Mama and I met Mr Phillips this morning. He had been to get some money and had to carry his bag with two hands on his shoulder, it was so heavy. Dr & Mrs Robertson, Miss Smith & I went on board the Veronica. The Dr. Doubleday did the honors[?] of the boat and the steward Jo was very attentive. It is much shorter than the Sarah but has finer cabin accomodations [sic], carrys [sic] more passengers and has a good table we hear. It was built for a whaler first, then a passenger vessel, the Sarah for the merchant service. The weather has been quite cool and cloudy ever since our arrival, raining at times and then shining clear for an hour or more. We have been watching the passers by from our balcony. A majestic priest, with four cornered cap and long gown - a soldier in an overcoat, dark brown which comes to his feet and a soldiers cap - the cadets in short, close fitting waist, and skull cap - a woman buried in cloak with capote dk [sic] blue broadcloth - a peasant woman carrying a pail of water (from the fountain) on her head which has a bandanna crossed on it - a man who has a muddy colored fez on his head - a long stick over his shoulders with water buckets and earthenware jugs hanging from each end - an ox-cart shrieking along, straw[?] side and small wooden wheels - a dilapidated old hack dragged by three mules abreast - an American jounced up and down on donkey back with a boy beating the beast from behind - a peasant on donkey back with basket paniers [sic] small over the top and large ab [sic] the sides like this
full of fruit, - a group of women with baskets of nespras to sell - a crown of old men carrying parti[?]-colored patchworked bags - a number of little children surrounding an English lady who wears flowers, all of the children begging for a flower - They seem to love them so - an old woman with sandals on her feet and old [?], a rag of a shawl, carrying fire wood on her head. Two mules with a cross bar between them to which was attached a barrel of Pico wine, (this is called a St Michaels cart.) & crowds of deformed beggars - There was an earthquake here on the 4th of May - three shocks. The Dabneys told Mr Lee that they moved in to a little wooden house they have built for the purpose and have not returned yet to their residence at night. After dinner Mr Wallach asked me to go to walk with him & we went to the market and to a little square in the street running parallel and he told me that he and Grace are engaged! I was half stunned and so accepted it in a kind enough manner though I told him I feared Grace might not be sure of herself. Of course he has every confidence in her - as it grew upon me however I was perfectly wretched. He is a lovable fellow because he is so kind and noble-hearted and pure-minded and as I told him, I should care for anybody Grace loves - but for the rest of the day I have been in perfect desolation. It seems as if I had given her up forever. His ideas and life are so different from ours that it seems as if we could never sit down to a family talk with him - and without him in our family talks, Grace must always have an arriere pensee. It seems so inappropriate. It cannot last! Ah! why do we have to care for people only to renounce them! I am perfectly miserable. The Bicknells, Dr & Mrs Robertston & Townsend were off by Sarah at 5 P.M. In the evening we went at 8.45 o'c to a little theatre where they have [?] amateur theatricals. There were four comedies - and we stayed through two which were tolerably well acted. A certain completeness, no carelessness, in the arrangements. The room was quite small, white-washed, in the rear a little place curtained from the main room where the ladies take off their hats and shawls. The ladies sat in front, in seats facing each other, the men's seats behind face the stage. There was a fearful bass band for orchestra. A child acted best. Miss Dabney told Miss Smith that at the regular theatre - which has been shut up by the government since the Vienna fire, condensed, there was always an interval of an hour between the acts. She gave Miss Smith most gorgeous cloth of gold roses today. I walked home with Mr Wallach who talked of Grace continually. I have told him exactly what I think of him. There is nothing appropriate in it -
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