I heard Mr. Phipps preached all Sund.
Tues. [December] 4th [1855]
I called early upon Mr. D. Bethan looked placid & natural, dress in white in her narrow long house, many fine & beautiful flowers around her, fit emblems of life & death, all now passed away. The Dr. C.W. busy in the way of his duty, very well, more satisfied with himself consequently more comfortable in his family, but few of us left its true but the more need of harmony -- 3 in the parlor, 3 in the kitchen. Rachel passed an evening.
Mond. 10th Dec.
This week cut out work for Julia to make for herself. Black polka & under clothes &c. Made calico shirts 4 dickeys, 1 bosom[?] for Watty. Made silk cravat stock[?] and one for D. Wild. Mended 1 doz. pr. socks, two pr. pant, trimmed mend black frock coat for Watty. Trim'd a vest with velvet for Dr. In the past two weeks have seen two of Ellen's letters & note from Dr. E.A.W. I wrote a letter to Dr. E. -- and to Laura with bundle[?] backing[?] -- tin plates &c.
Tues. 25th
Julia spent day & night at her mothers Christmas. Katy went to church here. Stormy day rain snow but the next morning all nature appeared out in a blaze of diamonds. Good sleighing begun -- on ice.
Sat. night 29th
Plenty of snow and this old couple -- Dr. & self -- have been married 36 years -- married in 1819.
Tues.
A meeting was appointed here for Congregational singing. Only 6 or 8 came. Very cold. I prepared lights for 50. We attended some fine theatricals at Mr. Chapins. 
Sat. 6th
Mary & child May came from Prov. in a snow storm. It drifted -- & the next train of cars on the road stuck fast. Great suffering on all the roads [so?] excessive cold. Therm. zero and below. I had a nice visit of a week from Mary. E.J.C. spent Wednes. night here and said the twins were well she could stay longer.
Frid. eve.
Dr. took her in to the theater. I went in to The Tempest the week before. Wat Dr. & I wrote Charly 2d Jan. and Edward in Dec'r. Dr. and Watty busy about accounts. Mr. Ballou made us a call last month -- and sent when he went home some nice chickens -- turkey -- sausage and tumbler jelly. Mary returned to Prov.
Sat. 12th
I called on the afternoon down on Mrs. Candler.
Sund.
No church. So stormy. The leader and organist dined here. And in the evening I wrote to Susan & sent Laura last letter.
Mond. 14th - 15th
Dr. was 61 yrs old. I have written to Laura this morn. This week we had a visit from Charlotte Piles -- the freed slave from Keokuk Iowa. She was traveling from town to town to get money to free her son and son in law. She had got most enough. Got 60$ in Brookline. She was a very intelligent hard working woman. 57 yrs old. I had a letter from Mary, containing one from Charly about the 20th Jan'y. -- We rec'd. from the Sullivans Ellens last letter & her ship journal with fine descriptions of what she first saw in Constantinople -- or Stamboul. I now own all Dr. Channing's works -- 6 vol.
Probably Nathan or Winslow Chapin. It is not certain where in Brookline they lived.
Jellies were often sold in glass jars, or tumblers.
Charlotta Gordon Pyles -- the spelling of her name varied -- was a formerly enslaved woman who was given her freedom and taken north from Kentucky by her former owner, along with 11 of her 12 children and five grandchildren, to Keokuk, Iowa. A son and two sons-in-law remained enslaved, and Pyles set off on a speaking tour of the east coast to raise money to buy their freedom. Her visit to Brookline, and to the Wilds' home, was part of that effort.
There are detailed accounts of her story on this blog -- The Mississippi Valley Traveler and in this book -- Homespun Heroines and Other Women of Distinction. Perhaps the most detailed account is this one, written by her granddaughterr in 1927.
The works of Unitarian minister William Emery Channing (1780-1842). Mary's six-volume set could have been the same as this one, published in 1849.
