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killed a deer near the road, and had difficulty in getting away from them.
The debating club formed a diversion for the men of the settlement, with the merits of the presidential candidates oftentimes as election approached the favorite topic of debate. In that connection, the writer of the diary makes the following entry: “My husband attended the debating club last night and spoke of Henry Clay, whom he had seen in Ohio before we came to Indiana. I have copied what he said about Clay: ‘I had the pleasure of measuring in my mind the height, breadth, features and politeness of the renowned Henry Clay, the Cicero, at least so pronounced by the wisdom of the U. S. A.; yet, for the want of taste and discernment, and being destitute of the scales by which we can rightly judge of human greatness, I shall have pronounced him only a common man. His manner of address is more indicative of politeness than of greatness and wisdom. I repeat having seen him, I shall have pronounced him only a common man.’”
“Wednesday, December 24, 1823. My husband and I attended a ball at Washington Hall; the day was clear and cold. Thirty couples were present. The supper was splendid and everything surpassingly agreeable.”
“We are cooking and preparing for camp meeting.” This entry refers to the meeting held on the Three Notch road in a rolling tract of ground covered by large oak trees, five miles south of town. “I started this morning on Pomp (the favorite cream colored horse), with E. on the pillion behind me; found many already there, although we had started early. It was a joyful time, the sky was so blue, the trees were so green and the sweet singing made me happy beyond expressing.
“As we rode home we met Brother Armstrong riding slowly
