Agreeableizing

  1831 December Saturday 10 8 1/2 12 25/.. Up at 7 10/.. with bowel complaint as if having taken strong medicine – Then went to bed again for an hour. Dressed leisurely feeling uncomfortableness amounting to slight pain in my bowels, unusual with me on any occasion – F 62° in my room and fine now at 9 50/.. – Fine mild morning – Rain in the night and between 7 and 8 this morning – Went downstairs at 9 55/.. – Breakfast – Took only a mouthful of brown bread and 2 cups of tea, feeling not inclined for anything – Miss Hobart rather kinder in her manner than usual? On my begging   for a little law at breakfast this morning, she really did seem to feel it, and said that seemed like scolding her in a kind manner. Disclaimed all such intention. She said she did not see much of me. I quietly observed, people might think it very dull for her, and that she was terribly left alone but that I did it because I knew she liked it better. Otherwise I certainly should not   ...

  1831 December Friday 9 7 1/2 1 1/2 Incurred a cross last night thinking of Miss Hobart. Great deal of rain in the night – Fair or almost fair at 7 1/2 – F in my room 61° at 8, and 58° in the balcony at 8 1/2 – Skimmed over the newspaper – Letter from my aunt (Shibden), 3 pages and ends, dated Tuesday the 6th instante mense – Thus I can hear in 3 days from Shibden, and it takes 5 from Lawton about 30 minutes nearer London than Shibden is! – My father and Marian well – My aunt’s limbs seem to get gradually worn but she was in pretty good spirits?   There is a subscription afloat for the communion plate (to cost about £45 to £50) for Saint James’s Church – what will I give? Shall I think £5 too much? No! Certainly not – Marian wishes my aunt to speak to me about Benjamin Bottomly, whose life will be shortened by quitting the farm ‘for she had been told by a person (whom she did not choose to name) that it was not so ill farmed.’ Went out at 9 20/.. Walked t...

  1831 December Thursday 8 7 3/4 1 Rainy soft, windy morning – F 52° at 8 3/4 – but rain in the night and recently, and threatening more – Skimmed over the paper till 9 40/.. , for the rain made me determine to breakfast before walking – Bowels all wrong and lumps this morning just as before taking the calomel overnight this day week – Made a little extract from Gibbon volume 3 – Breakfast downstairs at 10 in 1/2 hour, and came to my room – Out at 10 55/.. Walked to the 4 mile stone on the London [road] – In returning, bought little almond paste pot and plated nutcrackers, and came in at 1 50/.. – The two things are to give  Miss Hobart.  She asked me for the latter. Dressed – Windy and rain more or less all the time I was out – Asked Cameron to make me some lemonade – she could not! so cooked it myself – Dressing and cooking till 2 50/..,  then till 4 making extract from volume iii, Gibbon – Miss H- came soon after, and staid above an hour till after 5...

  1831 December Wednesday 7 7 1/4 12 55/.. No motion.   Fair morning – high, boisterous wind – F 52° at 7 1/2 and 8 1/2 a.m. – Out at 8 35/.., having staid 5 minutes to eat a bun – walked to the 3 mile stone on the London road and back at 10 35/.. – Stormy walk – high, boisterous, southwesterly wind – Could sometimes scarcely stand, and rain – Changed my dress – At breakfast with Miss Hobart at 10 50/.. – breakfast in 1/2 hour – staid down till 12 – then came up to my room and read the newspaper all thro’ till 1 – Went down for a minute or 2 to pay Miss H- Hobart for the last 2 weeks – at my desk at 1 1/4 –   We are now very good friends, and I thought less of her in my walk this morning than I have done in any walk for long – From about one and a half to four and three quarters wrote a second 1/2 sheet full to Lady Stuart de Rothesay – chit chat -- *** ‘Our days pass on in one unvaried tenour of quiet comfort, a calm which contrasts agreeably with the...

    1831 December Tuesday 6 7 35/.. 1 10/.. Very rainy, windy morning.   F 48° at 8 1/2 a.m.   Determined to wait for the chances of better weather – At my desk at 7 40/.. – An hour at my foolish letter to Lady Stuart de Rothesay, then reading Dr. Harwood on the climate of the town of Hastings – Letter from Mariana (Lawton), 3   pages and ends and 2 first pp. pages crossed – dated Thursday the 1st instante mense – How singular to be so long on the road! Much better account of herself – Mr. Lawton had got her a horse – can’t tell exactly the consumption of meat, as they kill their own mutton and pork, ‘but certainly nothing like your consumption takes place . . . . . without waste or extravagance, bad management will be expensive’ – Downstairs at 10 10/.. – breakfast at 10 20/.. in 40 minutes and staid down afterwards till 11 25/.. – Miss Hobart gave me her letter from Lady Northland to read – very nice, affectionate, well written letter – and ...

  1831 December Monday 5 (Partial Entry) . . . If she had a card, she would not have troubled me for the knife. I gently remarked that after what had passed at Saint Leonard’s when she was rather cross about this said knife, her speech now seemed ungracious.   Then we got to good humour, heart feelings, etc., and lastly romance, sentiment, and Charles Stuart.   She says nothing would excuse her marrying him but ‘unaccountable frenzy,’ which she does not feel.   But does not perhaps at heart relish his getting over his fancy, which she thinks he will have done if he does not come before the first of April. Would convince her she was romantic on the subject of a husband’s fidelity to his wife. Before dinner, she had somehow occasion to say she thought some people (myself) had better think less of those   whose deserts were so small, but she saw no symptoms of their doing so. I quietly answered perhaps some people did use their best endeavours and might perh...

  1831 August Monday 1 (Got up at) 8   /   (Went to bed at) 1 1/2 Fahrenheit 72°, and fine morning at 8.   Breakfast at 9 1/2.   Mrs. Duffin gone at 6 1/4 on horseback to spend the day at Newton Kyme with her brother and his family at the Fairfaxes. Off at 11 10/.. with Mr. Duffin over the bridge.  Went direct to Mrs. Belcombe’s.   Sat some time with her and Mariana and Stephens and Rose  Bagshaw and little Mariana.   Then left Mr. Duffin there and went home with Steph to look at his German grammars. etc.   Render’s, and Exercises and Grammar by Monsieur Bernays.  George had just brought back Christison on Poisons of which I had read the 1st 92 pages out of   pages 697.   Very interesting work, worth my buying.   Left Mr. Duffin’s manuscript book on cholera morbus etc. with Steph till tomorrow.   He thought the subject sensibly treated, and that ‘Mr. Duffin must have been a clever man in his middle life.’...

1831 July Sunday 31 (Got up at) 7 3/4   /   (Went to bed at) 12 F 74° at 7 50/.. , and very fine sunny morning. About 1/4 hour with Mrs. Duffin in her room. Went to the necessary to very little purpose and did nothing there yesterday. In with Tib at the Black Swan at 9 5/.. Breakfast at 9 1/2 with Tib and the 3 Daltons and little Tom.   Mrs and Miss Best soon came, then Norcliffe left the latter with them, the carriage being ordered and off to Mariana at Mrs. Belcombe’s at 9 35/.. Went to her in her room above an hour with her tête-à-tête.   Mrs. Milne, in the next room, came in undressed and gave me a hurried [kiss] and ran away.   Sent Mariana breakfast. William Milne had had a good night. Mariana and I talked of one thing or other.   Said how Mrs. Duffin had annoyed me yesterday talking of their jealousy of my influence.   She protested Mrs. D was a liar. I ought not to believe a word she said. She had long abominated her, and said ho...

  1831 July Saturday 30 (Got up at) 7 1/2   /   (Went to bed at) 1 1/2 A cross last night thinking of Mariana. Very fine, sunny morning – F 73° at 8 3/4 a.m.    Sat reading a few pages, from page 33 to 47, Christison On Poisons. Down for breakfast at 9 1/2. At 10 1/2, went to Mrs. Anne and Miss Gage for 1/2 hour, then over the bridge with Mrs. Duffin. She went to the Spinning School and I to Mrs. Henry Robinson. Introduced to her  husband and saw her baby, and sat 1/2 hour, and then went to Mrs. Best and sat with her and Ellen above 1/2 hour, then to the black Swan.   Tib and the 3 Daltons not arrived at 1 3/4.  Then to Mr. Henry Belcombe.  Mariana and Mrs. Milne and William had arrived between 1 and 2.  He very much better than expected.  Miss Belcombe came in and brought little Mariana.   Then to the black Swan and meeting Mrs. Dalton and Miss Greenup, all waited there some time. Then to Mrs. H. Robinson's, to ...

  1831 July Friday 29 (Got up at)    9 1/2   /   (Went to bed at) 12 40/.. F 70° at 10 and very fine morning.   Packed portmanteau.   Down to breakfast at 11 1/4, then talking to one or other till luncheon. Took leave, and off from Langton for York at 2 20/.. In 2 5/.. hours stopt at Mr. Belcombe’s.   Nobody arrived, no letter yesterday though Mariana promised to write from Birmingham. 20 minutes at Mr. Belcombe’s and arrived at the Duffins at 4 55/.. Dinner at 5 3/4. All the Marshes off for Newton Kyme at 3 1/4. Miss Sophia Greenup here.   After dinner, she went out to tea, and Mrs Duffin and I took a little turn. Mr. Lawton the Proctor came about 8 3/4.   Gave him the instructions for my will to be drawn up in proper form, and then shewn and examined by Mr. Menel.   Such a will in London would cost 20 guineas; here about 1/2 that sum.   Mr. Menel might charge 5 guineas and Mr. Lawton 2 or 3. Tea at 9.   Mr....