28.--My papa & unkle Winslow spent the evening here.
29. 30.--Very stormy. Miss Winslow & I read out the Generous Inconstant,
& have begun Sir Charles Grandison. . . .
May 25.--Nothing remarkable since the preceding date. Whenever I have
omited a school my aunt has directed me to sit it down here, so when you
dont see a memorandum of that kind, you may conclude that I have paid my
compliments to mess^rs Holbrook & Turner (to the former you see to
very little purpose) & mrs Smith as usual. The Miss Waldow's I mentioned
in a former are Mr. Danl Waldo's daughters (very pretty misses) their
mamma was Miss Becca Salisbury.[73] After making a short visit with my
Aunt at Mrs Green's, over the way, yesterday towards evening, I took a
walk with cousin Sally to see the good folks in Sudbury Street, & found
them all well. I had my HEDDUS roll on, aunt Storer said it ought to be
made less, Aunt Deming said it ought not to be made at all. It makes my
head itch, & ach, & burn like anything Mamma. This famous roll is not
made _wholly_ of a red _Cow Tail_, but is a mixture of that, & horsehair
(very course) & a little human hair of yellow hue, that I suppose was
taken out of the back part of an old wig. But D---- made it (our head)
all carded together and twisted up. When it first came home, aunt put it
on, & my new cap on it, she then took up her apron & mesur'd me, & from
the roots of my hair on my forehead to the top of my notions, I mesur'd
above an inch longer than I did downwards from the roots of my hair to
the end of my chin. Nothing renders a young person more amiable than
virtue & modesty without the help of fals hair, red _Cow tail_, or D----
(the barber).[74] Now all this mamma, I have just been reading over to
my aunt. She is pleas'd with my whimsical description & grave (half
grave) improvement, & hopes a little fals English will not spoil the
whole with Mamma. Rome was not built in a day.
31st May.--Monday last I was at the factory to see a piece of cloth
cousin Sally spun for a summer coat for unkle. After viewing the work we
recollected the room we sat down in was Libberty Assembly Hall,
otherwise called factory hall, so Miss Gridley & I did ourselves the
Honour of dancing a minuet in it. On tuesday I made Mrs Smith my morning
& p.m. visits as usual, neither Mr. Holbrook nor Turner have any school
this week, nor till tuesday next. I spent yesterday with my friends in
sudbury St. Cousin Frank has got a fever, aunt Storer took an emmetick
while I was there, cousin Betsy had violent pains almost all the
forenoon. Last tuesday Miss Ursula Griswold, daughter of the right Hon.
Matthew Griswold Esq governer of one of his Majesty's provinces, was
made one of our family, & I have the honor of being her chambermade.
I have just been reading over what I wrote to the company present, &
have got myself laughed at for my ignorance. It seems I should have said
the daughter of the Hon Lieu^t. Governor of Connecticutt. Mrs Dixon
lodg'd at Capn Mitchell's. She is gone to Connecticutt long since.
31 May.--I spent the afternoon at unkle Joshua's. yesterday, after tea I
went to see how aunt Storer did. I found her well at Unkle Frank's. Mr
Gerrish & wife of Halifax I had the pleasure to meet there, the latter
sends love to you. Indeed Mamma, till I receiv'd your last favour,
I never heard a word about the little basket &c. which I sent to brother
Johny last fall. I suppose Harry had so much to write about cotton, that
he forgot what was of more consequence. Dear Mamma, what name has Mr
Bent given his Son? something like Nehemiah, or Jehoshaphat, I suppose,
it must be an odd name (our head indeed, Mamma.) Aunt says she hopes it
a'nt Baal Gad, & she also says that I am a little simpleton for making
my note within the brackets above, because, when I omit to do it, Mamma
will think I have the help of somebody else's head but, N.B. for herself
she utterly disclames having either her head or hand concern'd in this
curious journal, except where the writing makes it manifest. So much for
this matter.
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