I have transcribed everything as it appears in the hand-written journal. Her writing is sometimes ungrammatical and her spelling creative. Uncertain words appear in square brackets []. My added comments are in italicized in curly brackets {}. She usually begins sentences with lower-case letters and these I have kept. Often dashes separate sentences, making reading a bit difficult.

While transcribing the journal section on her trip to the White Mountains, I also transcribed notes of a trip she made to Washington, D.C. a few months before the N. H. trip.

The original journals, five in number, will eventually be given to the Oliver Shaw collection of the Rhode Island State Historical Society.
E.C.O.

Monday May 16^th 1850

My dear old book, weeks have passed away since you and I set down together to look over life's communings, to note the spirits aspirations of the inner temple.

would that I could ask with Dr. Young what "fair report borne to heaven" and feel a sweet response of pure concienctious love to that allwise and beautiful preserver.

but alas for gratitude commensurate with continued mercies, that have been [around] my path during a long journey - one that can never fade from my mind, while memory holds her reign. over deep waters, broad bays, and mountain fastnesses - sunken hills, and raised valleys have the broad steamer's and the Noble Iron Horse puffed their way without the least failure - yes, and for hundreds of miles -. This journey to the great seat of our Noble nation will long be the [neauclus] around which will gather almost inspiring thoughts, - the peculiar and very pleasant position of my friend Dr. Gale threw me at once, not on the surface of Society - but into the very talented and high minded of the best Educated - in fact here in this Magnificent Washington are congregated the great and refined - the highest political - the most sound statesman of our whole land - but the best of all things here is the perfect freedom each one feels - our Foreign Ministers from many distant countries all seem to be cheerfully at home - here you meet in the representatives chamber and also in the Senate - ladies from every state in our glorious union - together with territories and districts - the galleries are daily crowded - in their very visage are to be seen the index to their hearts there is warm hospitality from all the south - every climate discloses the varied temperments. my stay the first day that I spent in the representatives Hall was one never to be forgotten - I listened over one hour to Ewing of Ohio on the compromise bill - saw the assembled house, heard the remarks of very many - long as memory lasts will these customs and manners of both senate and house, where so many wise heads (and I know full well - there are those who would say "Blockheads") were call'd together live in my mind - There was - the speaker in his chair - there was the vice-president {Millard Filmore} a worthy looking man too in his place there were reporters there were little boys who had their low seats in front of the speakers chair - these pages were every moment in attendance - carrying notes, letters, packages and doing various other errands for members, for Senators - the position, the Gallery's - the Lobby's and in fact every part of the capitol - are vividly in my mind - some were eating apples - some making [pens] but more were writing - folding newspapers and how tedious indeed must the hours pass - especially when the subject is uninteresting - but no man paid so strict attention as the senator from Kentucky the good old statesman {Henry} Clay - then Daniel {Webster} the wise man from the east how his eyes do flash - I next went to the various rooms Palace like are they truly - the immense Library Busts, likenesses of all the vast accumulations of different and various articles from every part of the Globe - tis altogether out of my power to describe the Magnificent Paintings. Those immense large descriptions of our own struggle for independence and freedom, by the immortal Trumbul I shall never see the like again - how life like - how large. The rotunda of the capital has a niche for every one of those Portraits of the surrender of the British to the American victors - in fact these scenes are unsurpassed the life like appearance of these Magnificent [views] seem to require a life time to look at their different characters - the spot where closed the "last of life" of our venerable Adams - I saw in the speakers room

Then the glorious country around Washington from every point of the compass - the front view shows the graceful Potomac with its winding sweep in full view for miles quite down into old Virginia - on one side is the bronze equestrian statue of Washington - glorious view and beautifully done. also from this side is seen the Congressional Burying ground where the dust of so many reposes that have died in this City away from home and friends - the remains of {J.C.} Calhoun were taken to [so] Carolina day before I left with the greatest respect for the character of the great statesman - the west side of the capitol shows the whole of Pennsylvanian Avenue - near the capitol stands the marble monument to Decatur and other worthies now gone - but the beautiful trees - the shrubbery with flowers immense and georgious - but the great Botanical Gardens is on the north side of the Patent Office

..............................[to be continued]
 
 

Mrs. Shaw went went in June of this same year to New Hampshire and the White Mountains, and on to Syracuse and Niagara Falls. In this second year of her mourning, she saw many places she had never before seen.

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