APRIL 7TH.--A bright spring day.

We look for startling news from the Rappahannock in a few days.
Longstreet will be there.

Gen. Lee writes that the fortifications around Richmond ought to be
pushed to completion: 2000 negroes are still at work on them.

APRIL 8TH.--Bright and warm--really a fine spring day. It is the day of
_fasting_, humiliation, and prayer, and all the offices are closed. May
God put it into the hearts of the extortioners to relent, and abolish,
for a season, the insatiable greed for gain! I paid $25 for a half cord
of wood to-day, new currency. I fear a nation of extortioners are
unworthy of independence, and that we must be chastened and purified
before success will be vouchsafed us.

What enormous appetites we have now, and how little illness, since food
has become so high in price! I cannot afford to have more than an ounce
of meat daily for each member of my family of six; and to-day Custis's
parrot, which has accompanied the family in all their flights, and, it
seems, will _never_ die, stole the cook's ounce of fat meat and gobbled
it up before it could be taken from him. He is permitted to set at one
corner of the table, and has lately acquired a fondness for meat. The
old cat goes staggering about from debility, although Fannie often gives
him her share. We see neither rats nor mice about the premises now. This
is famine. Even the pigeons watch the crusts in the hands of the
children, and follow them in the yard. _And, still, there are no
beggars._

The plum-tree in my neighbor's garden is in blossom to-day, and I see a
few blossoms on our cherry-trees. I have set out some 130 early York
cabbage-plants--very small; and to-day planted lima and snap beans. I
hope we shall have no more cold weather, for garden seed, if those
planted failed to come up, would cost more than the crops in ordinary
times.

APRIL 9TH.--Rained all day.

Lieut. Tyler, grandson of President Tyler, is here on furlough, which
expires to-morrow. His father (the major), whom he has not seen for two
years, he learns, will be in the city day after to-morrow; and to-day he
sought admittance to Mr. Secretary Seddon to obtain a prolongation of
his furlough, so as to enable him to remain two days and see his parent.
But Mr. Kean refused him admittance, and referred him to the
Adjutant-General, who was sick and absent; and thus "red tape" exhibits
its insensibility to the dictates of humanity, even when no advantage is
g