May: went over and made the necessary arrangements and Mrs. Lampkin offered to keep the {haby}. I worked at the chicken pen till noon then right after dinner we loaded hay into the hand sleigh and I handed her over, left her with Mrs. Lampkin and came back with flour & the cutter for May: & the niblits. It was cloudy when we started with a raw wind but thawing more than it has any day yet. We left Harry B. at Cutep and I drove May: up to see Glad. Law who has been very much worse since Christmas. I then came back. put {I larie} in the barn and went in and had a visit with hila who has not been out of bed for the last few days although she feels pretty well. She has become fascinated breathe. much talked of and ridiculed cross- word-puzzles. Aunty & Aunty Alice are greatly elated after the courage & skill they displayed this morning in tracking down & killing a rat. They have inspected his presence for some time in the little room off the kitchen so this morning organized a hunting party. They searched through various homes, bales, baskets, bags trunks, etcetera and finally unearthed their quarry in a valis through which he had chewed him self {illegible}

entraves and also helped himself to pieces of all the contents for the construction of his nest. The {puj} discovered was only half won as the real chase began, and was carried on, in, out, between, under, over, across, through and “apast” every object in the room until finally they brought him to bay and Aunty Alice, with certainly more courage than a great many women and some men poses attacked him with the hammer. {I her} onslaught though friree was not sufficient mortally wound him not to quell his cries, but {bushe} had him pinned down she feared to risk his escape by raising the hammer for another {Llaw} so she called to Aunty to come to her rescue with another weapon. She knew the sickle was in the kitchen and thought it would do the deed but in the {teuse} excitement of the moment could think of no other name for it but cutlass, for which she called. Aunty was at a loss to know where in their peaceful surroundings she could lay hands on a cutlass or any other buccaneering accouterment so failed to render the assistance so sorely needed. The case become desperate for although the crocking cries of the enemy betrayed the flitting of the vital spark, the strength of the hand that held the hammer was also waning and Who could tell what reserve of strength might he mustered

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if that crushing weight were {reloned} for a moment.