After breakfast, wrote journal. Went out shopping and returning cards; called on Mrs. ——, and was let in. I like her; she is a nice person, with agreeable manners. Came home at about half-past two; put out things for the theatre; dined at three. After dinner, pottered about clothes till time to go to the theatre. The house was very good. My benefit—play, Much Ado about Nothing. I played very well. I am much improved in my comedy acting. Came home in a coach—it poured with rain. What a stupid day! The accounts of cholera in New Orleans are frightful; they have the yellow fever there too. Poor people! what an awful visitation!
Tuesday, 20th.
After breakfast, wrote journal. At twelve, went and called upon Mrs. ——: the day was bright, but bitter cold, with a keen piercing wind that half cut one in half, and was delicious. The servant denied Mrs. ——; but we had hardly turned from the door when both the ladies came rushing after us, with nothing on their heads and necks, and thin summer gowns on. They brought us into a room where there was a fire fit to roast an ox. No wonder the women here are delicate and subject to cold, and die of consumption. Here were these sitting absolutely in an oven, in clothes fit only for the hottest days in summer, instead of wrapping themselves up well, and trotting out, and warming their blood wholesomely with good hard exercise. The pretty Mrs. —— looks very sickly, and coughs terribly. Her beauty did not strike me so much to-day. I do not admire any body who looks as if a puff of wind would break them in half, or a drop of water soak them through. I greatly prefer her sister's looks, who certainly is not pretty, but tall and straight, and healthy-looking, and springy as a young thing ought to be. Was introduced to a most enchanting young Newfoundland dog, whom I greatly coveted. Settled to ride to-morrow, if fine. Called at ——'s, also at a furrier's about cap, and came home. Found —— and —— with my father. What a very bad expression of face the former has; sneering and false—terrible! I looked at —— with much respect. I like his spirit, as it shines through his works, greatly. He was a pale sickly-looking man, without any thing at all remarkable in the expression of his countenance. While they were here, Mr. —— called to settle about to-morrow. He is a nice person, sensible and civil, and civil in the right way. Arrangements were made for dear ——'s going, which I rejoiced in greatly. I do not like at all leaving her behind. When the folks were gone, put out things for the theatre. While doing so, Mr. —— and Mr. and Mrs. —— called. Great discoursing about horses and horsemanship. Dined at three. After dinner, put fur upon my habit. At half-past five, went to the theatre. House very good; play, Hunchback. By the by, Colonel —— called to-day, to entreat me to go and see his "Honour, the Recorder," who had sent me tickets of admission to the town-hall, to see —— receive the freedom of the city. I could not go, because of our horseback expedition—this by the way. I played so-soish. —— was at the play; and at the end, somebody in the house exclaimed, "Three cheers for ——!" whereupon a mingled chorus of applause and hisses arose. The Vice-president looked rather silly, and acknowledged neither the one nor the other. How well I remember the Duke of —— coming to the orchestra to see this play, the night before it was expected the Whigs would go out. I dare say he knew little enough what the Hunchback was about. I do not think the people noticed him, however; so the feeling of the pulse must have been unsatisfactory. Mr. —— said to Modus to-night in the play, speaking of me, "a change of linen will suffice for her." How absurd! we were all dying on the stage. Came home; supped:—looked at silks; chose a lovely rose-coloured one to line my Portia dress; with which good deed my day ended.
Wednesday, 21st.
Looked at the sun, and, satisfied with his promise, went to bed again, and slept till half-past eight. After breakfast, wrote to his honour, the Recorder, an humble apology in true Old Bailey style. Wrote journal, and began practising. Mrs. —— called before I was out of my bed to tell us that the ——'s were not going, but that either her husband or her brother-in-law would be too glad to go in the gig with D——. This, however, the latter refused, not choosing, as she said, to make any young man do the penance of keeping her company on a party of pleasure. Dear good old D——! I was vexed and provoked; but it could not be helped. At eleven, —— came for me. I found Mrs. —— in the carriage waiting for me. We adjourned to Warren Street, where were assembled all the party. While we waited for our horses, Neptune, the beautiful Newfoundland, was admitted, and amused himself by prancing over tables, and chairs, and sofas, to his own infinite delight, and the visible benefit of the furniture. Our steeds having arrived, we mounted and began to progress. Myself, and Mrs. ——, her husband, his brother, ——, and papa ——, Dr. ——, Mrs. ——'s brother, and Mr. ——, nephew, I believe, of the Irish patriot, were the equestrians of the party. After, followed Mr. —— and Mrs. ——, all be-coated and be-furred, in the stanhope. After, followed the ammunition-waggon, containing a negro servant, Neptune, and sundry baskets of champagne, cake, and cherry bounce. Away we rushed down Broadway, to the infinite edification of its gaping multitudes. Mr. —— had gotten me an enchanting horse that trotted like an angel. So, in spite of Major ——'s awful denunciation of "disgusting," I had a delicious hard trot all through the streets, rising in my saddle like a lady, or rather, a gentleman. My habit seemed to excite considerable admiration and approbation, and indeed it was great. Crossed the Brooklyn ferry in the steam-boat, and safely landed on the opposite side. The whole army defiled; the stanhope taking the van, the horses forming the main body, and the provisions bringing up the rear. Our party separated constantly, as we progressed, into various groups, but I remained chiefly with Dr. ——, Mr. ——, and old Mr. ——. By the by, those ——s are a charming family; for Mrs. —— sits straight in her saddle, and the Doctor settled, when we started, that when he had despatched his patients, he would call for D—— in the gig, and come down to meet us at the fort. Our ride thither was extremely agreeable: the day was clear, cold, and grey; a delightful day for riding. I trotted to my heart's content; and kept my blood warm, and my spirits like champagne, till we reached the fort, when, at sight of the Narrows, and the Sandy Hook lighthouse, they sank deep, deep down.
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The sea lay grey and still, without a wave or scarce a ripple. A thousand light skiffs, of various shapes, lay upon the leaden waters. The sky was a fine heap of heavy purple clouds, from behind which the sun shot down his rays, which threw a melancholy wan lustre on the sea beneath them. 'Twas a sad and beautiful scene. The colouring of the whole was gloomily harmonious; and the dark shores and grey expanse of water blended solemnly with the violet-coloured curtain of the heavens. We went over the fort. 'Tis a fortification of no great size, or, I should think, strength; but its position, which commands the narrow entrance to the bay of New York, effectually checks the pass, and guards the watery defile that leads to the city of Mammon. We looked at the guns and powder-magazine, walked round the walls, and peeped into the officers' quarters, and then descended to seek where we might eat and be satisfied. Mrs. —— is a very nice creature: she looks the picture of good temper—never stands still a minute; and as we rode along to-day, when, fearing she might be cold, I asked her how she found herself, she replied, with perfect innocence and sincerity, "Oh, delightful!" which made us all scream. We knocked up the quarters of an old woman who kept a cottage, not exactly young love's humble shed, but good enough for our purpose. We got sundry logs of wood, and made a blazing fire; moreover, the baskets were opened, and presently we presented the interesting spectacle of a dozen people each with a lump of cake in one hand, and a champagne glass in the other. Mr. —— and Mrs. —— stuck to the cherry bounce, and, as we afterwards heard, drove home accordingly. Having discussed, we remounted, and set forwards home by another road; a very lovely one, all along the river side. Ere we had progressed long, we met D—— and Dr. —— in the gig. The nice good man had kept his word, and gone to fetch her. They had met Mr. ——'s equipage going cherry-bounce pace, it seems, two miles ahead of us. The men here are never happy unless they are going full speed. 'Tis no wonder their horses are good for nothing: they would ruin any horses that were good for any thing.[61] Such unskilful horsemanship I never saw: going full tear; crossing one another in every direction; knocking up against one another; splashing through puddles because they have no hand over their horses, and either overshooting their point, or being half thrown at every turn of the road, for the same reason. Came home full speed, and arrived at half-past four, having ridden, I should think, nearly twenty miles. Found Mrs. —— at home. They pressed me very much to stay dinner with them; but my father expected me, and I would not. That worthy youth, ——, insisted upon my accepting his beautiful large dog, Neptune, which I did conditionally, in case Mr. —— should fail me, which I think a very improbable case indeed. They ordered the carriage, and Mr. —— persisted in seeing me home in it, much to my annoyance, as 'twas a very useless ceremony indeed. Did not dishabit, but dined en amazone.
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Gave D—— her muff and tippet, which are exceedingly magnificent. After dinner, pottered about, and dressed at once. Played on the piano till nine, when we adjourned to ——'s. A complete "small party, my dear." Dr. —— was there, whom I was glad to see; also Mrs. ——; also Mr. and Miss ——; also that Mrs. ——, who is utter horror and perturbation of spirit to me; also ——; also ——; all our riding party, and a world besides. After a little time, dancing was proposed; and I stood up to waltz with Mr. ——, who observed that Dr. —— was gone, as he never chose to be present while waltzing was going on. I felt shocked to death that unconsciously I should have been instrumental in driving him away, and much surprised that those who knew his disapprobation of waltzing should have proposed it. However, he was gone, and did not return. Therefore I waltzed myself out of my conscientious remorse. Sang them Fanny Gray, and Ye Mariners of Spain. Danced sundry quadrilles; and, finally, what they called a Kentucky reel,—which is nothing more than Sir Roger de Coverley turned Backwoodsman—and afterwards a "foursome reel." Played magic music; and, finally, at one o'clock, came home, having danced myself fairly off my legs.