Concord, Mass.
1896
April 4
(No 2)
[April 4, 1896]

  Mrs. Spelman arrived at W. Bedford [West Bedford] by the 10 A.M. train
& her husband after some difficulty brought her across
the meadows & river in his canoe. After dining at
the cabin they walked to Concord finding it
impossible to paddle up against the wind.
  I started in the Stella Maris canoe at 5 P.M. and
had little trouble although I shipped a good deal
of water in crossing the meadow. It was so cold
that the spray froze on the deck of the canoe
as soon as it struck and everything soon became
encased in ice. Nevertheless a few Red-wings [Red-winged Blackbird] & Song Sparrows
were singing in the submerged thickets along the
banks of the river. I reached the Keyes's just as
the sun was setting.

Damage by winter flood.

  Early last February an unusually heavy rain raised the
river to a height which it has not reached before for many
years. Immediately after this the weather turned cold and thick
ice formed. Then the water lowered rapidly and the ice
following with it caused enormous damage to the trees
and bushes which, everywhere along the river and in the
flooded swamps, had become frozen in. Of one hundred or
more larches which I had planted in the Ball's Hill
swamp not one so far as I can ascertain is likely
to live & grow. Many of these were broken short off
by the might of the ice & all were barked &
scraped more or less badly. Some of my finest young
pines are also ruined.