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[[underline]]1868[[/underline]]
travels in Abyssinia for amusement.  The impeachment trial commenced[[strikethrough]]ment[[/strikethrough]] again to day.  Long speech from Gen. Butler.
The lectures of wh. Father gave the opening one this evening are a course of 24 to be delivered [[strikethrough]]here?[[/strikethrough]] under the auspices of the Columbian College on the plan proposed many years ago by Mr. Corcoran & in the building erected by him for this purpose & now the National Medical College.  Have been enjoying Gen. Bidwell's candy.  He sent me a [[pound?]] on Saturday by the girls.  I have been in high favor since its sweet arrival.  My popularity is rapidly decreasing.
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[[underline]]April[[/underline]][[underline]]1868[[/underline]]
4th Sat.  Lottie left us this morning.  The club met here this evening.  H. Ellet & I made some drawings to illustrate Father's discourse.  Sec. McCollock said he was in his happiest mood.  Father gave me a slight sketch of it after the gentlemen left.  His subject was the importance & place of theory or hypothesis in science illustrated by the theories & speculations in regard to light.
Theory is at first a simple explanation of certain phenomena but in studying these phenomena in the light of the hypothesis advanced for their explanation in their various relations new facts are discovered, [[strikethrough]]to[[/strikethrough]] additions must be made to the hypothesis to meet these facts and in time the theory wh. was at first simple becomes so complex that it is abandoned and another substituted
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