30 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



ciety ; returned to my room with Bishop, Bobbins, and 

 Tucker. We dressed Robbins in the beau mode, but mak- 

 ing a little too much noise, Mr. Linsly came up to still 

 us. Nevertheless, we finished the transformation of Rob- 

 bins, and he strutted around college with considerable dig- 

 nity. We raised the electrical kite this day, but the air 

 was too near an equilibrium to afford any of the fluid. Mr. 

 Day * called upon us in the forenoon on his return from 

 Greenfield, and informed us that Dr. Dwight was dismissed, 

 and that he (Mr. Day) was to take his school. 



Aug. 15. Fine, clear, wholesome air, very cool. I 

 studied in the forenoon, and came home in the afternoon 

 determined to write, but as I felt in a poor mood for study, 

 I went and danced in the hall ; however, I might as well 

 have kept to my books. I have been this evening at Bish- 

 op's room, when the conversation turned upon swearing, 

 and a profane person who was present said that he was 

 determined to break himself of swearing ; but I fear that 

 his promises are more easily made than kept. I have just 

 now come to a resolution to write down every material 

 error of my life in this journal, that by a retrospective 

 view I may keep myself free from error. I hope I shall 

 be enabled to do myself justice and not to be partial ; but 

 perhaps I shall sometimes express myself in ambiguous 

 terms known only to myself, and I shall likewise write 

 proper names, which I do not wish to have known, in a par- 

 ticular manner. I think of no material error of which I 

 have this day been guilty, but in general I would observe 

 that I am in some degree addicted to detraction, but I 

 hope I shall be able to cure myself. 



Aug. 17. I have been this evening to the 3>BK. Sel- 

 leck has been out in town and is not yet returned. I do 

 not recollect that I have this day been guilty of any mate- 

 rial error. I wish, however, to gain the ascendency over 

 my irascibility, and to cultivate the heavenly virtue of affa- 

 * Afterwards President Day. F. 



