Maud Wood Park Papers (Woman's Rights Collection). Personal and Biographical. "Journal for the year 1880.". WRC-Pa, folder Pa-1. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.

cuffs & front of the gown were heavily braided in white & the whole had a trim perfectly appearance very becoming Monday Oct to her slight graceful figure. Ned had heard May say that Mabel's fiancee had been called west unexpectedly the thought that as she look bored [husband?] that was & why she appeared so abstracted Maud Wood jour Not seeing anyone else whom he cared to speak to just then he went over to her for he greatly admired beauty & Mabel was beautiful. He used to tell May that if Mabel could only talk a little every body would rave over her. Why [?] Phillips about Miss Saunders he asked as he took the seat beside her. Oh I don't know something about one of the new plays she replied then you don't care for plays he said thinking that anyone who wanted to interest her had a hard [trick?] Yes I like them she said that is I like some but Mr Phillips talks as though it were one of the most important things in the world whether the heroine commits suicide & gets married in the last act. I can't see that it makes much difference to ordinary people. Oh then you think that if people don't trouble themselves about the affairs that don't concern them directly they're better off, he said. I don't supose I think much about it anyway she said but I don't see any sense in getting so interested in anything that isn't real & doesn't exist except in somebody's imagination she replied. Then you would have liked to have lived in the Middle Ages when people acted

without stopping why when they did it. I don't know what I like she said or at least I don't know when I would like to have lived. I suppose life is very much The Little Doves alike. You too young to be [inning?] is Miss Saunders Ned said Now I know ever so many things s that you like you like to dance & to playt tennis & to ride & ever so many other things & you do them all well. She flushed & said hastily yes I like to do anything that is doing but I hate to have to stop & talk about them I don't know how. Dear me what a hopeless sort of girl thought Harry but very exceptional. It isn't that I wouldn't like [her?] or that I don't like to hear other people but somehow I can't. She seemed to feel so sorry about it that Ned tried to do all he could to [contrive?] take away the feeling though thinking all the time that she was greatly to be pitied for not being able to get outside herself. Chance brought him near her severaltimes that evening & he found that he had considerably more to say to her than usual & she in return talked a remarkable amount for her. She asked told him that she & [Jim?] would be glad to have him come up as he used to do three or four years before & Ned made up his mind that he would go for the sake of studying her if nothing else. I don't believe the fellow she is engaged to half understands her he said to himself. [?] Before long Mrs Merriam & May were interrupted by the entrance of Mr Merriam. He was a

large man with a very full face & a deep but not unpleasant voice. He greeted May who was sitting on a hassock at Monday Oct Mrs Merriam's feet laughingly & said that it was a pity either neither she or his wife was a man they were so [strong?] [the?] each other I should need to get a divorce for you'd cut me out in double-quick time May but as long as you're a girl I won't get jealous & Madame is pretty enough to have more admirers isn't she he asked May as he came & stood behind Mrs Merriam's chair & [?] there besides he went on it's about Maud Wood's Journal for the montime for you to be finding some one else to fall in love with ths of Oct. Nov. 1880 May you know we're [?] only waiting until you tell us the happy fellow to congratulate you, May disclaimed all intention of this sort & Mrs Merriam picked up the book they had been reading. Look here Helen he said Mrs Merriam's name was Helen do you suppose a girl like May is interested in a book of miscellaneous essays nonsense talk to her about her beaux & you'll see a difference I'm willing to bet it's all well enough for anybody that's that May wouldn't rather think about the good times she's had & plan for the ones she's going to have. So saying he went to take off his overcoat & Mrs Merriam & May got up with a feeling that their pleasant hour was desecrated by they hardly knew why.) Harry rather avoided May that evening & it was not difficult to do for [there?] was with her almost con-

stantly & even Ned did not get much chance to talk to her. Violet Wilson who was indignant at [Jim's?] desertion of her was glad of an opportunity to monopolize [lots of?] things in retaliation. And Violet could be very charming. May was suprised at herself when she got home that night to think she had noticed and minded a little Harry's ardent admiration of Miss Wilson. The next day May was surprised by a call from Mabel Saunders. She rarely went to see any of the girls unless to attend to some for a special reason, & May this time waited expecting to find out what it was that had brought her friend, but she waited in vain. May talked about [anything?] Mrs Merriam's little party the birth-day dance that Mabel was to have and other [?les?] & after a while Mabel said she must go. She was a very undemonstrative girl & it occurred to May as very strange that after she had said rather finally I hope you'll come to see me soon she put her arms about May & said please do dear I want you to do something for me. Of course I will replied May but sit down & tell me what it is then now. Mabel submitted to being drawn down to a lounge rrrrrrrrrr but then her old difficulty in expressing herself seemed to come up for it was only after much coaxing that May succeeded in getting her to say that I want you to show me how it is you make people like you so much. I want to have friends & I like but I don't know how to make them know it. It was well May had this little drop of comfort this satisfaction of feeling that she

was popular & did have friends for [home?] matters grew worse. The model now completed and dispatched to Washington Monday Oct 25 1880 & they I have decided waited in anxiety to see if it would go through the patent-office. For a day or two the lawyers telegraphed that they must have Wednesday Oct 27 more money there was complaint of an infringement & they would have to prove I went to school this morning and this afternoon an to-night I played tag with Flora and they boys nothing g particular has happened that the patent model did not [whisper?] with other patents. The money was sent & then there was a week of suspense. At the end of that time the legal documents arrived & it was found that a few main points had received -- -- -- but the main improvement the great purpose for which the model invention had been discussed had been refused a patent. It was a terrible blow to the [Stones?]. Mr Stone had been building for weeks on his expectations from this direction & even the children had planned what they would do when the fortune that was to come from the invention arrived. It had seemed so certain the invention on which this infringed was something intended for an entirely different purpose but which made use of the same a similar mechanical contrivance. That night May dressed to go to Mabel Saunders's party with a feeling of utter despair the gloom at home was terrible