1858. May 29.—Two despatches from the State Department reached me on the subject of interference by British cruisers with our commerce in the West Indies and on the African coast, which may lead to important results. Have requested an interview with Lord Malmesbury.
May 2008
1858. May 25.—Went in the evening to Lord Chief-Justice Campbell’s. Impossible to convey to his learned Lordship’s head an exact idea of the limited and federate character of the Government of the United States. He insists that Congress should suppress polygamy among the Mormons. I in vain tell him that, whatever may be the power of the local Legislature, Congress has nothing to do with religious belief, domestic relations, morals, or manners. Yet I hope the President will seize the opportunity given by their rebellion to disperse a vile superstitious sect which may, if allowed to take root, poison the whole frame of our social structure.
May 1858.—Several of us girls went up into the top of the new Court House to-day as far as the workmen would allow us. We got a splendid view of the lake and of all the country round. Abbie Clarke climbed up on a beam and recited part of Alexander Selkirk’s soliloquy:
“I’m monarch of all I survey,
My rights there are none to dispute:
From the center, all round to the sea,
I’m lord of the fowl and brute.”
I was standing on a block and she said I looked like “Patience on a monument smiling at Grief.” I am sure she could not be taken for “Grief.” She always has some quotation on her tongue’s end. We were down at Sucker Brook the other day and she picked her way out to a big stone in the middle of the stream and, standing on it, said, in the words of Rhoderick Dhu,
“Come one, come all, this rock shall fly
From its firm base, as soon as I.”
Just then the big stone tipped over and she had to wade ashore. She is not at all afraid of climbing and as we left the Court House she said she would like to go outside on the cupola and help Justice balance the scales.
A funny old man came to our house to-day as he wanted to deposit some money and reached the bank after it was closed. We were just sitting down to dinner so Grandfather asked him to stay and have “pot luck ” with us. He said that he was very much “obleeged ” and stayed and passed his plate a second time for more of our very fine “pot luck.” We had boiled beef and dumplings and I suppose he thought that was the name of the dish. He talked so queer we couldn’t help noticing it. He said he “heered” so and he was “afeered” and somebody was very “deef” and they “hadn’t ought to have done it” and “they should have went” and such things. Anna and I almost laughed but Grandmother looked at us with her eye and forefinger so we sobered down. She told us afterwards that there are many good people in the world whose verbs and nouns do not agree, and instead of laughing at them we should be sure that we always speak correctly ourselves. Very true. Dr Daggett was at the Seminary one day when we had public exercises and he told me afterwards that I said “sagac-ious” for “saga-cious” and Aunt Ann told me that I said “epi-tome” for “e-pito-me.” So “people that live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
Sunday. — Grandfather read his favorite parable this morning at prayers — the one about the wise man who built his house upon a rock and the foolish man who built upon the sand. He reads it good, just like a minister. He prays good, too, and I know his prayer by heart. He says, “Verily Thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not,” and he always says, “Thine arm is not shortened that it cannot save, or Thine ear heavy that it cannot hear.” I am glad that I can remember it.
