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Oct. 25-31
Hear a beautiful sermon from Mr. Butler.... Cousin Sarah Gilmer sends me a nice book, Morning and Night Watches. Little Dick has his first tooth. Such barking times as we are having with the bad colds. Ma is much better so we conclude to go on Monday 26th. Have a nice time going down. Meet Mr. B. Williams, an old Orange friend. Got down in time for dinner and are kindly received by the household. Find Mr. Pemberton there but am much disappointed when he tells us Prissie and Johnny Pem. are left at home; however, cousin Sop sends off for her in the evening and she is with us to breakfast on Wednesday morning; also Kate and Henry Eustace. Matrimony has made a decided change for the better in the latter. He charms me as a cousin, is much of a gentleman in his manners and is as kind as possible. Seems fond of his Minor relations and says some of his sunniest hours were spent in Albemarle. I'm introduced to his father, a pleasant old gentleman. Have a very bad cold the day after I get down but with the help of a mustard plaster and hot bath and keeping very closely in doors for a day on Wednesday I'm well enough to go to the fair. Visited the grounds again on Thursday and Friday and saw all that was to be seen. Some of the horses were very handsome, particularly Red Eye and Kosseth. The racing was exciting and seems the greatest attraction for both ladies and gentlemen. The display of needle work and fancy fixings were very small but some of the articles were exceedingly pretty and ingenious. Chickens were abundant from Shanghais as tall as a three years old child to the dearest little bantams not larger than pigeons. A great variety of ducks, geese and a pair of milk white turkeys. I had also a glimpse of a very sinister looking Buzzard feeding upon some kind of a fowl that looked and smells as if it might have been killed during the Dog Days. Two beautiful rabbits, a number of Guinea Pigs, White Bats, Pigeons and other small game were near neighbors. There was a great show of big potatoes, beets, onions and every variety of vegetables. Met with a great many friends on the Fair ground and many of them I have not seen for three or four years. The crowd of people was about the greatest sight I saw. Very cold damp weather. Have a merry time at Cousin Sops. Prissie and Mr. Pemberton, Kate and Henry Eustace, Bolling Picket and a part of the time, John Picket and May Bryce, beside Sue and I, making it great quarters. Mary, Molly, Betsy, Saidy, Gertie and Helen Macmurdo have also been with us. Hear several times from home. Ma is much better. Cousin Mildred and her big man George have made us a visit of a day and night, so Mammy E writes us. Betsy Hart calls to see us; she is the same smart little creature we all fell in love with last summer. Miss Hartley Graham and Mrs. Wirt Robinson also make us a call. Miss Hartley takes my fancy very much. I cannot help weaving a little web of romance about her. There must be some story of the heart connected with her life's history. On Saturday we went to the Mechanics Fair and what a treat it was. So many curiosities from foreign parts. A large collection of pictures, some of them very handsome and ingenious. One a picture of Washington crossing the Delaware on the memorable Dec. 25, 1776, and the blocks of ice were all formed of rock candy. Such a sweet picture. Then there was Hiawatha's wooing of Minnehaha Laughing Water, "handsomest of all the women in the land of handsome women." A great variety of fancy work, of leather, burrs, sheets and needle work of every description. I could fill a whole page and not have begun to list all of the strange, the passing strange sights that were before my eyes but I must not forget the American Eagle, a noble looking bird with his wings extended in real spread eagle style. Met with Cousin Peggie Nelson; quite a treat to see a familiar face among so many strange ones. On our return found Mr. Pemberton gone. See several of the Richmond beaux. They have such FFV [First Family of Virginia] names.
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