hoop again, and M. is out walking
with Ida. Papa informed me last night that I had got a very pretty
bonnet. The bonnets now consist of a little fuss and a good many
flowers. Papa has gone to Dorset, and has had a splendid day for his
journey.

_Thursday, May 12th._--Yesterday Miss ---- came to tell me about the
killing of her brother on the railroad, and to cry her very heart out on
my shoulder. In the midst of it came a note from Lizzy B., saying her
mother had just dropped away. I called there early this morning. We then
went to the Park with your uncle and aunt; after which they left and I
rushed out to get cap and collar to wear at Mrs. ----'s dinner. I got
back in time to go to the funeral at four P.M. Dr. Murray made an
excellent, appreciative address; papa then read extracts from a paper of
mine (things she had said), the prayer followed, and then her sons sang
a hymn. [7] I came home tired and laid me down to rest; at half-past six
it popped into my head that I was not dressed, and I did it speedily. We
supposed we were only to meet the Rev. Dr. and Mrs. ----, of Brooklyn,
but, lo! a lot of people in full dress. We had a regular state dinner,
course after course. Dr. ---- sat next me and made himself very
agreeable, except when he said I was the most subtle satirist he ever
met (I did run him a little). Mrs. ---- is a picture. She had a way of
looking at me through her eyeglass till she put me out of countenance,
and then smiling in a sweet, satisfied manner, and laying down her
glass. We came home as soon as the gentlemen left the table, and got
here just as the clock was striking twelve.

_Friday._--We began this day by going at ten A.M. to the funeral of Mrs.
W.'s poor little baby, and the first words papa read, "It is better
to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting," etc.,
explained his and my state of mind after last night's dissipation. He
made a very touching address. Later in the day we went out to see Miss
----, as we had promised to do. We went through the Park, lingered there
a while, and then went on and made a long call. When we rose to come
away, she said she never let people go away without lunch and made us
go down to the following: buns, three kinds of cake, pies, doughnuts,
cheese, lemonade, apples, oranges, pine-apples, a soup tureen of
strawberries, a quart of cream, two custard puddings, one hot and one
cold, home-made wine, cold corned beef, cold roast beef, and for au