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We reached Albany in very good time for dinner. Mr. —— dined with us: what a savage he is, in some respects! He's a curious being: a description of him would puzzle any one who had never seen him. A man with the proportions of a giant for strength and agility; taller, straighter, and broader than most men; yet with the most listless indolent carelessness of gait, and an uncertain wandering way of dropping his feet to the ground, as if he didn't know where he was going, and didn't much wish to go any where. His face is as dark as a Moor's; with a wild strange look about the eyes and forehead, and a mark like a scar upon his cheek: his whole appearance giving one an idea of toil, hardship, peril, and wild adventure. The expression of his mouth is remarkably mild and sweet, and his voice is extremely low and gentle. His hands are as brown as a labourer's: he never profanes them with gloves, but wears two strange magical-looking rings: one of them, which he showed me, is made of elephant's hair.
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Occasionally, in his horror of one class of prejudices, he embraces the opposite ones: perhaps the extreme of any evil, in this world of imperfect means, can only be effectually resisted by its reverse extreme.
Monday, 8th.
After breakfast, went to rehearsal: Mr. —— came with us. The actors were one and all reading their parts: the lady who played Charlotte was the only exception—she was perfect. As I sat on the stage, between my scenes, a fat, good-tempered, rosy, bead-eyed, wet-haired, shining-faced looking man accosted me; and, having ascertained that I was myself, proceeded to accuse me of having, in Mrs. Haller, pronounced the word "industry" with the accent on the middle syllable, as "industry;" adding, that he had already quoted my authority to several people for the emphasis, and begging to know my "exquisite reason" therefor. It was in vain that I urged that it must have been a mistake if I said so; that I never meant to say so, if I did say so; that if I did say so, I was very wrong to say so; that I was very sorry for having said so; that I never would say so again. Between each of my humblest apologies my accuser merely replied, "But you did say industry," with an inflexible pertinacity of condemnation, which was not a whit softened by my sincere confessions. Presently the worthy creature, adverting to the letter in the Mirror about General Jackson, begged that as I had passed the fourth of July, that glorious anniversary, in Albany, I would illustrate its celebration by some remarks in the style of that admirable composition. Great was the fat man's surprise, and evident his contempt for me, when I disclaimed the authorship of that document. Greater still waxed both, when I assured him that on the fourth of July I positively walked out of the town, to avoid the noise in it. After this, he remained gazing at me in silent amazement; and, as soon as he had sufficiently recovered from it to move, he took up his hat, and briefly wished me "good morning." Mr. —— told me the man was a newspaper-editor; but I think he looked too fat, and fresh, and good-tempered for that. When we returned home, sat down to write journal.
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The play was the Gamester: the house was very full. Mr. —— did not know one syllable of his part, and bothered me utterly. At the end of the play, they called for my father, and civilly desired we would act the Hunchback; as, however, we had not the dresses for it with us, he declined, but promised we would return hereafter.