Saturday, January 3, 1835

 1835

January

Saturday 3

8 40/..

11 40/..

No kiss.  Above an hour in dressing.  Very much cousin.  Very fine, white, frosty morning. F 40° in my study at 10 a.m., at which hour, breakfast –

Mr. Washington came soon after – then had  a man from Mr. Bradford, respectable looking, about the Stump Cross Inn – No answer but that it would be let by ticket on the 16th instante mense – And that I had no objection to make conveniences for a good tenant on condition of his paying poundage on all money laid out beyond putting the buildings in good tenantable repair –

Then had Moore to collect taxes, poor rate and constable’s rate, for my woods in Northowram and Breakneck cottage – The former assessed at 19/2, the latter at 13/4 = together £1.12.6 – Desired the cottage to be put separately and this to be paid for by the tenant or by my father during his life – Desired also the Staups buildings to be paid for separately by the tenants as also the 2 Cottages bought of William Green, which last are assessed at 25/. and pay poor rate (last year) 2/8 1/2 and constable’s rate 7 1/2d.  Stump Cross Inn buildings assessed at £3., pay 6/8 and 1/6 Staups, Land and buildings, £21.8.4, pay £2.6.5 + 10/8 1/2 poor rate and constable’s rate – Long talk to Moore about Stocks, selling the Godley road slopes etc. etc.

Then had Mrs. Dewhirst – Would like to give £20 per annum for the Mytholm farm buildings and skin pits.  Long tedious talk – Said I would not take her as tenant, and did not think her son sufficiently respectable under his present circumstances – So that we could not agree, and I expected her to quit the premises at the time – Mayday –

Then a little while with my father and Marian, explaining what I had said to Mrs. Dewhirst, much to their satisfaction, and off with Ann to Cliff Hill at 2 – No workmen there.  Sat 50 minutes with Mrs. Ann Walker, and home at 4 3/4 –

Settled with Charles Howarth. 

The run made ready today for the drift-drivers to begin running the stuff up against the wall on Monday –

Washed as yesterday, which always with cousin takes about twenty minutes –

Dinner at 6 – Coffee – Then Ann and I a few minutes with my father and Marian –

Then came upstairs – Wrote out yesterday and the first 17 lines of today – Ann skimmed the newspaper – Some talk seems to have been of Lord Stuart de Rothesay being sent to Paris on a special mission.

Ann had letter from Miss Jane Chapman and I from Mariana, Lawton – 3 pages and ends – affectionate, and properly so –

‘It is something new to me to feel that I write for two instead of one – Adney is to you what you have long been to me, the little box with a slit in it, where one deposits one’s thoughts with perfect security –I neither ask nor wish it to be otherwise. She will make every allowance for the accumulated regard of two and twenty years, and if she asks me to love you less than I do at this moment, she is not what you have taught me to believe –

'Now that my mind is more at ease,  I hope to get into better health; either you or the medicines have done me good, I have less giddiness in my head, and should be well, I think, if I could get an appetite for my meals, but everything seems to go against me, but as you have often said, ‘tout s’arrange avec le temps’ [everything works out over time] and the assurance of knowing the worst, is the best means of reconciling us to it –

'What you say of Switzerland is enough – Whenever I ask your advice, I will follow it –

'Come what may, however at variance with my wishes, there is one subject left in which I will never disappoint you.  I will always ‘Fais ce que doit, arrive que pourra’ [do what must, come what may] – I once wronged my own heart to please my family.  This was not doing right, and dearly I have paid for it – but the scale is now turned.  My thoughts are now set upon deserving your good opinion to the last, and I will not put it in your power to find fault with me again’ –

Watson taken very ill on Tuesday with inflammatory fever but going on well, so that the visit of the Lawtons being put off, and another letter from Louisa Belcombe pressing her uncle’s wish for Mariana to see her little niece, determined Mariana to go to London and she was to arrive at 9 this evening at 239 Regent Street, where Mr. Bulcock and Louisa are now in lodgings –

Ann read the letter twice and was well satisfied with it –

Good fire in the library stove all the day till now – and F 41 1/2° now at 10 40/.. p.m. and very fine, frosty day –

1/2 hour with my aunt till 10 10/.. – She had had Mrs. Musgrave and the widow of Mr. Musgrave’s brother – My aunt taken downstairs into the drawing room to receive them –

Had told Mrs. Musgrave of Ann’s having offered to live with her aunt at Cliff Hill; but the offer had been refused – Mrs. Musgrave not to mention it.  She seemed very much surprised at the fact –

3 cards left for Ann and myself and Marian, the latter not once named –

Very, fine frosty day. F 41 1/2° at 10 40/.. p.m.

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/17/0136 and SH:7/ML/E/17/0137