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[note top left: Lake Forest X ]] Sunday Aug 23rd 1874. Today is cool and lovely. Mr Angell and Eva went to Church, Mr Badger and the boys went to Grandpa Badgers today. All of us well. It seems so good to be at home we have a new girl named Matilda, she is a Mulatto. Belle and Mr Harvey came up from Lake Forest Saturday to see me, they all well. I have not seen Ada yet. Eva looks well and handsome, Hunt is delighted to see his dog Rolla a large black Newfoundland and Jerry his sheep. Our goats are also well and strong. Col Brown called tonight, Mattie & Octave gone to Mrs Hiltons. Monday Aug 24th 1874. Today is a most perfect day, all of us well. At ten O,clock Mr Harvey my soninlaw called and gave me his car ticket and said Mattie Faults, Jamie Hunt & myself must all go X out to Lake Forest and see his baby, and he sent us a Carriage to take us at eleven to the depot. So we made great haste and got ourselves ready and started for Lake Forest. In about an hour we arrived, and found Belle there to take us to the Hotel with her Carriage. They have lovely rooms for themselves and for their boys, have their carriage and horses and two saddle horses for their boys we had good rooms. Jamie and Hunt occupied one room and Mr Badger and myself the other, and Mattie slept with Ada. The Hotel is very handsome and the grounds are beautiful the Ravines and Woods are something you seldom see here on our plains, We stayed all night, after supper we went into the parlour and sang and danced and played games. We took breakfast and then went driving with Belle. At one o'clock we went to the Cars and started Tuesday for Chicago and got here about two, found Shreve at the Depot on his pony, he said the Carriage could not come down as the wheel was broken, so we returned home in the street Car my daughter Belle and Ada have been at Lake Forest over a month, Ada don't want to come in so soon, but Mr Harvey has to come in on account of his boys going to school. Belle's baby is splendid she is only four months old but is large and fat weighs blank pound. She is the best baby I ever saw, never cries and goes to every one.