July 1887.—­E.B.-J. (Sir Edward Burne-Jones) sent me a picture he
     has painted for me—­a troop of little angels.

     August 2.—­(We were in Scotland.) Visited the “Blasted Heath.” 
     Behold a flourishing potato field!  Smooth softness everywhere.  We
     must blast our own heath when we do Macbeth!

     November 29.—–­(We were in America.) Matinee “Faust”—­Beecher
     Memorial.  The whole affair was the strangest failure.  H.I. himself
     took heaps of tickets, but the house was half empty.

     The following Saturday.—­Matinee “Faust.”  House crammed.  Why
     couldn’t they have come when it was to honor Beecher?

January 1890.—­In answer to some one who has said that Henry had all his plays written for him, he pointed out that of twenty-eight Lyceum productions only three were written “for” him—­“Charles I.,” “Eugene Aram,” and “Vanderdecken.”

February 27.—­(My birthday.) Henry gave me a most exquisite wreath for the head.  It is made of green stones and diamonds and is like a myrtle wreath.  I never saw anything so simple and grand.  It’s lovely.

(During this year our readings of “Macbeth” took place.)

     April.—­Visit to Trentham after the reading at Hanley.  Next day
     to hotel at Bradford, where there were beetles in the beds!

     I see that Bulwer, speaking of Macready’s Macbeth, says that
     Macbeth was a “trembler when opposed by his conscience, a warrior
     when defied by his foes.”

     August.—­(At Winchelsea.) We drove to Cliffe End.  Henry got the
     old pony along at a spanking rate, but I had to seize the reins now
     and again to save us from sudden death.

     August 14.—­Drove to Tenterden.  Saw Clowe’s Marionettes.

(Henry saw one of their play-bills in a shop window, but found that the performances only took place in the evening.  He found out the proprietor and asked him what were the takings on a good night.  The man said L5, I think.  Henry asked him if he would give him a special show for that sum.  He was delighted.  Henry and I and my daughter Edy and Fussie sat in solemn state in the empty tent and watched the show, which was most ingenious and clever.  Clowe’s Marionettes are still “on the road,” but ever since that “command” performance of Henry’s at Tenterden their bill has had two extra lines: 

    “Patronized by SIR HENRY IRVING
      and
    MISS ELLEN TERRY.”)

September.—­“Method,” (in last act of “Ravenswood"), “to keep very still, and feel it all quietly and deeply.”  George Meredith, speaking of Romance, says:  “The young who avoid that region, escape the title of Fool at the cost of a Celestial Crown.”  Good!

     December.—­Mr. Gladstone behind the scenes.  He likes the last act
     very much.