62
in private.  But he�s a man whom it would be more
than ridiculous to be angry with.    Enough of him for the
present.       We had a jolly time.    Grace was very fully-crino-
lined, with her fair, bright, silky hair in curls on either side of
her face, and ornamented with a sort of scarlet net work
at the back of it; two broad, bright variously tinted ribbon
sashes flowing from her waist.   She is an exceedingly tall
girl, her good looks and attractiveness being derived rather
from health and good-nature than the ^|intellectual| expression of her features.
Yet she has a soul of her own and can think for herself.
So much for the heroine of the occasion � I haven�t time to speak
of the others.       I think Doestick�s wife was the prettiest woman
there; with her silky dark hair worn smoothly and plainly,
her kind eyes, innocent voice and sweet, pleasant laugh.  She
wore a low dress and seemed a little embarrassed by cons-
ciousness of it.        We played games of the forfeit character, 
with more or less osculatory results, then at 10, to the base-
ment and supper.  Pickled oysters, cakes, confectionaries,
beer and cider.   Songs and speech-making.  Cahill & Haney
read poems   (I suspect Arnold wrote that of the former � 
may be wrong though.)    My song a great success.   Everybody
amusing and jolly.          The Thomsons�off by 12.  Haney to
bed on the parlor sofa, I on one in Jim�s room, Cahill in
the adjoining apartment.
  25.  Thursday.  A merry breakfast.  Ulric came and
was tortured by fabulous accounts of the number of persons
who stayed all night.   Back to New York.            Last Friday
the vulturous-looked engraver Watson was arrested for for-
gery &c.  I think this time he�s likely to resume his acquain-