Sept. 16-22
Go to the brick church and heard such a fine sermon from Dr. McGuffey, "Let die the death of the righteous and
let my last end be like his." The charateristics of both Balaam and Balak were viewed from several new points
to me. Monday I feel quite low as it is being too hard for me to go home. I do not get off until evening when
brother Jim takes me up in the Rockaway. Get home before night and find them all well as usual and right glad
to see me. Are inclined to grumble that I should have stayed away so long. David and Sam are both here. David
soon got enough of Lexington and gave himself leave to take up the march for home. I found a very long letter
from Sue waiting for me which I answer in the next few days. Both Peck [her cat] and Bruno [her dog] have
improved very much during my absence. Bruno has had a long severe spell of sickness but it seems to have
ended in his improvement. I go to work in real earnest as Sue talks of coming up the middle of October and
says I must be ready to return with her. Do a good batch of reading. Robert comes by and spends a day and
night with us. His fate has been decided. He is braver than I thought him. Oh, if it would only make a man of
him ....Go to town on Saturday and do some of Sister Mary's shopping. Dick has his likeness taken, which is
very good. [At this point in the journal, Louisa h copied four pages of poems about the death and burial of a
child.]