Jula Ward Howe, Reminiscences: 1819-1899

[169] invited Mr. Sumner to pass a quiet evening at our house, promising him a little music. Our guest had but recently returned from England, where letters from Chief Justice Story had given him access both to literary and to aristocratic circles. His appearance was at that time rather singular. He was very tall and erect, and the full suit of black which he wore added to the effect of his height and slenderness of figure. Of his conversation, I remember chiefly that he held the novels of Walter Scott in very light esteem, and that he quoted with approbation Sir Adam Ferguson as having said that Manzoni's ‘Promessi Sposi’ was worth more than all of Sir Walter's romances put together. Mr. Sumner was at this time one of a little group of friends which an ironical lady had christened ‘the Mutual Admiration Society.’ The other members were the poet Longfellow, George S. Hillard, Cornelius Felton, professor of Greek at Harvard College, of which at a later day he became president, and Dr. Howe. These gentlemen were indeed bound together by ties of intimate friendship, but the humorous designation just quoted was not fairly applicable to them. They rejoiced in one another's successes, and Summer on one occasion wrote to Dr. Howe, apropos of some new poem of Mr. Longfellow's, ‘What a club we are! I like to indulge in a little ’