Monday Oct 25th We all walked down to the
shops this morning and Mr & Mrs D
left here about ten Oclock and since
Miss Alger & self have had a quiet day
Susan has practiced a good deal but
is rather impatient We did not
have the washing done
Monday morning came around and the Davenports and their child were still in the house. By the time they left, it was too late to start the laundry. So Evelina and the remaining houseguest, Miss M. J. Alger, “had a quiet day.” Quiet except for the sound of Susan Ames practicing her scales on the new piano; she could hardly skip out on practicing when her piano teacher was right there under the same roof. Was this Evelina’s design?
It “was a fair warm day for the season”* wrote Old Oliver in his journal. When Evelina and her company walked across the way to visit the shovel shop, what did they see? Shovels being made, obviously, in the rebuilt section of the factory, down close to the pond. But they also must have stood inside the new Long Shop, where the first-ever steam engine had been installed, ready to be put to use. It may be that a construction crew was still active in the building, putting in the finishing touches. To the visitors – and perhaps to the family, too – the new space must have seemed wondrous: the height of modernity, a model of expansion and a promise of wealth. However much she usually distanced herself from the action at the factory, Evelina must have felt some pride in showing off the progress of the company to her guests.
evelinaames 
I have so enjoyed getting to know Evelina and appreciate the effort you make for that to happen.
Thank you, Linda. You certainly know about the work that goes into a daily blog! I enjoy reading yours, too.
I was thinking, reading once again, that, thanks to your talents and persistence, patience, determination, you have taken something that is likely the most boring reading I have ever read and turned it into something totally fascinating. But what was it that made you continue on this quest? Surely not the first 100 pages of Evelina talking about her sewing.
Caroline, thank you. I’ve always been fascinated by 19th century America and wondered what it was like to live then. Following Evelina day-to-day was a good way to find out. I’ll miss her when the year ends.