30 LIFE OF BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



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

 Tucker. We dressed Robbins in the lean 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. D wight 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 <J>BK. Sel- 

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

 not recollect tfiat 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. 



