February 4, 1854. — We heard to-day of the death of our little half-sister, Julia Dey Richards, in Penn Yan, yesterday, and I felt so sorry I couldn’t sleep last night so I made up some verses about her and this morning wrote them down and gave them to Grandfather. He liked them so well he wanted me to show them to Miss Clark and ask her to revise them. I did and she said she would hand them to her sister Mary to correct. When she handed them back they were very much nicer than they were at first and Grandfather had me copy them and he pasted them into one of his Bibles to keep.
Saturday. — Anna and I went to call on Miss Upham to-day. She is a real old lady and lives with her niece, Mrs John Bates, on Gibson Street. Our mother used to go to school to her at the Seminary. Miss Upham said to Anna, “Your mother was a lovely woman. You are not at all like her, dear.” I told Anna she meant in looks I was sure, but Anna was afraid she didn’t.
Sunday.—Mr Daggett’s text this morning was the 22nd chapter of Revelation, 16th verse, “I am the root and offspring of David and the bright and morning star.” Mrs Judge Taylor taught our Sunday School class to-day and she said we ought not to read our S. S. books on Sunday. I always do. Mine to-day was entitled, “Cheap Repository Tracts by Hannah More,” and it did not seem unreligious at all.
Tuesday.—A gentleman visited our school to-day whom we had never seen. Miss Clark introduced him to us. When he came in, Miss Clark said, “Young ladies,” and we all stood up and bowed and said his name in concert. Grandfather says he would rather have us go to school to Miss Clark than anyone else because she teaches us manners as well as books. We girls think that he is a very particular friend of Miss Clark. He is very nice looking, but we don’t know where he lives. Laura Chapin says he is an architect. I looked it up in the dictionary and it says one who plans or designs. I hope he does not plan to get married to Miss Clark and take her away and break up the school, but I presume he does, for that is usually the way.
Monday.—There was a minister preached in our church last night and some people say he is the greatest minister in the world. I think his name was Mr Finney. Grandmother said I could go with our girl, Hannah White. We sat under the gallery, in Miss Antoinette Pierson’s pew. There was a great crowd and he preached good. Grandmother says that our mother was a Christian when she was ten years old and joined the church and she showed us some sermons that mother used to write down when she was seventeen years old, after she came home from church, and she has kept them all these years. I think children in old times were not as bad as they are now.
Tuesday.—Mrs Judge Taylor sent for me to come over to see her to-day. I didn’t know what she wanted, but when I got there she said she wanted to talk and pray with me on the subject of religion. She took me into one of the wings. I never had been in there before and was frightened at first, but it was nice after I got used to it. After she prayed, she asked me to, but I couldn’t think of anything but “Now I lay me down to sleep,” and I was afraid she would not like that, so I didn’t say anything. When I got home and told Anna, she said, “Caroline, I presume probably Mrs Taylor wants you to be a missionary, but I shan’t let you go.” I told her she needn’t worry for I would have to stay at home and look after her. After school to-night I went out into Abbie Clark’s garden with her and she taught me how to play “mumble te peg.” It is fun, but rather dangerous. I am afraid Grandmother won’t give me a knife to play with. Abbie Clark has beautiful pansies in her garden and gave me some roots.
