expression that "La Princesse" wore in former days has vanished, and
the fond young mother, grouped with her two little children is prettier
than ever.


_June 15_.

I feel singularly indolent, and indisposed to journalize this evening.
Perhaps it is the result of two hours spent in croquet, a game in which
I am very unproficient and therefore find decidedly wearisome; but
Gabrielle, who is the best croquet player in Chappaqua, is in the city
to-day, and my feeble assistance was necessary to make up the quartette.

Two entire hours spent in this game seem quite an unwarrantable loss of
time, but we have had a guest from New York to-day, and therefore both
Plato and Kohlrausch have remained under lock and key in the library.

I think no one enjoys the country more thoroughly than a physician when
he can escape from his patients for a holiday, and Dr. Howe, our
visitor of to-day, was not an exception. This gentleman is, I fancy,
quite young in his profession, for his figure is of almost boyish
slenderness; his face, too, which reminds one somewhat of Shelley in
its delicacy and brightness, and its dark eyes and luxuriant curls, is
quite youthful for a fully fledged M.D.

Dr. Howe returned from Europe some months since, and brought us a
letter of introduction from a friend of mamma's in Florence; but owing
to mamma's long illness and the seclusion in which we lived last
winter, we have not seen him many times.