er" of April 13, 1882:

[135] "It so happened then to me, while a youth of twelve or fifteen
years in training at the Boston Latin School for Harvard University,
that Dr. Dewey became a familiar guest in my mother's hospitable house.
He was at this period the temporary minister of Federal Street Church,
while Dr. Channing was seeking to renew his wasted energies, for better
work, in Europe. And on Mondays--after his exhausting outpourings of
Sunday--he was wont to 'drop in, while passing,' to talk over the themes
of his discourse, or for friendly interchange of thought and sympathy. A
special attraction was that the Misses Cabot, the elder of whom became a
few years later Mrs. Charles Follen (both of whom will be remembered
by English friends), made a common home with my mother; and the radiant
intelligence, glowing enthusiasm, hearty affectionateness, and genial
merriment of these bright-witted sisters charmed him. Sometimes they
probed with penetrating questions the mystical metaphysics of the
preceding day's sermon. Then, deeply stirred, and all on fire with
truths dawning on his vision, he would rise from his chair and slowly
pace the room, in a half soliloquy, half rejoinder. At these times of
high-wrought emotion his aspect was commanding. His head was rounded
like a dome, and he bore it erect, as if its weight was a burden; his
eyes, blue-gray in tint, were gentle, while gleaming with inner light;
the nostrils were outspread, as if breathing in mountain-top air; and
the mobile lips, the lower of which protruded, apparently measured his
deliberately accented words as if they were coins stamped in the
mint. It was intense delight for a boy to listen to these luminous
self-unfoldings, embodied in rhythmic speech. They moved me more
profoundly even than the suppressed feeling of his awe-struck prayers,
[136] or the fluent fervor of his pulpit addresses; for they raised the
veil, and admitted one into his Holy of holies. At other times, literary
or artistic themes, the newest poem, novel, picture, concert, came
up for discussion; and as these ladies were verse-writers, essayists,
critics, and lovers of beauty in all forms, the conversations called
out the rich genius and complex tendencies and aptitudes of Dr. Dewey
in stimulating suggestions, which were refreshing as spring breezes. His
mind gave hospitable welcome to each new fact disclosed by science, to
all generous hopes for human refinement and ennobling ideals,