July 18th Sunday Have been to meeting as usual
Mr Whitwell preached well. Went to Mr
Whitwells with Mother & Henrietta at noon
When we came from church Mr Ames
& self rode up to the ponds, found Oliver &
Fred there Called this evening with Mr
Ames at Augustus found him threatened
with a fever & quite unwell. Called on Lavinia
Williams a moment and Mrs Savage who is quite ill.
The good news today was that Evelina was comfortably back in her own pew at her own church, listening to her favorite minister preach. During the intermission between sermons, she even took her mother and sister-in-law, Henrietta Williams Gilmore, to the parsonage for tea. After church she and Oakes “rode up to the ponds,” meaning that they may have ridden not just to Shovel Shop Pond, but also beyond to Flyaway or Great Pond. There they ran into Oliver (either their son or Oakes’s brother-in-law) and Fred Ames.*
The not-so-good news was a run of illness among family and friends. Evelina’s nephew, Alson “Augustus” Gilmore, was suffering from some kind of fever. This was not an uncommon ailment during the hottest weeks of summer; many infants, especially, were prone to dehydration when the thermometer went up. Evelina had to be concerned that Augustus was so ill so suddenly. Hannah Savage (her near neighbor for whom her old servant, Jane McHanna, was now working) had been ill for some time. Hannah was thought to be dying; a watch would soon begin for her.
*It seems likely that it was Oliver (3) and not Oliver Jr with Fred “up to the ponds.” If it had been Oliver Jr., it’s probable that Sarah Lothrop Ames would have been with them. She wasn’t. And it’s equally likely that the two young college men would be enjoying their familiar camaraderie, now that each was home from school.
evelinaames 