| Description | [Diary Transcription]
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he seems quite bewildered’ — M- [Mariana] not quite so well as she was — the moorgame arrived safe on Sunday — Dr. Belcombe
appeared pleased with the attention — M- [Mariana] was to have written on Tuesday ‘but Bell came over and nothing could be done’ — 3 ppages crossed
and the ends from Miss Vallance I must write to her very soon — she says my last is dated 14 February — ‘Does the remembrance
of your confiding friend ever cross your mind? has her fate ceased to interest? is her form forgotten? her faults and sorrows faded from
from your heart?’ …… I must write — she is still in a very bad state of health — Gives a high character of her brother
William’s bride — vide the latter 1/2 the crossing of page 2 and the former 1/2 of page 1 vide page 2 ‘memory often carries me to Langton — and recalls
our wandering to Birdsall, the wold etc. etc. …… those steps so well remembered, so fondly recorded in my bosom’…. flll [full] well I re
member my style of conversation so does she too is it not evident she will listen again and grant all I ask as before — At page
3 ‘I hope to see Langton at no very distant time and I hope most earnestly to see you there’ — Surely the crossing above referred intelligibly
marks her preference towards me and might warrant my taking gently any liberties I choose she says or strongly insinua
tes that she and I think and feel more in unison than I suppose surely this is no cold water on anything that has passed between us —
I have always maintained a lady cannot love sufficiently a second time it is respecting this she owns my opinion
‘founded on a knowledge of human nature in general’ but considers herself an exception — Radford’s 1st letter
is to acknowledge the receipt of my 1st ….. ‘as our business is conducted solely on the principle of ready money we cannot
send goods to strangers in the country without 1st receiving a remittance to amount of ordered goods’….. Strangers is in the original
strange ladies in the country — Referred to their ‘order book’ and found my measure etc. etc. I could not help laughing — the 2nd letter
a respectful acknowledgement of the draft — the coat to be sent by ‘the York coach that leaves the Golden lion X [Cross] Saturday morning at
six’ that I am expected to have it early on Sunday morning — vide line 23 the last page the weather, what kept me up so long
etc. E..[below] o. a little not much —
Saturday 30
6 5/60
12
L
vide
1/2 hour in the stable wrote a few lines on 1/2 sheet of paper (which William took to the Post Office before breakfast) to ‘Mrs. Cook, straw-hat maker,
Coney street York’ to desire her to have black chip in readiness to make me a hat in a day if possible — I should be in York on Wednesday
or Thursday — wrote a couple of little notes for William to take to Butter’s, and Whiteley the hatter’s — and wrote the last 7 lines of the last page
and the first 19 of this — went down to breakfast at 9 40/60 — at 10 3/4 drove my aunt to Whitwell place — Caradoc in the gig — George rode Hotspur the 1st time
except perhaps once or twice when taking him to be shod, since I returned from York 22nd May last — Mrs. Veitch came to the
door — we did not get out of the gig, but staid just 5 minutes and got home at 12 55/60 — Hotspur a good deal heated — Ditto Caradoc
after he got into the stable — He was rather ‘starved’ George said, this morning — and rather off his meat, at least his hay — ate very
little of his corn after coming in, and no hay — ordered him a mash — all the hay to be taken out of his rack, to have none tonight —
nothing but bran mashes, and in case it should be wanted desired Suter to make a ball (to be sent this evening to Northgate) of
5 drams Barbados aloes, 4 drams hard soap, and 1 dram ginger, the ball not to be made to weight more than 1 1/2oz. [ounces] for
which paid 10d. [pence] — after returning from our drive sauntered with my aunt to Godley — a long while in the stable and did not come in (upstairs) till
2 1/4 — From then till 4 1/2, looking out my clothes, what wanted mending etc. etc. for my journey to Scarborough and York —
at 4 50/60 went into the stable for 5 minutes then walked (down the new bank) to H-x [Halifax], was to meet Miss Pickford at Whitley’s
at 4 3/4 by the old church — 10 minutes too late, and met her in Northgate — she turned back with me to go to several shops — we
then walked leisurely and got here at 6 1/4 — She had walked to King X [Cross] to meet me yesterday but must have been 1/2 hour too late —
asked what Mr. Simmons said etc. etc. — Wished much to see his prescription had thought much about me I would not
shew it her or tell what he had said she asked me with more apparent anxiety or curiosity than usual she would
understand the whole thing I laughed and said — 3/4 hour at dinner and upstairs getting M’s- [Mariana] IN’s [Isabella Norcliffe] and my own pictures
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which I shewed her — she thought M- [Mariana] (though a vilely done sketch) very like a cousin of hers, Mrs. William Lumley — IN’s [Isabella Norcliffe] miniature
by Millet beautifully done — Mrs. Taylor’s sketch of me, like a person afraid of speaking — too foolish looking — could not bear it —
not at all characteristic — Shewed her Steph’s prescription of two years ago cubebs etc. passing off for Mr. Simm
ons sshe said it was an odd one in walking home with her laughed and talked nineteen to the dozen would make her
tell what she thought and screwed it out by piecemeal she said could that be Mr. Simmons? it would do no good at last
I made her own mercury was the only thing my whole manner convinced her I was in the venereal said Mr. Simmons wanted me
to go to Manchester for a fortnight or three weeks could not yet tell whether after getting better I might have
any relapse or not owned that was his prescription I had consulted four or five alluding to Mac Steph
Doctors Belcombe and Simpson I said I had had four letters on my return one I could not understand meaning Miss V’s- [Vallance] I was vap
ourish about it and not well today [I had indeed a little bowel complaint just after dinner] she said she knew some
thing was the matter whatever it was I looked ill she seems at home about the venereal disease I tried to find
out if she had had a touch of it she said nothing to contradict or yet exactly to own it I was rattling on asked if she knew w
hat lady sick was ssaid I could tell her something for which she would box my ears she wanted me sadly to say it
I declined for the present [I meant I might sometime pretend I had gulled her all I had said was a joke]
is this ssaid she your philosophy does your conscience ever smite you perhaps alluding to my having be
fore so strongly denied the thing no said I it does not but I meant to amend at five and thirty and retire with credit
I shall have a good fling before then four years and in the meantime shall make my avenae communes my wild oats common
I shall dimciliate them she laughed did not mention her name but hinted Miss V’s- [Vallance] ssneaking kindness for me I had
met her on a visit she had been much attached I thought and persuaded she could never love again she disagreed with me said I
was right in general but there were eexceptions to all rules and she was one she was ill one night had spasms
was bad to hold in all sorts of contortions I sat up with her [illegible] and should never forget spasms
Pic laughed said one of my friends said if I had not my talent I should be abominable Pic thought I should
not find fault with others she had before told me of her putting on regimentals and flirting with a lady under
the assumed name of name of Captain Cowper it did not seem that the lady ever found it out but thought the cap
tain the most agreeable of men just before we parted now said I do you like the philosophy or the vivification
do you think me less agreeable no was the answer do you think me more so yes I do she will breakfast here on
Monday for I talk of going by that night’s mail — Miss Pickford staid till 7 50/60, I walked to Savile green with
her — returned up the old bank in 20 minutes and got home at 8 50/60 — very much heated — the evening very hot and close — got curled imm
ediately then sat down and wrote etc. During supper wrote the whole of this journal so far of today, and went downstairs
at 10 10/60, and came up again to bed at 11 8/60 at which hour Barometer 1 1/2 degree above changeable Fahrenheit 60° — Fine day — rather likely for
rain in the morning but it kept off — E…[below] o. —
Sunday 31
5 50/60
12 25/60
In the stable for a few minutes or 1/4 hour at 5 55/60 at 7 1/4 rode Hotspur round the moor (George rode Percy while John walked
out Caradoc) he carried me very well, got back at 8 3/4 — the smell of paint so bad, disagrees so with the horses (all this and not at
all the journey that has affected Caradoc) had them brought back into the near stable — Caradoc seemed to get up his spirits directly — we all
went to church — Mr. Franks preached 39 minutes (good sermon, but too long) from Luke xv. 7. ‘there is joy in heaven over 1 sinner that
repenteth’ etc. made applicable to the occasion of collecting for the national schools — his majesty’s letter desiring church collections
to be made throughout all kingdom was read made last Sunday — meant to have sent to inquire after Mrs. Wilcock, but this not being
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