Fine again, but colder. “Packed” once more. Breakfast, == (Did I write of  Daddy’s journal in Palestine? ―)
Afterwards, painted in 5 skies: ― & then came in a cab to Seymour St. Awful hurry ― finding it 12.20 hustle to get to Waterloo Station by 1. ― Rail: the Ensign of the 9th going to Corfu? ― At Winchester by 3.30, wait for up train, very cold. Omnibus. Beautiful valley of the Itchen. Mr. Bacon. ― Tom Bacon. ― (Lord Ashburton is to marry Miss Stuart Mackenzie.) ― Homes, fertile fields & woods ― gleaming water, dux &c. &c. At Alresford by 5. S.B. friendly as of old. ― Mrs. S.B.1 much as of old also. Indeed one begins now to marvel that one ever thought  there was any real change or variety in life.

Only young E.B. at home: Dinner ― & evening. ― I singing &c. For me, I was hardly bored at all.

The village of [Kengianlty] ― & other villages ― are pretty & quiet.

[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]

  1. The B.s mentioned in this and the following entries might be the Blackmores of Alresford, the “young” one being Edward Blackmore. Edward Lear had been reminded of the “Edward Blackmores” of old on 24.x.58 and had written to Mrs. Blackmore on 26.x.58. [↩]