Wednesday, December 23, 1835

1835

December

Wednesday 23

7 20/..

11 20/..

No kiss.

Ready in an hour.  F 29 1/2° at 8 20/.., at which hour, went out –

Went to Listervic cabin-site to see what stone Frank had carted there – Then to the pond – Not full by 2 inches – Had only gained an inch since yesterday afternoon – Robert Mann thinks it looses about the old drain-head under the hollies – Must be looked after in the Spring –

A few minutes in the farm yard – Breakfast at 9 in 3/4 hour –

Then in my study – Siding, seeking, arranging Gentleman’s Magazines come from binding – parts 1 of 1824, 5, 6, and 32 = 4 volumes and part 2 of 1834 not come, i.e. 6 volumes yet to come –

Out at 11 1/2 – With Ann some minutes after breakfast to tell her how to trim the Sunday school girls bonnets.  I think would find the loss of me if she had me not –

Had 2 men (masons and paviours) recommended by  Robert Mann to pave the farm yard –

Agreed to do it at 4/. per rood of 14 square yards – Said it was little – I answered I had an offer to do it at 3d per square yard i.e. 6d. per 14 square yards less than the price I agreed now to give – that if the men thought it too little they had only to give it up – No! No! Would not do that – Agreed to come as soon as the farm yard was ready for them –

Mr. Jubb came at 12 1/2 – My aunt so much better he thinks she will rally again this time – The lying in bed saves her strength and does her good –

A little while with Ann –

From about 1 1/4 to 2 1/4, wrote 2 3/4 pages to Mariana.

‘If I neglect or seem to neglect anybody, it shall not, my dearest Mary, be you . . . . . .

I have a good bulletin to send you from here – My aunt ‘is better – The improvement seems ever progressive, that she may rally again for some while longer – That she should have recovered at all, is extraordinary – She gets up at 4 in the afternoon, and sits up till 10 – Her appetite is good; and she takes sufficient nourishment to support life though a major struggle – My immediate apprehensions are again slipping aside –

Yet I humbly trust in providence , that your life, Mary, is not measured with the same measure as my poor aunt’s – I hope and feel as if you had still many happy years to come – How is it that you have been so always given to despond, and I to hope? Come what may, let the reed bend, but break not’ –

Not much surprised at what she tells me about Percy’s not being likely to live with her – more suited to her father than to Mariana – ‘you will be more fitly provided for’ –

Tell her to cheer up and take care of her health – Look on the bright side of things – it is often the better and the truer – ‘It might be, but ought not to be true that such a person as you should be miserable – Cheer up, Mary – you are quite sure of my most affectionate friendship – and mine is not the only valuable friendship, and can you still be miserable?  Mary! Your misery is unworthy of yourself and us –

Come and see me – Come and see me – I cannot make room for you just at this moment; but surely the servants will be well and more space will be left for you by and by –

Here I was obliged to give up (at 2 1/4) having promised to be at Barraclough Cottage between 2 and 3 –

1/4 hour in the farm yard – Then by Pump Lane to Barraclough cottage in 10 minutes – Near an hour there – There will be £40 or £50 more to lay out in doing up the End Cottage, putting down a pump etc. – Mark very comfortably housed –

Returned by Whiskum quarry – Part of John Bottomley’s Long field wall down – Tumbled into the quarry – Went down to John Bottomley’s and told him not to do it up again till I saw if I wanted more stone setting there –

Then peeped into Whiskum Cottage garden – The stable door fast – Pickles’ son still keeps possession – This won’t do –

Went along Bairstow to the Pit (Walker Pit) – Whitworth told me they had pheyed away 40 yards, and not much above 100 yards, he thought, to do before getting to the bit of coal that is loose –

Returned by the Conery – Went to Matty’s for a minute or 2 – Said William had better get me the 4 Holdsworth Godley Cottages if he could – To do as well as he could – Get them for £200, if not for less –

Returned by the Lower fish pond – Was losing a good deal this morning near the little old drain under the hollies – Put in 3 or 4 cart loads of clay from the farm yard by way of puddle, Wood pounding it down as well as he could so that the leakage seemed stopt –

A little while in the farm and looking about, considering how to manage the new approach road up to the house (under the farmyard) –

Then walked on the terrace and came in at 5 50/.. – Dressed – Dinner at 6 20/.. Coffee – Near 1/2 hour with my father and Marian –

Ann had letter from her sister – it seemed to me very kind and satisfactory – but Ann somehow not quite pleased about it –

Skimmed over the paper – 40 minutes with my aunt from 9 1/4 to 9 55/.. – Then tea – and wrote the last 18 lines till 10 20/.. –

Very fine cold, hardfrosty day.  F 29° now at 10 20/.. p.m. –

My aunt does not seem to think herself better and is poorly tonight – She saw Ann this morning and just before dinner and told her each time she did not know whether she should get better or not – I have never known my aunt speak in this way before – and did not think she thought herself in danger –

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/18/0149