of the
morning Miss K., Mrs. Humphrey, and myself sat on a shawl in our woods,
talking. We have had a tremendous rain, to our great delight, and the
air is cooler, but the grasshoppers, which are like the frogs of Egypt,
are not diminished, and are devouring everything. I got a letter from
cousin Mary yesterday, who says she has no doubt we shall get the ocean
up here, somehow, and raise our own oysters and clams.

_16th._--Papa and I went to Manchester to-day to make up a lot of calls,
and among other persons, we saw Mrs. C. of Troy, a bright-eyed old lady
who was a schoolmate of my mother's. She could not tell me anything
about her except that she was very bright and animated, and that I knew
before. Mrs. Wickham asked me to write some letters for a fair to be
held for their church to-morrow; so I wrote three in rhyme, not very
good.

_August 20th._--After dinner papa went to Manchester, taking both boys,
and I went off with M. to Cheney's woods, where we got baskets full
of moss, etc., and had a good time. The children are all wild on the
subject of flowers and spend the evening studying the catalogues, which
they ought to know by heart. I wonder if I have told you how our dog
hates to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy? The moment the
church-bell begins to ring, no matter where he is, or how soundly
asleep, he runs out and gazes in the direction of the church, and as the
last stroke strikes, lifts his nose high in the air and sets up the most
awful wails, howls, groans, despairing remonstrances you can imagine. No
games with the boys to-day--no romps, no going to Manchester, everybody
telling me to get off their Sunday clothes--aow! aow! aow!

Dr. Adams' house has been broken into and robbed, and so has Dr.
Field's. Mrs. H. gave us the history of a conflict in Chicago between
her husband and a desperate burglar armed with a dirk, who wanted, but
did not get a large sum of money under his pillow; also, of his being
garroted and robbed, and having next day sent him a purse of $150, two
pistols, a slug, a loaded cane, and a watchman's rattle. Imagine him as
going about loaded with all these things! I never knew people who had
met with such bewitching adventures, and she has the brightest way of
telling them.

Papa has got a telegram from Dr. Schaff asking him to come on to his
little Johnny's funeral. This death must have been very sudden, as Dr.
Schaff wrote last Tuesday that his wife was sick, but said noth