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173/ Capri was proposed, & fell through. very much disappointed Sister & I started out for a ride; on the stairs we meet Mr Little, who does not refuse to accompany us. We go up the Toledo, & then meander among the coral shops; on our way back to the hotel, behold Mr Folger, who stops the carriage & says he has brought the "steam launch," & we must take a sail. This proposition is backed by Mr Berry in his midshipmans jacket, who is supposed to be "on watch," but has been some how misteriously relieved. Mamma must now entertain the Admiral, (who is an old horror) & so Sister & I go off in the Launch; it is a perfect day with a nice little breeze, & the Launch rolls & tosses delightfully; the men smoke, & we steam nearly to Baie, Mr Berry is rather blue with the prospect of sailing next day, but nevertheless it is all great fun; on our way back, we

(174 pass the Franklin, when suddenly the band strikes up, & Capt Parker appears on the poop, & beckons us on board. Sisters says "shall we?" & I answer "yes of course" so up we go, to have a last look at her. - Mr Berry insists that I shall dance a waltz with him, so we take a turn on the gundeck, while the band plays my favorite, "Soldaten Lieder". I am awfully sorry to bid the "Franklin" good-bye & to think that our "jolly times" are all over; I know the navy so well now, that i almost feel as if I belonged to it. But all nice things in this world do come to end, & perhaps after all, we should not enjoy them as much, if we thought they would last for ever. So we shake hands with the Captain, & any stray officers that happen to be about, & go over the side of the ship for the last time. - In the evening, as soon as he got off watch, Mr Berry came up, & settled into a big chair on one side of the fire place, & then Mr Little came a few minutes afterwards, & sat down in another. It was horrid having them both there, because each wished the other