y_ 21.--Been at the hall all day, trimming the room. Mr.
Thompson and Mr. Backus came down and if they had not helped us we would
not have done much. Mr. Backus put up all the principal drapery and made
it look beautiful.

_February_ 22.--At the hall all day. The fair opened at 2 p.m. We had
quite a crowd in the evening and took in over three hundred dollars.
Charlie Hills and Ellsworth Daggett stayed there all night to take care
of the hall. We had a fish pond, a grab-bag and a post-office. Anna says
they had all the smart people in the post-office to write the
letters,--Mr. Morse, Miss Achert, Albert Granger and herself. Some one
asked Albert Granger if his law business was good and he said one man
thronged into his office one day.

_February_ 23.--We took in two hundred dollars to-day at the fair. We
wound up with an auction. We asked Mrs. George Willson if she could not
write a poem expressing our thanks to Mr. Backus and she stepped aside
for about five minutes and handed us the following lines which we sent
to him. We think it is about the nicest thing in the whole fair.

"In ancient time the God of Wine
They crowned with vintage of the vine,
And sung his praise with song and glee
And all their best of minstrelsy.
The Backus whom we honor now
Would scorn to wreathe his generous brow
With heathen emblems--better he
Will love our gratitude to see
Expressed in all the happy faces
Assembled in these pleasant places.
May joy attend his footsteps here
And crown him in a brighter sphere."

_February_ 24.--Susie Daggett and I went to the hall this morning to
clean up. We sent back the dishes, not one broken, and disposed of
everything but the tables and stoves, which were to be taken away this
afternoon. We feel quite satisfied with the receipts so far, but the
expenses will be considerable.

In _Ontario County Times_ of the following week we find this card of
thanks:

_February_ 28.--The Fair for the benefit of the Freedmen, held in the
Town Hall on Thursday and Friday of last week was eminently successful,
and the young ladies take this method of returning their sincere thanks
to the people of Canandaigua and vicinity for their generous
contributions and liberal patronage. It being the first public
enterprise in which the Society has ventured independently, the young
ladies were somewhat fearful of the result, but having met with such
generous responses from ev