I first heard of Mr. Hempstead in the winter of 1869-70. Aunt Mary,
who was then commencing to fail, went with Ida to Nassau to spend the
cold months. Her state-room, engaged at the last moment, was a very
uncomfortable one, and Mr. Hempstead, then purser of the _Eagle_, gave
up for her use a large deck state-room with three windows--a great
comfort to Aunt Mary, who was always so partial to an airy bedroom.
The voyage proved, however, a very stormy one, and the waves dashed in
through these three windows, quite drenching poor Ida, who suffered so
much from sea-sickness as to be quite indifferent to danger or
discomfort.

In writing to me after reaching Nassau, Ida mentioned Mr. Hempstead in
a few words:

"The purser was an agreeable and gentlemanly officer, and so kind to
mamma."

She did not, however, mention his name, and I never knew it till last
summer.

After their return to New York, in the spring of 1870, Aunt Mary
invited Mr. Hempstead to visit them at Chappaqua, as she felt under
some obligations to him for having given her his state-room, and
subsequently executed some little commissions for her, between New York
and Nassau. He came out here, and made a visit of a week. In July of
the same year. Aunt Mary and Ida went abroad, and from that time the
acquaintance dropped. That he admired Ida know, but how any one could
manufacture an engagement from such slight material, I cannot imagine.