24. Went to Chh. twice. Had 4 or 5 men Saturday afternoon and today repairing damages by the Storm. The repair of fences, &c. will cost me at least 500 dollars.

25. Employed with 4 or 5 persons clearing off wrecks made by the Storm on Saturday. Drury went to Grafton.

26. Employed as yesterday. Supreme Court. My son's wife & daughter came from Boston.

27. Frazer came up from Boston. Wretched evening. 28. Rode out. Unwell. Moses Thomas dined with us.

29. My Son came up from Boston. Disagreeable Controversy in the family. Dismissed Wm. Drury jun1. my Coachman.

30. More disagreeable controversy. Dismissed Matilda Allen, our Chambermaid. Rode to Holden with my son in a Chaise. Nicholas Johnson came to live with me as Coachman.

October, 1815.

1. Went to Chh. once.

Continue untranquilised.

Massachusetts Spy says: "Neither the memory of man, or the annals of the country can furnish any parallel to this storm, and it is estimated that the ordinary consumption of ten years of the whole town will not exhaust the wood which is now prostrate." At its height there was a suffocating current of hot air, as from a bath, and the rain which fell in the vicinity was so impregnated with salt as to make incrustations on the windows. On the morning of the storm flocks of sea gulls were seen in the meadows in Grafton and Worcester, but after the wind had gone down, they took their flight again towards the sea.

2. Attended the tryal at the Supreme Court of the first Parish against the town for the recovery of the parsonage. The action was brought against me I owning the premises, in the name of the late pastor Dr. Sam. Austin. The cause went against the town by the verdict of the Jury. But the Verdict is of no consequence, as the issue depends on questions of law to be decided by the Court. Attended at the Bank. A new director chosen in my room. I find myself not able to attend longer in this office. Have served 12 years.

Mrs. Andrews arrived from Stafford Springs. Matilda Allen left us. Sub council of the A. A. S. 1net at my house.

3. Mrs. Andrews went to Boston in the Stage. Attended Supreme Court. The jury on the Action first Parish vs. the town of Worcester, gave a Verdict in favour of only one charge of the parish against the town for 1500 dollars. The parish sued for 11,000 dols. The town review the action.

4. Went to Boston-Miss Sheldon with me in the Coach-and Johnson, a Dane, my new Coachman.

5. Called on Mr. Joseph Steadman, who I found to be the husband of my new housekeeper, and whose name is Frances Steadman, and not Frances Thurston, as she called herself. I could not prevail with him to receive her again.

6. Dined with Mr. E. T. Andrews.

7. Returned to Worcester with Miss Sheldon. Mr. Whipple came from Walpole.

8. None of the family went to Church. Unwell.

9. Mr. Whipple sat out for Walpole. Nathan Patch returned and began work.

10. Eliot came to work. Informed our housekeeper Mrs. Frances Steadman, alias Thurston, by Mrs. Thomas desire, that she did not wish for her services any longer.

11. Felt better. Anne Sheldon unwell.

12. Getting in Potatoes.

13. Do. Paid and dismissed our housekeeper Mrs. Frances Thurston, whose real name is Steadman, her husband by this last name, being now living in Boston, from whom she separated by agreement. A likely, genteel woman. She returned to Boston in the Stage. Anne L. Sheldon very unwell, has a Dr.

14. Mr. Soper, his sister Rachel, and his little son. came to visit us.

15. Went to Chh. once.

16. They returned to Boston. Two Misses Morris, of Halifax, maiden Ladies, came in the Stage from Boston to visit us.

17. Mrs. Legate of Leominster, and her sister, Miss R. Calef, of Boston, came to visit us.

18. Mrs. Legate and Miss Calef returned to Leominster. This Evening the two Miss Morris, went in the Stage to Stafford.

19. Got in a load of Corn. Spent the Even". with Judge Bangs.

21. Got in Corn from the field. Went in the Coach, with only Johnson as far as Framingham on my way to Boston. Lodged at Eaton's, in Framingham.

22. Went from Framingham to Boston.

23. Attended the Meeting of the American Antiq" Society. Dined with them at the Exchange Coffee house. Officers elected. In the afternoon the Ancient & Hon.

1 The members elected at this meeting were Stephen Sewall of Montreal; George Baxter Upham, Samuel Fiske and Caleb Ellis, of Claremont, N. H.; John Curtis Chamberlain, of Charlestown, N. H.; Benjamin J. Gilbert, of Hanover, N. H. Samuel Elliot, of Washington; Dr. William Bowen, of Providence; Henry A. S.

Artillery Co. waited on the Society and escorted them to the Chapel, where an Address was delivered by Dr. Paine, and there were other Exercises.1 I was again chosen President.

Dearborn, Edward St. Loe Livermore and James Cushing Merrill, of Boston; Rev. Thomas Robbins, of East Windsor, Conn.; and Samuel F. B. Morse, of Charlestown Mass.

I.

II.

ORDER OF PERFORMANCES,

AT THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

OF THE

AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY,

ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1815.

"We praise thee, O God"....By a select choir: Organ by Dr. JACKSON. PRAYER.

66

III. HYMN. Before Jehovah's awful throne." (Denmark.)

IV. LESSONS.

V.

VI.

HYMN. "O Thou, the first, the greatest friend." (Colchester new.)
ADDRESS....By Dr. WILLIAM PAINE, M. D.

VII. HYMN. "To Thee! great Sovereign of the skies." (Old Hundred.)

VIII. BENEDICTION.

BEFORE Jehovah's awful throne,

Ye nations bow, with sacred joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone,
He can create, and he destroy.

His sovereign power, without our aid,
Made us of clay, and form'd us men;
And when like wandering sheep we stray'd,
He brought us to his fold again.
We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs,
High as the heaven our voices raise;
And earth with her ten thousand tongues,
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.

Wide as the world is thy command;
Vast as eternity thy love;
Firm as a rock thy truth shall stand,
When rolling years shall cease to move.

O THOU the first, the greatest friend,
Of all the human race!
Whose strong right hand has ever been
Their stay and dwelling place!

Before the mountains heav'd their heads
Beneath thy forming hand;
Betore this pond'rous globe itself
Arose at thy command;

That pow'r which rais'd, and still upholds

This universal frame,

From countless, unbeginning time,

Was ever still the same.

Those mighty periods of years,
Which seem to us so vast,
Appear no more before thy sight
Than yesterday that's past.

To Thee! Great Sov'reign of the skies.
THIS DAY our grateful notes resound;
From ev'ry heart shall incense rise.
And praise throughout our land be found.

New empires never rise by chance,-
No veering gales dominion blow,

A Sov'reign power doth states advance,
And lay oppressive kingdoms low.

Led by that power, th' advent'rous band,
The trackless "waste of waves" explor'd:-
That power upheld the warrior's hand
Which drew for right the conq'ring sword.

Then high the pealing organ swell, -
From every tongue let praises rise;-
Loud let the choral anthems tell
THY POW'R, Great Sovereign of the skies!

(After the original broadside in the possession of the society.)

25. Returned to Worcester in the Coach, with only Johnson the Coachman, as far as Framingham,-there took Judge Paine's daughter Sarah' to Worcester.

26. Lawrence came to see his wife. He is desirous she should remain in our family this winter, and Mrs. T. wishes it, his visit appeared to make her deranged.

1 Sarah Chandler, daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Chandler Paine. [Born, Worcester, 29 November, 1794.

Died. Worcester, 15 October, 1840.]