fourteen were there every night, except the night there was no school;
and I have been told they all had on their things to come that night,
but their mothers would not let them,--those that had mothers,--and they
would have been blown away if they had come.

It seems to me the report does not present the case right, on account of
the averages.

I think it is indeed the common things that trouble one to decide about,
as I have said, since for the remarkable ones one can have advice. The
way we do on such occasions is to ask our friends, especially the lady
from Philadelphia.

Whatever we should have done without her, I am sure I cannot tell, for
her advice is always inestimable. To be sure, she is not always here;
but there is the daily mail (twice from here to Boston), and the
telegraph, and to some places the telephone.

But for some common things there is not time for even the telephone.

* * * * *

Yesterday morning, for instance, going into Boston in the early train,
I took the right side for a seat, as is natural, though I noticed that
most of the passengers were crowding into the seats on the other side.
I found, as we left the station, that I was on the sunny side, which was
very uncomfortable. So I made up my mind to change sides, coming out.
But, unexpectedly, I stayed in till afternoon at Mrs. Easterly's. It
seems she had sent a note to ask me (which I found at night all right,
when I got home), as Mr. Easterly was away. So I did not go out till