mber of youth too timid
to venture in, who peeped at us from the windows, I should say that
young ladies are curiosities just now in Madisonville.

Tuesday, April 14th.

Ah! another delightful glimpse of society has been offered to our
charmed view. Such a treat has not often fallen to our lot. Good Mrs.
Greyson, in her anxiety to make all around her happy, determined we
should have a dance. I should say "Miriam"; for Mrs. Bull and Mrs. Ivy
never indulge in such amusements, and I can't; so it must have been for
Miriam alone. Such a crew! The two ladies above mentioned and I almost
laughed ourselves into hysterics. Poor Miriam, with a tall, slender
Texan who looked as though he had chopped wood all his life, moved
through the dance like the lady in "Comus"; only, now and then a burst
of laughter at the odd mistakes threatened to overcome her dignity. We
who were fortunately exempt from the ordeal, laughed unrestrainedly at
the melee. One danced entirely with his arms; his feet had very little
to do with the time. One hopped through with a most dolorous expression
of intense absorption in the arduous task. Another never changed a
benign smile that had appeared on entering, but preserved it unimpaired
through every accident. One female, apparently of the tender age of
thirty, wore a yellow muslin, with her hair combed rigidly _a la
chinoise_, and tightly fastened at the back of her head in a knot whose
circumference must have been fully equal to that of a dollar. In
addition to other charms, she bore her neck and chin in a very peculiar
manner, as though she were looking over the fence, Mr. Christmas
remarked. Mr. Christmas had ridden all the way from Ponchatoula to see
us, and if it had not been for him, Mr. Worthington, and Dr.
Capdevielle, who came in after a while, I think I should have expired,
and even Miriam would have given up in despair. The Doctor was an old
friend of Harry's, though we never met him before.

Thursday, April 16th.

Mr. Halsey brought us each a little tortoise-shell ring he had made for
us by his camp-fire, as a keepsake, and of course we promised to wear
them for him, particularly as they make our hands look as white as
possible. Towards sunset, in spite of prayers and entreaties from
Miriam, who insisted that I was too feeble to attempt it, I insisted on
walking out to the bench by the river to en