Journal of Sarah Eve, February 21, 1773

The weather to day — but what shall I say of the weather? we have had "very cold," "extremely cold," " excessive cold," and "exceeding cold," as says this Book now, none of these separately is sufficient to convey the idea of the temperature of this day — it needs more than the superlative degree, it would take a super-superlative degree if there is such an one, for it is very extremely excessive cold, in short, they say that it has not been so cold since that winter the ox was frozen on the river. Mr. & Mrs. Smith, George, Betsey & Anna Guest, Anna Clifford & I, dined at Mrs. T. Clifford's.¹ After dinner A. C. and I went home and drank Tea alone, but in the evening the above company spent with us. Dunce! how could it be "the above company" when they are at the bottom of the other side? well Mr. Critic, you know what I mean!

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¹ Thomas Clifford, son of an Englishman, of the same name, was a native of Philadelphia. He married Aunt Guest, of Burlington, the aunt of the Misses Guest (daughters of Jonathan G.) so often mentioned. Mr. Clifford was an eminent merchant before the revolution, and one of those who signed the non-importation agreement. He and his family were members of the Society of Friends, in whose burial ground he was interred in 1793. His wife was buried in the same ground in Nov. 1803. Their children were Thomas Clifford, who married a Miss Dowell, of Bristol, England, and had two daughters. John Clifford, who married Anna Rawle, and had Rebecca, who married John Pemberton. Elizabeth, who married William Smith (the Mr. and Mrs. Smith, of the "Journal"). And Anna (Miss Eve's particular friend), who married in Oct. 1773, Jacob Giles, of Maryland.

Miss Ann Guest died unmarried.— C. R. H.

SOURCE: “Extracts from the Journal of Miss Sarah Eve,” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 5, No. 1 (1881), pp. 25-6