neglected to
mention the birth of a little white dove.

I never observed, until the present season, how long and late the
twilight lingers in these longest days. The orange hue of the western
horizon remains till ten o'clock, at least, and how much later I am
unable to say. The night before last, I could distinguish letters by
this lingering gleam between nine and ten o'clock. The dawn, I suppose,
shows itself as early as two o'clock, so that the absolute dominion of
night has dwindled to almost nothing. There seems to be also a
diminished necessity, or, at all events, a much less possibility, of
sleep than at other periods of the year. I get scarcely any sound repose
just now. It is summer, and not winter, that steals away mortal life.
Well, we get the value of what is taken from us.

* * * * *

_Saturday, July 1._--We had our first dish of green peas (a very small
one) yesterday. Every day for the last week has been tremendously hot;
and our garden flourishes like Eden itself, only Adam could hardly have
been doomed to contend with such a ferocious banditti of weeds.

* * * * *

_Sunday, July 9._--I know not what to say, and yet cannot be satisfied
without marking with a word or two this anniversary.... But life now
swells and heaves beneath me like a brim-full ocean; and the endeavor to
comprise any portion of it in words is like trying to dip up the ocean
in a goblet.... God bless and keep us! for there is something more awful
in happiness than in sorrow,--the latter being earthly and finite, the
former composed of the substance and texture of eternity, so that
spirits still embodied may well tremble at it.

* * * * *

_July 18._--This morning I gathered our first summer-squashes. We should
have had them some days earlier, but for the loss of two of the vines,
either by a disease of the roots or by those infernal bugs. We have had
turnips and carrots several times. Currants are now ripe, and we are in
the full enjoyment of cherries, which turn out much more delectable than
I anticipated. George Hillard and Mrs. Hillard paid us a visit on
Saturday last. On Monday afternoon he left us, and Mrs. Hillard still
remains here.

* * * * *

_Friday, July 28._--We had green corn for dinner yesterday, and shall
have some more to-day, not quite full grown, but sufficiently so to be
palatable. T