Thursday, October 1, 1835

 

1835

October

Thursday 1

7 20/..

11 50/..

No kiss.  My cousin last night  –

Rain in the night – Very fine morning and F 57° at 8 1/4 – Out a few minutes – Breakfast at 8 1/2 in about 3/4 –

Then out chiefly with William Keighley, felling, cutting out bits but taking about 1/2 the hedge between Pearson Ing and Wheatfield under Mr. Gray’s directions – Took down a tree or 2 in the afternoon at the bottom of the coal pit field and a large Sycamore bottom of coal pit field and between it and the Pearson Ing –

Ann rode to the school early after breakfast this morning and shewed the rooms and house to Mr. Sharpe, who came yesterday –

Ann then went to Cliff hill – but home by 12 1/2, and sent for me to examine Mr. Sharpe, who was here – Ann’s note to Mr. Warburton before breakfast being brought back in consequence of Mr. Warburton’s being gone to be married and not expected back till Monday –

Above an hour with Mr. Sharpe – Could not tell why I was in the nominative case after the verb is – Did not know what was meant by squaring a number – was beginning to extract the square root – Knows nothing of mathematics and not much of arithmetic or grammar – Reads very fairly –

Confessed that his attainments were not at all equal to the situation Ann and I proposed – his manner on this heard was candid and proper – but thought it a mistake to apply to the Central National School for such a person as we wanted – He (Sharpe) quite as well educated as Mr. Lime, just gone to the West Indies as a schoolmaster, but not so accustomed or so clever at teaching – Thought he could improve himself – Had lately got his bread by the sale of his drawings –

Asked what he could support himself and family for per week while he was fitting himself for our school – 30/. a week – but would rather study here than in London –

Gave no hope for – but gave him no reason to despair of, getting the situation – Would not guarantee the salary for more than one year – but said we should not leave him in the lurch if we were satisfied with his exertions –

He reckoned up his expenses of traveling and living at £6 (six pounds) which Ann gave him – treated him civilly and with consideration – Said we should consult Mr. Warburton on his return and give Mr. Sharpe an answer as soon as we could – Would speak handsomely of him to Mr. Johnson –

Ann looked ill and tired and in bad spirits, but obliged to leave and go to William Keighley – with him or at the Cascade bridge all the day –

Came in at 6 25/.. – dinner at 7 (Ann and I and Mr. Gray) – Coffee – A little while with my father and Marian –

At 9 1/2 had all the servants in the house up before us in the north parlour, Eugénie having complained to Ann and through Ann to me of John Clarke’s swearing at her and swearing constantly at dinner –

In trying to get at the truth of this matter, George came forward to say that Eugénie and Matthew were not honest in the house – that Eugénie made him collars of my cloth and they stole my father’s wine –

The accusation respecting the collars, prevailed – and the wine-business, if not so clearly proved as the other, yet the circumstances so strong against them and Eugénie’s prevarication and owning to buying wine in London and gin and brandy in Halifax, and the whole tenor of Matthew’s manner, such that I said dishonesty and falsehood were proved against Eugénie and I was not satisfied with Matthew’s conduct – Strong presumptive evidence against him –

Gave all a little sermonizing and said I should know what to do about Eugénie.  

The talkation and cross examination lasted an hour – Had had Marian in at the last – Told her I meant to send Eugénie away, and Marian said she would send away Matthew –

A minute or 2 with my aunt at 10 1/2 – Then a little while with Marian –

Finish in the morning – Some rain in the afternoon – F 55°at 10 40/.. p.m. and rainy night –

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/18/0107