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[[underline]] Jan [[underline]]     [[underline]] 1864 [[underline]]
he was too young a man to speak before so learned a society That his post was the post of danger outside the bomb proof & he always wished it to be so except on such occasions as the present. Prof. Pierce who was surrounded by ladies said that outside the bomb proof must generally be the post of danger but he had [[never?]] he thought ^[[with an expressive glance at the the ladies]] been in greater danger than at this especial moment [[underline]] within [[underline]] this bomb proof. The man who made the bomb proof was then called out. He felt diffident about [[speaking?]] before such an Assembly [[strikethrough]] & [[strikethrough]] after such speech had been made &c. Whatever he might say he was sure he could not [[underline]] bring down the house [[underline]]. Mr. Rutherford made a very pretty [[classic?]] speech. Prof Barnard made a long speech very complimentary to Prof [[Agassiz?]] to which that Gentleman replied  [[Gir.?]] [[Haig?]] expressed his pleasure at the delightful day we had enjoyed. Corn. Hodges replied to the [[?]] to the Navy. other speechs follow with toasts to the President & vice President of the Academy & to the Sec. of the [[Smith.?]]. The dinner ended we visited Arlington and [[then?]] proceeded homeward.
In the evening Mrs [[Agassiz?]] amused [[end page]]

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[[underline]] Jan. [[underline]]     [[underline]] 1864 [[underline]]
us with some incidents in the beginning of her married life. Going one Sunday morning to her shoe closet she found a snake coiled up in the toe of one of her slippers. Springing back in horror she called out Oh [[Agasiz?]] there's a snake in my shoe. Oh dear said the sleepy naturalist I wonder ^[[where]] the others are. Mrs. A. retreated [[precipitatly?]] from the rooms. Coming in the night before with a number of snakes tied up in a handkerchief the Prof. had left them forgotten upon the table & the reptiles had of course made their escape. Another time a jar was sent to the house containing as she supposed Jamaca ginger. She placed it among her preserves & [[taking?]] it down sometime after to supply her table was horrified to find it filled with toads & snails. She restored [[it?]] to the delighted Prof who had been bemoaning the loss of his valuable specimens. Before the Prof was married he [[had?]] a bachelor's establishment the cellar of which was occupied by a pet bear. One [[evening?]] he had [[invited?]] some of his companions to sup with them. In the midst of their conviviality they were startled by heavy unsteady footsteps upon the stair leading from the cellar [[?]] [[?]] [[?]] when [[?]] were. Presently [[end page]]