Fern and James Parton. Transcription: of reading. Nelly [Eldredge], the younger is fair and fat, but has moles on her face, and a resentful, willful way with her. Fanny [Fern] has been a handsomish woman, and looks well now but haggard. She is light haired, and when animated her color face flushes. Only a triangular bit of her forehead is perceptible, her manner of wearing her hair concealing the rest. [James] Parton appears very fond of her. / He, however, isn ?t jealous of Walt [Whitman] ?s kissing her, which he always does on quitting.) Walt talks well ? but occasionally too much, being led by the interest with which his remarks are received into monopolizing the converse. I, as a rule, would prefer to play listener, yet it is a violation of good taste to find yourself constrained to become one. And nobody wishes to become a bucket to be pumped into, let the stream be ever so nutritious. He, Walt Whitman is equally a disbeliever in the divinity of Christ, as is Parton. (I put this down simply as a fact, sans depreciation of faith or lack of it.) I have met [William Henry] Fry there, one of the Tribune men. Alf ?ǣHill ? [Waud] and ?ǣMrs H ? [Mary Brainard] are rusticating somewhere near Boston. I get and respond to, letters occasionally. He projects going west, to effect a divorce for his Helen, from her Menelaus [Albert Brainard], in a month or so. I call on her relatives when there is anything to communicate. Title: Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries: Volume 8, page 19, June 1-30, 1856 . 30 June 1856. Gunn, Thomas Butler, 1826-1903
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