Thursday, May 30, 1839.

Our steady doctor gave his ball last night. He was asked for one by Mrs. L., and found it an easier way of returning civilities than giving a number of dinners.

Wright and I have been down two or three times to arrange his house, and put up his curtains, and he had enclosed all his verandahs with branches of trees and flowers, so that it really looked very pretty. He is very popular from his extreme goodnature in attending anybody that wants him; he never takes any fee, and he takes a great deal of pains with his patients, and, moreover, he is a really well informed man, and liked in society. So everybody whom he asked to his ball, made a point of going, and they actually danced from eight at night till five in the morning: and they said it was one of the gayest balls ever seen.

We had our tableaux last night, and they were really beautiful. I am quite sorry they are over. We had each of them, three times over, but still it is like looking at a very fine picture for two minutes and then seeing it torn up.