at will be of use in writing another paper, in case I am called
upon. I might be asked unexpectedly for certain occasions, if anybody
happened to be prevented from coming to a meeting.

I have not yet thought of a subject, but I think that is not of as much
consequence as to gather the ideas. It seems as if the ideas might
suggest the subject, even if the subject does not suggest the ideas.

Now, often a thought occurs to me in the midst, perhaps, of conversation
with others; but I forget it afterwards, and spend a great deal of time
in trying to think what it was I was thinking of, which might have been
very valuable.

I have indeed, of late, been in the habit of writing such thoughts on
scraps of paper, and have often left the table to record some idea that
occurred to me; but, looking up the paper and getting ready to write it,
the thought has escaped me.

Then again, when I have written it, it has been on the backs of
envelopes or the off sheet of a note, and it has been lost, perhaps
thrown into the scrap-basket. Amanda is a little careless about such
things; and, indeed, I have before encouraged her in throwing away old
envelopes, which do not seem of much use otherwise, so perhaps she is
not to blame.

* * * * *

The more I think of it, the more does it seem to me there would be an
advantage if everybody should have the same number to their houses,--of
course not everybody, but everybody acquainted. It is so hard to
remember all the numbers; the streets you are not so likely to forget.
Friends might combine to have the same number. What made me think of it
was that we do have the same number as the Easterlys. To be sure, we are
out of town, and they are in Boston; but it makes it so convenient, when
I go into town to see the Easterlys, to remember that their number is
the same as ours.

* * * * *

Agamemnon has lost his new silk umbrella. Yet the case was marked with
his name in full, and the street address and the town. Of course he left
the case at home, going out in the rain. He might have carried it with
the address in his pocket, yet this would not have helped after losing
the umbrella. Why not have a pocket for the case in the umbrella?

* * * * *

In shaking the dust from a dress, walk slowly backwards. This prevents
the dust from falling directly on the dress again.

* * * *