Viewing page 149 of 190

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

[[start page]]
[[underline]] Dec. [[/underline]]  [[underline]] 1867 [[/underline]]
1st  Monday.  A very great change in the weather, the pleasant warm days of Indian summer have been replaced by a cold as keen as any we experianced last winter.  Mrs. Stall a strong minded lady from Boston and her daughter came to-day.  She has written several books & rumour says has delivered political speeches.  We expected to see quite a masculine person but were agreeably disappointed ^[[in]] her  She is ladylike in appearance and very agreeable in conversation.  Her daughter is a pleasant healthy little thing.  She seems to have taken her Mother's personal appearance into her especial charge.  They have gone to take tea with Mrs. Baird where Father & Carry will join them after a call on Miss Chase.
2nd  The strong minded lady we still find very pleasant.  She went to visit the colored schools this morning & was much pleased with their appearance.  She asked Father after dinner how the Inst.
[[end page]]
[[start page]]
was supported.  Father told her the old story.  That Smithson was an illegitimate child of the Duke of Northumberland ashamed of his birth but declared that his name should yet live when the titles of the Percys & Northumberlands were forgotten.  The original bequest was %515,000.  The Hon. Richard Rush was sent to England to obtain it.  Father dined with him in London in company with Prof. Bache while he was attending to the Smithson money but Father had no idea then that he would have anything to do with the dispensing of it.  While Father was talking about the conduct of the Inst., the increase of Funds &c. Mr. Bartlett came in. He was just from Providence, Has been abroad during the summer & had greatly enjoyed his trip.  Told us of an interesting visit to Lepsius at Berlin.  He (Lepsius) is now about sixty but hale & active.  He went through the Egyptian museum
[[end page]]