Wet at times: dark always ― sometimes pitch dark fog.

Worked at putting all nick-nacks in closets: [secretion] in paper.

Later, ― wrote ― & sent letters ― to Giorgio Kokáli ― telling him to meet me at Leghorn by the end of the month: to Boyd ― Ellen, Sarah, Lady Goldsmid, Lady Waldegrave, & C.F. ―

At 4, walked out ― most beastly mud & fog. ― Called at Crake’s, Mr. C. returned. ― At Dixon’s ― a long way off. Saw all the Dixon family ― browny-berry children ― & a [patter] nice sort of mother.

Walked back by 6: seeing Mr. Whitmore. ― At 7.30 to the S. Gurney’s. Very magnificent home: ― wonderful heaps of unknown people. ― Sate next to a really nice girl ― a Miss Woodhouse: ― & t’other side ― a Mrs. Head, S.G.’s sister. (αὔτη ἔφαγε πολὺ!)1 Both of them pleasant. Who would have thought of the Gurneys & Annesley being connected? Yet one of the Hammonds married a Buxton. ― Dinner exceedingly sumptuous. Evening, looked at some clever drawings by Miss Woodhouse. ―

Cab home.

 

Why are women the greatest thieves?

Because they steel their petticoats, bone their stays, ― bag their hair, & crib their babies. ―

XX

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

  1. She ate a lot (NB). [↩]