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 THE RANDALL FAMILY 75

as it was too late to go to church [I never knew him to go to church, but that was the way in which he evaded my innocent proposal to go], we went to Dea. Meade's house ; he married Mr. Randall's uncle's widow, and so could claim a kind of relationship. We stayed a little while, and just before tea we went on an excursion on the banks of Boone's lake, a large sheet of water near the Deacon's. It was hard work struggling through the woods and underbrush, but we worked along to the end of the lake. He found me some shells, quite pretty. We returned, and took tea, and afterwards we went home. It rained a little. In the evening Mr. Randall read, in Burns, some of his best pieces.

'' Monday, May ^. This morning we did not rise with the sun for this reason : the sun did not rise at all to Stow ! It was rather late when we got up, but, when we did, we ate breakfast. Afterwards it was so rainy that we could not go out, so we stayed at home. Mr. Randall read in 'John Bull,' a book which describes the travels of a gen- uine Englishman in America and is of the Gulliver kind, a humorous satire on travellers' tales. About noon we found that we must have exercise, so we sallied forth for a short walk in the woods, wet as it was. So we went off, and saw a natural causeway, probably built by the first settlers or the Indians. We went home in a little while, and ate supper, after which Mr. Randall read in 'John Bull.' We went to bed about ten or eleven and lay awake till twelve, each composing alternate lines of poetry.

" Tuesday, May 6. We were up late this morning, too, and after dressing, as a matter of course, we went down stairs and ate breakfast. When we had done eating, we got into the chaise and rode to Marlborough. I should consider the vehicle unique, as it can be either a four-

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