August 8 and 9 Saturday – Sam and Livy visited Abbotsford and Melrose with Alexander Russel (1814-1876), a friend of Dr. John Brown’s, and an editor for the Edinburgh Scotsman, a paper with a circulation of 40,000. Abbotsford was the home of Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) and rooms in his mansion were open to the public [MTL 5: 430n6-7]. Clara Spaulding returned in the evening from Europe.