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January [Centered] Tuesday, Monday 28 28 [Left] 1873

We have got recreation and also priveleges for the day! Spend most of the afternoon down at the village. In the morning I practiced my speech. This is the last day. I will be free till next year. Part of my time was employed looking at the "sun," not the heavenly sun but the worldly or N.Y. sun; still another bad attempt. My many efforts to free space with harsh if my shock of news is small is something like the youth who unable to sing or play upon any weatherment pervaded his fair one with duties whistled so sweetly that-where. He went to cross the fence he found that he had gathered recently five animals rejoicing with the sweetly sounding names of bulldogs. Flutter more as that young man at the neglect of the new advocates of musical talent shut up and left I think in this case at least. I will do the cause. no sooner paid them it was done and with a winking of the eye I was in my bed and fast asleep.

[Centered] Wednesday, Tuesday 29.

Today I am to speak. After a long waiting of over a month the day has at last arrived. Even the hover is at hand. Papa, Mary, Uncle Williams and Aunt Sue are prepared. The music begins. The opening song "The DesFaut Chimes" is finished and H.A. forms steps upon the blade. He gets through splendidly. Johnson Dowd is next and gets through well. A piano solo and Tom Fallon presents his "Slurpe of Moosenne". And now it is my turn. Before I know where I am I am speaking. Alice put me in wrong place makes me skip or three papers. Unknown to anyone except those who have heard my speech three or four times, I entrace go back not one word of prompting. I done to papa's poetry as I end its final verse. I am enthusiastically clapped. I come down amid great applause. I have done well. Papa and all are pleased. Hurrah! H.A. Barley, M.D. Downes, F.D. Evemel and J.R> Aveilhe follow me in speeches well delivered. The afternoon exhibition is over. The long dreaded moment has come has gone and I am still alive. The evening everything was as good as the afternoon all doing excellently. But to adopt a common phrase, To be finished

[Centered] Thursday Wednesday, 30. When both the exhibitions were over we adjourned to the dining room where we sat down to a ladle loaded with vegetables. There were six different kinds of wine. Some after the boys were seated groups presented the gift of the class fifteen volumes of Shakespeare to another class to father Jas. We passed a splendid evening and it was not until this morning that we retired to bed. But do not be shocked it was the first hour in the morning one o'clock a.m. for now to the lunch of the day. For rather we or better still all the boys got up at seven o'clock. Julie Dale for us. On the Doctor and in fact-everybody was in such good humor the class asked to be let home for a day in two at the least. Imagine our surprise when he informed us we could go about only on condition that we would return the same day. Here was but a poor alternative. However we chose the lesser evil of the two and fell. When reached out house I found all waiting for me. They thought I was coming home for a few days and when I lied that the real state of the case great were the Seton Hall and its excellent rulers.