e it large enough. She says
she is too busy to study before Christmas, but will afterwards. The
Commissioner brought more copying for me to do, and told me I could have
the money for my work at any time. Some tell me he never pays anything
he owes, and that I must look sharp or I will not get anything. The
other Commissioner has invited me to go to a New Year's party at
Council, fifty miles away, saying he will take me there and back behind
his best dogs, but I refused, telling him that I never dance, and that I
am a married woman. At that he laughed, said he was also married, with a
wife in the States, but that does not debar him from having a good time.

Word comes of a new gold strike not far away, but I think we are not
really sure that it is bona fide, and must not put too much dependence
on what we hear. The Commissioner comes with his copying, and is full of
jokes.

Wednesday, December nineteenth: A man came from the Home yesterday who
has persuaded M. to go with him on a short staking expedition. They
think they know of a new "find" very near home, and I ran over to the
Recorder's to get two attorney papers made out for them to take as they
say they will stake for the girls and me. The Commissioner paid me
twenty dollars on copying, and said he would settle the remainder when
he got back from Nome, as he and the other Commissioner were just
setting out with a dog-team for that place. I have had to buy another
fox skin for my coat, making twenty-seven dollars paid out on the
garment thus far.

Right sorry I was today that Mr. H. carried away the big velvet couch
yesterday that I have slept on nights since coming here, and I tried
last night the wooden settle brought down from upstairs to the
sitting-room. I found it a most uncomfortable thing to sleep on, as my
feet hung at least six inches over the end of the lounge, and they were
icy when I wakened in the morning. I then decided to go upstairs to one
of the canvas bunks in the northeast room, and I find it much better
every way. The bunk is long, wide and warm enough with a reindeer skin
under me, and all my blankets and comforters over me, while I have the
room alone, temporarily, at least.

Saturday, December twenty-second: This is the middle shortest day of
winter, and a fine one, too, though we had not more than three and a
half hours daylight. The skies are beautiful, with many bright colors
blended in a most wonderful way.

The girls are hard at wor