Agreeableizing

  1832 October Thursday 4 Fine morning Fahrenheit 63° at 6 and 64° or nearly at 6 35/.. – Out at 6 35/.. – In and out till 7 – then with Dick arranging the turning of the new drain into the garden into the old sough – with Booth and his 2 men who began taking out the library passage window – Breakfast with my father at 8 1/2. – My aunt seemed better – At Lidgate in 1/2 hour at 10 and s taid till John Priestley came at two. She started as difficul ties the not living at Cliff Hill and my intimacy with the William Priestleys.   She should do as she liked about the former.   It was her self; it was person, not place, I cared for, and as soon as all was settled, my giving up the Priestleys was easy and natural.   This, said she, seemed reconciled and satisfied.   I said I would listen to no difficulty but the pre-engagement of her own heart.   She declared it not engaged, and talked of letting the Ainsleys have Cliff Hill as i f she had determine...

  1832 October Wednesday 3 Fine morning, F 64 12/° at 7. Lay awake an hour and a half thinking of Miss Walker.   I really do get more and more in love with her, not, perhaps, a little heightened by the having to wait her answer for the next six months.    She has really behaved very judiciously, for I believe she likes me – At 71/2 went up to my father in his room and gave him his medicine – Breakfasted with him at 8 20/.. having just sent off John to Lidgate with a brace of Isabella’s partridges for Miss Walker – A little while with my aunt in her room and out at 9 1/2 – in the walk – N obody but Dick working for me by the day – doing the bits of walling to keep up the staking up of the walk – John brought me Letter,   3 pages and ends and 1/2 the first page crossed, from Mariana (Leamington where to they arrived on Friday).   Be at home (Lawton) on Saturday – All thought of crossing the water given up a few hours after she last wrote – Had ...

  1832 October Tuesday 2 Fine morning,   F 66° at 9 – Stood at my desk writing the whole of yesterday till 9 5/.. Breakfast in the little room with my father at 9 10/.. – Saw my aunt in her room for a few minutes and went out 10 1/4 Dick finished breaking ashes – got down the load from the acre field to where he had made the sough in Dolt wood – Brought the roller down and with John’s help dragged it up the walk again and then got the load of soil from the acre field to the slope near the Calf Croft pit hill and finished the making, up the bank there before he went home at night – William Green picked up stones spared from the channelling in Charles Howarth field and carted scraplings to back up Tillyholm bridge in the morning and large stone ( John helped him to load them) in the afternoon into a heap to be barrowed over to strengthen the banking up of the walk in the Hall wood – Nobody working by day for me but Dick – Charles and James Howarth painting back of...

  1832 October Monday 1 5 55/.. 12 Fine morning, F 66° at 7 – Out at 7 5/.. in the walk with Dick breaking ashes – the only one working for me by day – and talking to Pickles in passant – Plenty of level from Mytholm far fields to Lower brea – Could bring the water from the clough there to the [ ]   of the garden at Shibden – George Robinson to see if the Wilkinsons would agree to let it pass thro’ their fields in an open drain – Distance 700 yards to Lower brea – Pickles would do the road to the house from Godley turnpike at 40/. a rood – to be covered a foot thi ck with boulder broken very fine – would be 65 roods – no buried walling would be required – Breakfast with my father at 8 – Waited to wish Marian a pleasant journey to Market Weighton per Highflier at 11 a.m. – Out again at 9 1/4 – along the walk by Lower brea and the new road to meet Miss Walker and met her near Hipperholme lane ends at 9 50/..   – we rested in the hut, and she being not quit...

1832 September Sunday 30 Awake at five, and from then to getting up, lay thinking of Miss Walker.   At nine incurred the cross.   I really am getting much more in love than I expected to be again.   In fact she likes me.   It is evident, and I think we shall be very happy together. Breakfast with my aunt at 10 1/2 and sat talking till 12 – then read prayers and Sermon 11, Mr. Knight, in 55 minutes. – Then asleep till came upstairs after 1 and wrote the journal of yesterday, and so far of today till 2 20/.. – Then called down to Dr. Kenny – He thinks my aunt not looking so well as when he saw her last, and her state precarious – but ten days will shew the effect of the combination of alteratives he is now giving her – If she is not then better – if the spasms are not subdued,   he shall not think well of her – Staid downstairs talking 4 20/..   Just gently named to Marian, when alone with her, that I really wished she would never again set on me...

  1832 September Saturday 29 6 20/.. 11 50/60 Hazy but finish morning – a little damp on the flags, and Fahrenheit 69° at 6 1/2 – haze and small rain as I went to Lightcliffe – Off to Lightcliffe at 7 25/.., there at 8 – Waited some time before Mrs. Priestley came down – Sat 3/4 hour at breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Priestley, then an hour’s reading Volume 7, Paley’s works till she had done her several jobs – Then sat talking very comfortably and agreeably from about 10 1/2 to 2 – Very good friends.   Told her I had lately heard it said she was a very fascinating person.   All I said was kind and friendly as ever, and perhaps more flattering than usual on the subject of her fascination, at which she seemed not displeased.   Quite as friendly, open, and consulting as ever to Mr. Priestley.   Mrs. P- asked me to dinner at 4, but I declined, saying I had already made quite a visitation – Said I had intended calling at Cliff Hill, but it was too late said...

  1832 September 28 . . .find me in my walk between 3 and 5 – begins with ‘I have real pleasure in sending the letter-press tho’ my own motive, and its possible utility are its only recommendations to your acceptance’ – We are in smooth waters now.   She tells me more and more of her affairs. She feels at ease and happier with me than perhaps she could easily explain, and probably we shall both be impatient by and by to be off.   I myself am surprised? at my so rapid success and at the novelty of my situation. Perhaps after all she will make me really happier than any of my former flames.   At all rates, we shall have money enough, and I don’t fancy she will either be close or stingy or cold to me – Had just written the above of today at 8 3/4 – How little my aunt thinks what is going on!   Mariana believes me safe at home, and dreams not how she is losing all chance of me.   She is right served – Nobody working for me today (Mr. Pickles and co...

1832 March Tuesday 20 9 35/.. 12 40/.. Very fine morning, F 61° at 9 35/.. in my room and 53 1/2 at 10 1/2 in the balcony – Downstairs at 10 35/.. Breakfast – Came to my room again at 11 55/.. A little indirect talk rather at each other.   She ended with, she could beat me, but yet I was very good, adding, England with all thy faults . . . . . She bade me repeat the rest.     I said I could,  if she would tell it.  She answered, I would rather hear it than say it.  Then said, no,  I don’t mean that, and George came.   Perhaps the fact is, she may find some difficulty for a short while in caring as little for me as she may wish and I may be the first to care the least –  Pain in my chest and do not feel well.   Have had more or less tightenings and pain in my chest for some time ever since my last bad cold – Till 1 1/2 at Scotch tour – Went out with Miss H- at 1 3/4 – Some time at Mr. Wooll’s – Then turned down by the pret...

1832 March Monday 19 8 5/.. 12 1/4 Finish morning, F 61° at 8 1/4 in my room and 41 1/2° at 9 in the balcony – Out at 9 1/2 – Took back the number of the work on the Pyrenees – Staid there some time – in returning went to Murray’s to look at pretty gold earrings pair £3.5.0 – Came in at 9 20/.. – Breakfast at 9 35/.. – Came upstairs at 11 20/.. from then to 1 5/.. asleep? Then, till 4, looking over my writing desk – Then, till 6, wrote and sent off at 6 10/.. 3 pages and one long end small sized sheet Parisian paper to ‘Mademoiselle Mademoiselle de Noé, Rue de l’université. No. 5 Faubourg Saint Germain, Paris, France and to ‘Mr. Charles Bessell, Secretary to the General Steam Navigation Company, 68 Lovibonds Street, London, Postage paid’ – To ask the days of the steam packets sailing from London to Calais and the length of quarantine required and it whether it was likely to be longer or shorter 3 or 4 weeks hence – Chit chat kind letter to Mademoiselle de Noé – Saying I...

1832 March Sunday 18 7 3/4 12 55/.. Fine morning, F 61° at 7 3/4 in my room and 56° at 9 in the balcony – Breakfast at 9 55/.. – A little talk, half sparring – Miss Hobart and I went to church – Mr. West preached 32 minutes till 1 2/.. from John xiii. 15 – a wake the whole time – Miss H- said his sermon was more practical and better than usual –  From church, went direct to our walk behind All Saints street and went forwards to the Minnis Rocks – Rain sent us home – Sharpish shower before we came in at 2 – Changed my dress – Had my hair pinched and dressed, cut my nails, and went downstairs at 3 to read the newspaper according to my Sunday custom – Soon got into the Pett line of subject.   She said it was very difficult to say anything,   for I should think of it for a month.   However, on my joking and saying (in answer to her supposition I must have someone to fondle and that anyone else would even take it worse than she did), then I must take Came...