Fine: & not so cold. ―

After breakfast ― worked an atom on the oil Parnassus, & then sent away Church’s 2 drawings.

Packed, & arranged rooms. ――

At 2 “peeped” at  Mrs. Beadon & children ― & returned to “pack” finally, & off by cab to Rail. Arrived at 4 just in time.

4.30 at Walton. Fly to Hotel. ― it all seems very bright & coleur de rose. ― Walked to “the Temple” ― but my canvass “was not there.”

Back, & put rooms in order. ―― (as if one were to stay 500 weeks!) ― the sunset & Cedars are beautiful. ― Room very nice. ― Dinner at 6¾. Jocose parties ― very tolerable. Indian Ossifers ― &c. & Merecantile jollities. ― Cooking così.1 ― Wine good. ― Tried “reading room[”] afterwards ―――: old lame lady hobbled across to me ˇ[(I thought she was going to offer me a religious tract)] ― “sit still Sir! for God’s sake don’t rise Sir! ― I only wanted to see if you was anybody I knew!” ―― But, as she stared me in the face I had been obliged to rise. ― So I came upstairs.

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

  1. So so. [↩]