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in Grant's curve up to Creek locks. I am reading "Yolande" by Wm Black to my mother and she is much interested. Her helplessness is very irksome to her and I look at her with a pity that I cannot express. She does not seem able to mover her foot and hand at all now. I answered Mr. Pages letter of inquiry concerning Thos. McEntee to Mr. Sawyer today.

Monday Oct. 29 1883 I have had such an eventful day. It has rained hard all day. Parcell the carpenter came this morning and finished the packing of all the boxes for Booth. Opening the three boxes in the barn in which were the statues we found the mice had taken possession. In the box with "Venus" we found a little family. There were three little mice in the nest which the carpenter gave to the cats who gobbled them down like oysters. The poor mother hid amid the ruins of her home which she fondly hoped she had provided against the winter but Henry rooted the poor frightened little thing out and put his foot (a heavy one) upon her. I confess it gave me a pang to break up this snug home notwithstanding they had sadly discolored the marbles. the carpenter finished at 11 o'clock and I pushed the few remaining things in the little storeroom over the carriage house myself. In getting out Booths things I came upon some of my own packed away when we broke up our little home. In a box were a quantity of dear Gertrudes letter to me and of mine to her which I shall take the sweetest satisfaction in reading over and hearing again her loving voice our of that happy past. In this same box were many other dear relics of her and among them the boquet she held in her hand at our marriage. A mouse had made her nest from the soft paper wrapped about it. What a thrill the sight of this poor faded crumbled thing gave me and how all that happy day showered over me again. I have been reading this evening a few of my letter to her connected with events I had almost forgotten. What a pleasure I have in store reading her to me. Now all of Booths things are packed and only have to be marked and sent on Wednesday. While I was engaged at this I sent henry to keep Sara and she has had the sitting room and parlor carpets put down and those rooms are all in order for the winter. Last year poor Maurice and I did this. I came upon the Herald with a notice in the shipping news of the speaking the "Skylark" in which ship Maurice was in 1856. I will remember reading it on my way up from the strand and how my eyes filled with grateful tears for we had had no tidings of the ship for a long time. How it brought the poor boy back to me.