86
rent of his trying to extort money from a
man who declared that he had paid them and would
not pay him.          Up town, called at the St Nicho-
las, Roberts gone to live up-town.   Brought Ross
in to supper.     Wrote all the evening.         Mrs Gou-
verneur was off this morning for Cold Spring at
her brother in laws solicitation, taking with her Miss
Cooper.    I have seen her more than once of late �
talked to her for half an hour in Mrs Patten�s room
where I went to borrow a newspaper.   She � Mrs G. �
went through her present course of do-you-think-I-
shall-get-better-am-I-going-to die-what-shall-I-
do solicitations.   I talked earnestly to her, tried
to get her to live a higher life � with as much success
as I expected!       She manifests curious candor, at times.
She acknowledged she did not love or care for anybody
� even her children � to the extent of being interested
in them!         Mrs Patten came out very well in the
colloquy.  There had been a squabble between the two,
but Mrs G. came and subject Mrs P to a similar
course of boredom which the other women in the house
have endured, breaking through temporary non-inter-
course.      Everyway the American is the better wo-
man.   She loved her child, too, though she did want
to prevent it�s birth, from dread of pain and respon
sibility.   But in this country no such idea of crimi-
nality is attached to this horror, and though it does
not excuse, it may palliate the intention.    She