PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANTS: LOSS OF HEALTH. 307 



his, of writing, from the living voice. We improved daily 

 in this exercise, until it became familiar and easy. Often 

 when my debility induced me to recline on the sofa, Mr. 

 Andrews wrote for me by the hour, and sometimes for 

 whole days, for it cost me no inconvenient effort to dictate, 

 although I had little ability to write. I began usually by 

 stating the subject ; then I gave him the first sentence, 

 or a member of it, if it was long. It being written down, 

 my assistant then repeated the last word of the sentence or 

 clause and another sentence or member was then added, 

 and so on until the subject was finished. Last of all, the 

 writing was read aloud for corrections. I learned these 

 habits from President Dwight, who from the weakness of 

 his eyes, was compelled to dictate most of his writings. 

 Even his great theological work was put on paper by the 

 hand of an amanuensis, generally a regular paid assistant, 

 but sometimes his friends wrote for him. I wrote after his 

 dictation, his very interesting and instructive sermon, on 

 the close of the century and the commencement of a new 

 century, January 1, 1801, not January 1, 1800, as many 

 strangely imagined, as if ninety-nine years were a century. 



Finding his health not established by these re- 

 peated journeys, he with his wife and Mr. and Mrs. 

 Wadsworth spent some time at Ballston and Sara- 

 toga. 



Among our guests at Ballston were Hon. Martin Van 

 Buren ; Mr. Short, formerly of Paris ; George Harrison of 

 Philadelphia, and his beautiful wife ; the rich bachelor, Mr. 

 Pollock of North Carolina ; Harrison Gray Otis and family 

 from Boston ; John Dickinson and lady from Troy ; Mr. and 

 Mrs. Williams from Mississippi ; Rev. Sereno E. Dwight, 

 and many more persons of the higher aristocracy, as well as 

 those of less pretension. Had I not enjoyed the company 

 of my good wife I should, however, have suffered from 



