Saturday, December 23, 1826

1826

Saturday 23

7 24/60

10 40/60

rainy morning Fahrenheit         42°    at       8 1/2 a.m.

                                                  42      –        2        –

                                                  44      –        6        –

                                                      –        –        10 1/4         –

My bowels right this morning.  As good or a better motion than yesterday after the magnesia.  Yesterday and Thursday I had my new lace of 3 ells, and my stays quite loose, and had not that heavy pain at the pit of my stomach – I put on a tight ceinture yesterday to go out and felt a little of the pain – Took it off when I came in at 4, and felt quite relieved – I am now almost convinced that all this disorder, this obstinacy in my bowels and pain at the pit of my stomach has been solely caused by my being too tight, though other people would have thought my things quite loose – I cannot bear any tight ligature round me – Query. Had all Norcliffe suffered from obstinacy in his bowels originated in too tight dressing – Many of our dandies and many ladies have surely suffered exceedingly from this cause? Can it be now the case with Mariana, for she too complains, and though she looks better, may not feel better in her French stays?

Finished dressing.  (Came to my room at 8 25/60.)  Dawdling over 1 thing or other till 9 3/4. Weighing currants, raisins, etc. 

Musing on what my aunt said last night.  Well, I had, said I to myself as on getting up, providence orders best, but I think it would alarm me more to be persuaded my aunt would live a dozen years than that she should be ill now.  I can never get out of hugger-mugger during her life, and at least for the present, I will be contented to save my money by it.  It shall not be for nothing.  No more thinking to get nice little things.  Nothing but what is necessary unless my aunt asks for it herself.  Remember all this –

The 4 coquillard pears I have just sent my aunt to be stewed, weight 2 pounds 10 ounces –

Wrote the above of this morning, and had just done it at 10 1/4 –

Breakfast at 10 1/4 – I had hardly sat down to breakfast when the wine came I ordered yesterday – Paid for it – Had not time to read the paper – Breakfast over at 11 –

Went to speak to my aunt – She had sent back 3 of the pears because they were a little decayed. Said they had best be used – I cared not for the appearance, whether cut in quarters or not – Would rather have the better pears afterwards –

Settled my accounts – Looked over my money – The man (brother to Mrs. Barlow’s porteur d’eau) brought the charcoal – Paid him for this sack and the last, saying the servant only paid 0/70 a sack for bringing and I paid 0/75, so that he gained 2 sols by my paying him myself –

Had the meat weighed by George. 1 1/2 pounds beef suet and 2 pounds gravy beef, good weight – 7 3/4 pounds côtes de bœuf (all weighed separately) weighed 7 lb. pounds 6 ounces instead of 7.12 (vide page 58, line 16. Monday last) – This surprises me – Did not see it weighed – But have no doubt George would be correct for he said he had put the 2 ounces weight to the meat to make it weigh 1 1/2 pounds –

A little before 2, Mellerio’s man brought the plate – 6 grands couverts, i.e., 6 tablespoons and 6 forks weighing 4 mark 1 ounce 1 1/2 grain, 228/. façon 24/. engraving the arms 12/. = 264/. 2 salt spoons 9/. ‘1 Pince à sucre’ 1 pair sugar nippers 14/. Engraving the arms on the 3 last articles 3/. – Paid the bill – Mellerio, it seems, sells knives, the best at 40/ and some franks the dozen –

Wrote the whole of this page – Entered the bill in my accounts – all which took me till 2 40/60 –

Cut my nails and went out at 3 10/60 to our milk woman (cul de sac Mont Thabor No. 8) to desire we might have 1/2 our milk tomorrow and the other 1/2 sent with the usual quantity on Monday –

Thence through the gardens to Legrand’s, rue du Bac, for the kitchen carving knife – Not done – Will bring it tomorrow –

Thence sauntered farther along the street to beyond the rue de l’Université.  In returning along the opposite side, went into Bacquoy’s confiseur No. 17 – Pointed to some preserved apricots. I thought she said 3/50 a pound at 1st; at all rates she changed to 6/. a pound – Gave it up, but as they had given me one to taste, took a small orange at 5 sols – Ate it there – Not very good – She would let me have the apricots at 5/.  Offered 4/50.  They looked at and nudged one and another, and took my price – Looked sharply after them in the weighing – Hardly weight – Seemed too few for a plat – Would have abricots baigués (little round cakes of sugared apricot, excellent, obliged to give 5/. for this – (They asked 6/. at first) and took 1/4 pound bonbons à devise at 4/. – Thought I, when I have all my accounts etc. arranged and can turn my mind fairly to the language, I will be up to all these people –

Before getting to the end of the street, saw a man put down 2 sols for roasted chestnuts – I never spoke, but did the same, and the man gave me 1/4 litre, very nice and hot and good – I paid yesterday (for rather better), 25 sols a hundred at No. 353. rue St. Honoré (a large handsome shop) and the woman had asked me 2/. for the same only a day or 2 before – There is no knowing when and where to believe ourselves fairly dealt with –

Got home at 4 1/2 – A young woman waiting with the pot au crème from No. 1 rue du Marché St. Honoré, whence George had brought the dish at 2/90 – This woman seems as honest as any I have met with – But George gave her the address this afternoon – I hope this will not spoil her – To be English and have a good apartment au seconde in this quarter is dangerous –

Had George in – Sent him à la Halle about 12 1/2 – He had not returned when I went out – but did very well – Bought a boisseau of potatoes for 0/45, 1/2 boisseau navets de Fraeneuse 0/30, Botte de carottes 0/20, idem de céléri 0/15, very well –

Prepared for dinner – Wrote the last 18 1/2 lines, and had just done at 5 3/4 –

By the way, had a letter from Mrs. Lynn this morning with the Tours postmark (about 12) – I was too busy to open it – 2 pages.  ‘Deeply sensible of your kind letter and all the excellent advice it contained’ – Soon after she last wrote, Miss Lynn became so ill, could not leave Tours – Has taken the best apartments there, and do all possible to keep up an equable climate within doors – Dr. Conolly says ‘there is much in her situation to give great alarm as to the result, but he says there are some favorable circumstances in her case, which gives him great hopes that at present no material injury has taken place in her lungs – The cough, however, continues to be very troublesome’ – Poor Mrs. Lynn seems prepared to expect – She is ‘afraid she cannot be reared’ but writes of it with Christian resignation – ‘Must bow in submission’ – Admits no one – ‘So exhausted with misery and suffering’ could not bear the effort of receiving anyone – Sleeps in her daughter’s room – Never leaves her – Surely this is an amiable, excellent woman! I will answer her letter kindly, bidding her write to me unless she really feels disposed to do so –

Reading my letter and writing the last 10 1/2 lines took me till 6 – Doing I know not what till dinner at 6 20/60. 

Put on napkin just before I went out fancying my cousin was going to come gently, but no such thing.

Came into the salon at 7 50/60 – Blew up the fire – Sat down at my desk at 8 1/2 – Previously weighed the pound of tea I got this day week, rue des Lombards.  1/4 ounce overweight – Settled my accounts – which, and calculating 1 thing or other, took me till 10 –

Rainy morning – Fair before noon – by 11 – but very damp – Fair but damp the rest of the day –

Went to my room at 10 10/60 –

WYAS Finding Numbers SH:7/ML/E/10/0034 and SH:7/ML/E/10/0035