March 31st.—­We spent Tuesday evening at the Skinners.  We had a charming visit; no one there but Mrs. Sampson and her sister, and Dr. S. wide awake and full of enthusiasm.  We did not get to bed till midnight.  Mrs. ——­ came this morning and begged me to lend her some money, as she had got behindhand.  I let her have five dollars, though I do not feel sure that I shall see it again, and she wept a little weep, and went away.  A lady told cousin C. she had heard I was so shy that once having promised to go to a lunch party, my courage failed at the last moment, so that I could not go.  I shall expect to learn next that my hair is red.

Monday, April 4th.—­Your presents came Saturday while I was out.  We are all delighted with them, but I was most so, for two such darling little vases were surely never before seen.  M. had Maggie to spend Saturday afternoon and take tea.  She asked me if I did not make a distinction between talent and genius, which papa thought very smart of her.  I read aloud to them all the evening one of the German stories by Julius Horn.  Mr. and Mrs. C. came in after church and I asked them to stay to tea, which they did.  After it was over, and we had had prayers, we had a little sing, Mrs. C. playing, and among other things, sang a little hymn of mine which I wrote I know not when, but which papa liked well enough to have printed.  If copies come to-day, as promised, I will enclose one or two.  After the singing papa and I took turns, as we could snatch a chance from each other, in reading to them from favorite books, which they enjoyed very much.

April 9th.—­We called on Mrs. H. M. Field yesterday, and I never saw (or rather heard) her so brilliant.  In the evening I read aloud to the children a real live, wide-awake Sunday-school book, called “Old Stories in a New Dress”; Bible stories, headed thus:  “The Handsome Rebel,” “The Young Volunteer,” “The Ingenious Mechanics.”

April 16th.—­I can not go to bed, my dear chicken, till I have told you what a charming day we have had.  To go back to yesterday, my headache entirely disappeared by the time the Skinners got here, and we had a pleasant cosy evening with them, and at the end made Dr. Skinner pray over us....  Everything went off nicely.  The children enjoyed the trip tremendously, and hated to come away.  We picked a lot of “filles avant la mere” and they came home in good condition.  Mr. Woolsey and Z. gave me a little silver figure holding a cup, on blue velvet, which is ever so pretty.  We got home at half-past six.  Later in the evening President Hopkins called to offer his congratulations.  And now I am tired, I can tell you.  It is outrageous for you and the Smiths to be away; I don’t see how you can have the heart.  You ought to come by dispatch as telegrams.

17th.—­Dr. Hopkins preached a splendid sermon [6] for us this morning, and came in after it for a call.  He asked me last night if I felt conceited about my book; so I said to him, “I like to give people as good as they send—­don’t you feel a little conceited after that sermon?” on which he gave me a good shaking.