Colder, but still raining. What a flood this will cause if
it's general, as I think it is.
After being aroused by Thomas building a fire, I fell into a
doze and dreamed. I thought Lucy had come and was in the room opposite to mine.
I seemed to be partially asleep, and couldn't awake. She came in and stood by
the bedside, not very affectionate in manner. I tried to arouse and succeeded
in telling her how much I loved her. She was kind but not “pronounced.” I
thought, as I happened to see little Joe in her arms, that she was waiting to
see me notice him and was hurt that I had not done so sooner. I spoke up
cheerfully, held out my arms for him. I saw his face. He was a pretty child —
like Webb, with sister Fanny's eyes, a square forehead, but his face looked too
old, bright, and serious for a boy of his age; looked as a child of two or
three years who had lost flesh.
I also dreamed during the night of being at home —
anxiously, so anxiously, looking at the newspapers for news from the Cairo
expedition; feared it would be defeated; reflected on the advantages the enemy
had in their fortifications over an attacking party, and began to feel that the
news must be disastrous.
SOURCE: Charles Richard Williams, editor, Diary and
Letters of Rutherford Birchard Hayes, Volume 2, p. 192
