House, city of Hartford,” had somehow come in possession of the huge volume of Edmonson’s Complete Body of Heraldry, and allowed anyone to select from its vast assortment of heraldic monsters, “Gorgons, and Hydras, and Chimeras dire,” such as suited her taste. His sole charge was the promise of being employed to frame the valuable work when done. I have seen several of these devices which were brought home from Litchfield, some done in water-colors and some in embroidery, with combinations of color which would make a herald stare. They had however just as good right to them as ninety nine out of a hundred of the families who flaunt coat-armor and pictures of English castles and all that in their published genealogies. There is no reason to suppose Miss Pierce had anything to do in obtaining these designs. Most of the embroidered arms are of a later date and were executed at a young ladies school in Hartford. Those in water-colors were most if not all of Litchfield origin. Nathan Ruggles who was responsible for all this spurious heraldry, came to an untimely end. In a private display of fireworks at his house, the whole suddenly exploded and brought his heraldic career to an all too brilliant conclusion. [Illustration: PL. XLIX.—OLD COSTUME FROM ROXBURY, ABOUT 1825 ] One of Miss Sally Pierce’s pupils from Farmington writes of the school life “We have balls at Miss Pierce’s school better than all the balls at Middletown. We dance once a month. We have a musician and he comes by 6 o’clock and plays till 9.” On Sunday she writes “Our exhibitions are on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Thursday we dance and by Friday night I really think I shall be tired. I have been to meeting all day although it has rained very hard. Mr. Huntington preached. He is a fine preacher, I think, and very handsome.” 1826. LITCHFIELD FEMALE ACADEMY CONDUCTED BY MISS PIERCE AND MR. BRACE TERMS OF TUITION Writing, History, Geography, Grammar, Arithmetic, Rhetoric, and Composition, with plain Needlework, per Quarter $5 The above, with Natural and Moral Philosophy, Logic, Chemistry, Mathematics, the Principals of Taste and Criticism, with the Latin and Greek Languages, per Quarter 6 French Language 5 Drawing 3 Music 12 Board in respectable families near the Academy, from $1.75 to $2 per week, exclusive of washing. The Summer Term, commences May 16. The Winter, November 29. April, 1826.