Tuesday, December 26, 1826

1826

December

Tuesday 26

7 3/4

11 1/2

Fine frosty morning Fahrenheit 35 1/2         at       9 1/4                     a.m.

                                                    37 1/2         at       12 1/2                   p.m.

                                                    39 1/2         –        3 1/2            –

                                                    38               –        9 50/60       –

The washerwoman came at 8 – Some time settling with her – Then washed and came to my salon at 9 1/4 – Finished dressing – Settled with George – Then from 10 1/4 to 12 1/2, breakfast – (breakfast at 10 1/4).  Read the whole of yesterday’s paper (no paper today, yesterday being Christmas day) – and wrote the last 8 1/2 lines of page 65, the whole of the last page and so far of this – 3/4 hour seeing what I have to do, and what to pay today etc. etc. –

Went out at 1 1/2 – Paid Michel’s bill for Madame Galvani’s cake, 3 1/4 pounds 6/50 – For that I mean to give Mrs. Barlow, less but glacé (iced) 7/. etc. etc. Very nice biscuits at 1/50 a pound and what we should call Prince of Wales’s biscuits at 2/. –

Met a man with some very nice bread – large square sort of loaves at 1/80 from rue de la Michodière No. 1 –

Left with Mellerio one of the porter’s tablespoons as a pattern, and ordered 6 like it, will be about 21/. each, the initial M engraving included so that with the façon at 12/. for the whole I shall have them for about or under 150/. Ordered 6 teaspoons for ourselves, will be about 40/. and with engraving and façon between 50/. and 60/. –

Thence to Bertrand, rue Neuve des Petit Champs – ordered brown sugar etc.  

Thence to Madame Coutart – She had not got my note from her workwoman – Would not be more than 7/. for doing up my old merinos – Her rooms so hot durst not stay, returned by the Passage St. Roch, and the arcades and got home at 2 55/60 –

It had begun to rain small rain before I got to Bertrand’s before 2, but now at 3 20/60 is apparently fair though the air is thick and damp –

Wrote the last 9 1/2 lines – 20 minutes calculating what expenses I ought not to exceed per week, from now till 5 February – Considering the stock of things on hand and not meaning to buy anything in the shape of furniture except what is ordered.  I ought for these few weeks to keep under 35/. –

At 3 3/4, turned to Mariana’s letter – Till 4 25/60, carefully reading it over and marking what I shall observe upon.  From 4 1/2 to 6, wrote very near a page very small and close to Mariana –

Dinner at 6 10/60 – Came into the drawing room at 7 40/60 – Settled my accounts –

Washed and changed my napkin a little after five.  In my absence, left the napkin rolled up on the table beside me and there it lay when George came in for my writing box.  My manner was as if nothing was the matter –

Damp, thick afternoon, but not raining – Sleepyish after sitting up so late last night, shall go to my room now at 9 40/60 – I have finished page 1 to Mariana and written a line of page 2, but cannot write more now – too heavy and sleepy –

Came to my room at 9 50/60 – Up so long weighing the sugar etc. Bertrand sent this evening – the sugar 2 ounces short of 6 pounds i.e. 2 ounces less than it ought to be – the pound of rice and ditto of pearl barley fair good weight – Weighed the iced plum cake (for Mrs. B- Barlow), 2  pounds 14 ounces How pay 7/.? Do they charge more on account of the icing? Surely it ought to be only 2/. a pound ! –

Then made myself some lemonade being thirsty, and having a little of that indigestion pain –

WYAS Finding Number SH:7/ML/E/10/0036