IV.
VISITS TO CONCORD.
I became acquainted with Margaret in 1835. Perhaps
it was a year earlier that Henry Hedge, who had long
been her friend, told me of her genius and studies, and
loaned me her manuscript translation of Goethe's Tasso.
I was afterwards still more interested in her, by the warm
praises of Harriet Martineau, who had become acquainted
with her at Cambridge, and who, finding Margaret’s
fancy for seeing me, took a generous interest in bringing
us together. I remember, during a week in the winter
of 1835-6, in which Miss Martineau was my guest, she
returned again and again to the topic of Margaret’s
excelling genius and conversation, and enjoined it on
me to seek her acquaintance; which I willingly promised.
I am not sure that it was not in Miss Martinean’s
company, a little earlier, that I first saw her. And I find a
memorandum, in her own journal, of a visit, made by my
brother Charles and myself, to Miss Martineau, at Mrs.
Farrar’s. It was not, however, till the next July, after a
little diplomatizing in billets by the ladies, that her first
visit to our house was arranged, and she came to spend
