Tuesday, 3 September 1861
Rain at times, & high wind all day.
Perhaps the best day yet. Worked more continuously: at the Whitmore picture & the other Egypt & Jánina.
Dined at 4 ― cold half fowl & plum tart.
Letters from
Dickenson
Mrs. Cockerell very nice indeed.
& Gussie Bethell
At 7 went to Van Crake’s ― the old people, M.A.C. & Edward there ― besides some Bretts, & a Webster.
Much bad singing & playing ― mine among the rest.
X
It is certainly curious, how, with the drawbacks of being generally ill & uncomfortable, of loneliness, & of melancholy, & of the uneasiness produced by the life long demon ――
― it is curious how perseveringly I do plod on nevertheless: ― 2 or 3 more weeks will show this plainer if the pictures progress well.
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3.]