Travel Diaries and Journals

Journal Continued

Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 27th 1851

Mild & Pleasant

We all rose early. Father, Carrie, Cornelius, Fred & I attended our church in the morning. Father preached On our return home we found that Mr Murphy, Stan and Annie, Albert and Mary Emma had already arrived we having resolved to follow the old New England fashion of collecting all the family together for a good Thanksgiving dinner. This was soon served, and we all did abundant justice to Mother's good cooking. Turkies puddings pies &c dissappearing in short order. Then we remained quite a long time at the table chatting in quite a merry humour We toasted Father as the best looking man at the table which I thought true. After dinner Annie presented Mother with a very pretty cap, and the children insisted on giving some of us a sleigh ride on the ice in the back yard. The remainder of the afternoon passed very pleasantly indeed. We had some very good singing, and Albert entertained us by speaking some of the pieces that he was accustomed to repeat on like occasions in boyhood About seven o'clock we commenced singing some of the sweet old hymns that we had been accustomed to sing from the time we could remember. How sadly yet sweetly those [plaintive?] notes recalled the past, and brought back the Thanksgiving days when Grandmother and [Uncle's?] family united with ours in celebrating it.

[text written on left margin] Father read the [ninetieth?] Psalm in a very solemn and impressive manner and after making some very appropriate remarks was followed by Mr Murphy in prayer Supper at [eight?]. Our pleasant little family party broke up about ten; Stan and Annie Albert and Mary Emma returning to the city

Wednesday, July 14th Very warm. Aunt Graves came over soon after breakfast to see Kate--staid about an hour, Kate not feeling well, and being [white?] much fatigued lay down in her room and I sat beside her reading + talking till dinner time. We sat a long time at the table talking about Aunt Caroline, her family, the South etc. Kate's conversation is very interesting and betrays a refined and highly cultivated mind with a very poetic turn. Sewed some in the afternoon--Evening listening to Kate. Thursday Very warm. Carrie and Kate went out in the morning. Annie came over before dinner. I was not well and was obliged to lie down most of the afternoon. Margaret Culbert called. Stan came over to tea and after spending a pleasant evening with us he with Annie left about ten o'clock. Friday Cloudy. Sewed in the morning. In the afternoon called on Mary R. but did not find her at home and made quite a long pleasant call on Harriet Strong. Attended prayer meeting with Father in the evening. S. W.? accompanied me home. He talked and appeared very well-- happened to be in a proper mood I suppose though I gave him no invitation to do so, he told me he would call soon. I replied that I should be pleased to see him.

utterly unable to realize my loss. Anne and Mary Emma came with Albert about ten o'clock, and just about that time Stan reached Brooklyn whither he had gone to bear the sad news to Harriet __ We retired late __ I slept from very weariness, and as if in mockery my dreams were what they seldom are at any other time -- of gayety and mirth and I would start from my slumber horrified at the thought: __ in every one Natty appeared as he was wont to do in his days of health and gladness, with the sparkle of joy in his eyes, and the flash of wit, and the kiss of affection on his dewy lips. How dreadful it was to awake, and feel how different was the reality. With the dawn the sobs that I could not restrain awoke Carrie and Annie who slept with me and we all wept together -- it seemed more than I could bear, and restless with pain I arose and paced the room and hall long before I could think of dressing. How clearly the morning rays brought back the recollection of him -- his was the first voice I used to hear at that hour and it was was his own sweet tones that called me to greet returning day. That voice, that step, it seemed as though I could hear them still, but I knew they would come no more. When at last I dressed I went first to Mother's room, she had not yet arisen but lay with her face buried in the pillow; __ when I spok to her how mournfully patient was the sad face that was turned toward me with sorrow written in every lineament. Father was up and appeared perfectly calm He in whom he had trusted had not forsaken him in the hour of trial. __ 'Twas a stricken family that bowed together that morning at the altar of prayer and every heart was heavy and every eye was dimmed __ our grief was quiet and subdued, but deep and bitter -- it was only