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said we ought to be obliged to him as he had added a clause to some bill exempting dressmakers from a certain tax so that we might hope to appear well at a lower rate of [[prices?]] if the Senate was refractory.  Mr. Sumner said he would not oppose the bill certainly as he had been honoured by a call from Madame Demarest herself to induce him to favor it and had commenced his suit by saying she must thank him for his public course in regard to slavery &c &c. showing herself as skillful in diplomacy as in dressmaking.  Before we went to the Wilkes Father had a call from Count[[ Lasteyrie?]] the grandson of Lafayette who has come to this country to make good his claim [[underline]]to some[[/underline]] estates inherited by him through his great progenitor.
23rd  Mary dined with Mrs. Hooper  Carry went with her to take tea
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May [[underline]]1866[[/underline]]
at the Observatory.
24  Mary Felton went to Mt. Vernon.  Jack Gillis & Dr. Tryon came in the evening.  Mary was particularly pleased with the former.  Father dined with Mr. Hooper in company with Mr. Sumner and the two [[Lasteyries?]] Father & son.
25.  M. F. went to Arlington.  Gen. Schencks daughter came with Col. Woodhull and another military officer to play croquet.  Mr. Beaman was also here.  At dinner Father showed us a small piece of a basket wh. had been found in making some excavations in an island near New Orleans, beneath the bones of an elephant of a species now extinct and of wh. no traces have hitherto been discovered upon this continent.  The specimen of basketwork was exceedingly interesting as indicating the great age of man.  In looked at it, it seemed impossible that it could be so old, to have been made prior to when we have supposed our old friend or enemy Adam to have appeared in the world.  I confess I feel somewhat skeptical about it.  it was found
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