it was to take me down to the place where they are
sold, below the Astor House. I wanted to walk, and so did he, but he had
got to be on a boat for Norwich at five P.M. and pack up between while;
however, he concluded to risk it, hence the way we raced was a caution.
I have just written him a long letter in rhyme with my new pen, and now
begin one in prose to you. I have just got a letter from an anonymous
admirer of Stepping Heavenward, enclosing ten dollars to give away; I
wish it was a thousand! The children are in tribulation about their
kitten, who committed suicide by knocking the ironing-board on to
herself. H. made a diagram of the position of the board that I might
fully comprehend the situation, and then showed me how the corpse lay.
They were not willing to part with the remains, and buried them in the
yard.

_Saturday._--I went to Yonkers with M. and H. to spend the day with Mrs.
B. Her children are sweet and interesting as ever; but little Maggie,
now three years old, is the "queen of the house." She is a perfect
specimen of what a child should be--gladsome, well, bright, and
engaging. Her cheeks are rosy and shining, and she keeps up an incessant
chatter. They are all wild about her, from papa and mamma down to the
youngest child.

* * * * *

II.

Home-Life in Dorset.

DORSET, June 10, 1870.

Here we are again in dear old Dorset. We got here about ten on Wednesday
evening, expecting to find the house dark and forlorn, but Mrs. F.
had been down and lighted it up, and put on the dining-table bread,
biscuits, butter, cakes, eggs, etc., enough to last for days. Thursday
was hotter than any day we had had in New York, and not very good,
therefore, for the hard work of unpacking, and the yet harder work of
sowing our flower-seeds in a huge bed shaped like a palm-leaf. But, with
M.'s help, it was done before one o'clock to-day--a herculean task, as
the ground had to be thoroughly dug up with a trowel; stones, sticks,
and roots got out, and the earth sifted in our hands. The back of my
neck and my ears are nearly blistered. M. is standing behind me now
anointing me with cocoa butter. Our place looks beautifully. Some of the
trees set out are twelve or fifteen feet high, and when fully leaved
will make quite a show. Papa is to be here about ten days, as he greatly
needs the rest; he will then go home till July 1st, when he will bring
Jane and Martha. I told Martha I thought