solutions are obliterated.... In the
afternoon of Seventh day Deborah accompanied the scholars to Town
and visited the Academy of Arts and Sciences; beautiful indeed was
the sight. Nature, how bounteous and varied are thy works! On
beholding the splendid scene I was ready to exclaim, "O, Miracle of
Miracles," with the celebrated Naturalist when speaking of the
metamorphoses of insects.

Her eyes troubled her then, as all through life, and in grieving over
it she says: "Often does their non-conformance mortify this frail heart
when attempting to read in class.... I arose at half-past five this
morning. [January 15.] I find it so much more advantageous." But the
next day she sleeps till half-past six and laments the fact.

Received a severe reproof from Deborah this evening on account of
the listlessness which prevailed in the school, also the immorality
of some of the pupils' minds. O, that I could feel perfectly clear
of all the deviations which have been enumerated. O, Morality, that
I could say I possessed thy charms! O, the happiness of an innocent
mind, would that I could say mine was so, but it is too far from
it. I think so much of my resolutions to do better that even my
dreams are filled with these desires.

The sin thus bitterly bewailed consisted in neglecting to use "thee"
and "thou" in addressing her schoolmates. She would wake up in the
night and mourn over it. One would judge from Deborah's continual
lectures that the school was made up of a lot of desperately wicked
girls sent her to be reformed, instead of a band of demure and saintly
little Quaker maidens. On the 31st Susan writes:

Our class has not recited in Philosophy, Chemistry or Physiology,
nor have we read, since the 20th of this month, for the reason of
there being such a departure among the scholars from the paths of
rectitude.

Later she records that a new teacher has arrived "to relieve Deborah of
some of her bodily labors," that "he is a stern-looking man," and that
she was "somewhat mortified that she could not give him the desired
definition of compendiums."

The woman who sells molasses candy has been here, but when she
leaves she does not carry the confusion with her which she
causes.... Deborah requested eight of us larger girls to remain
last evening, for the purpose of reproving us. The cause was the
levity and mirthfulness which were d