Sunday, April 3.—A very lovely day. Troops are still passing. In the morning Mrs. W. and myself took a walk to the depot to see if any of our friends were among the soldiers. Mrs. W. was expecting to see Mr. Tylman, from Mobile, a member of the Eighth Alabama Regiment, on his way to Virginia.
In the afternoon Miss W. and I took a walk in the woods, in company with Mr. and Mrs. Bears and Dr. Hughes. “The hoary worshipers of Deity” were budding forth with all the freshness and beauty of young spring. The woods were filled with wild flowers, and there was a soft, balmy spirit sighing through the trees, casting a soothing influence over all, making us forget for awhile the cares and strife with which we are surrounded. We sat for some time on the logs, and sang hymns, among them “Old Hundred,” which brought memories of the past to us all. Dr. Hughes proved himself a very good singer. He is an enthusiastic southerner, over sixty years of age, and has left wife and home for the cause. He tells me that his daughters in Kentucky are indefatigable in working for the southern cause. They are very kind to our men who are in the northern prisons, as I am told that nearly all the women of that state are. They and many other ladies have made up thousands of suits of clothing for them, and taken them to the prisons in person. Dr. H. is an excellent hand at relating anecdotes, one of them I insert for the lesson it teaches: The infidelity of the witty Earl of Rochester is well known. On a festive occasion at court, Dr. Hammond, a learned divine, and the earl were guests. They were promenading, each accompanied by a few friends. The earl having often expressed a wish to see Dr. H., as the two were approaching each other a friend of the earl’s pointed the doctor out to him as that gentleman in black just before him. He desired an introduction. On receiving it with bowing forms, the salutations respectively ran thus:
R. How do you do, Dr. Hammond?
H. (bowing very gracefully) My lord, your humble servant.
R. (evidently chagrined at the advantage Dr. H. had in the first salutation). Yours, doctor, down to the ground.
H. (smiling). Yours, my lord, down to the antipodes.
R. (more mortified than at first.) Yours, Dr. H., down to the bottom of hell.
H. (assuming an air of serious dignity). And there, my lord, I leave you. I have answered a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit; but I will not further answer a fool according to his folly, lest I be like unto him.
Bishop Burnet, who gives us this anecdote, says that the earl was in the habit of commenting on what he called biblical contradictions and inconsistencies, and he took pride in trying to puzzle clergymen; hence his desire to see Dr. Hammond. But he was never known afterward to bring up the verses in question, (Prov. xxvi, 4, 5,) nor would he permit his friends to refer to his rencontre with Dr. H.
