Wednesday 3 April 1839
Better this morning but far from right - gave Ann salts who has had no motion since her physic on Saturday
Very cold white frosty windy morning Fahrenheit 34 1/2 inside and 31 1/2 outside at 9 a.m. and breakfast and sat talking
Out between 10 and 11 to Robert Mann at the scale road down Charles Howarth's field - he and Joseph going to their maternal uncles funeral this afternoon - then at Listerwick - the Lowmoor men bodding at the drum - won’t do at all well yet
Home about 11 1/2 - a little while with John Booth in the brew house (the pig killed yesterday) then with Ann she had only had one motion Ann had a basin of mutton broth
Had Booth - about 2 - backwards and forwards with him
Out with Ann walked in front of the house 35 minutes - she seemed rather better for it
Then had Holt at 3 1/2 for minutes - the drum wont do at all - to write and tell the engineer so by the men this afternoon and to see Mr. Hird this evening - up and down with Booth
And wrote as follows to Mariana 'Shibden hall - Wednesday 3 April 1839 my dearest Mary - this letter is in my desk - I dare not turn to it to see, nor dare I think how long it is since I received it - It is grievously on my heart and conscience that I have not written to you long ago - I have thought of, intended, even sat down for the purpose of, writing, several times - Some spell, not idleness nor carelessness, has prevented me - you have thought, - if you have thought about it at all, - perhaps a thousand injures - I am resolved to make no excuses - But, Mary, this is my birthday - what say you? Is forgiveness easier on this day? that you have hailed so often? write and tell me so - You promised to come and see us - at all rates, you keep your promise - I have been in a whirl of potheration ever since our return - But surely the end will be some time - I got up this morning with the intention of writing you a few leisurely pages - I have been interrupted till now, nearly, post-time - But you will pay postage this once - I write to nobody - I do assure you, I am more than 1/2 pothered to death - we are sadly at sixes and sevens - But no more of this - If you come, you can judge for yourself - when all has righted again, we may laugh over station engines, water-bursts, &c. &c. &c. god bless you, my dearest Mary - always very affectionately yours A L- Lister'
Began the above letter about 4, and short it is wrote it by bit and bit till 7
Dinner at 7 20/60 - Ann read French - wrote all but the first two and a half lines had copied my letter just before sending it sent off my letter at 7 1/4 to 'Mrs. Lawton, Lawton hall, Lawton, Cheshire'
Note tonight from Mr. Parker saying he had stopped Mr. Day till further orders - i.e. stopped him from beginning to plot the Northgate ground for building - well enough to have stopped him till I know what he will charge
Ann sat in my room all this afternoon - only tolerable
Edward Waddington and 2 lads here today - in the morning bodding trifling over 1 thing or other for Booth not here till about 2 p.m. then set Edward to chip off the stone cornice of the North entrance door and Robert Norton (joiner) and Booth fixed the oak post under the great King post cut off in my great uncle parson's time to put in the present stone door-way - this one to the north and the other to the South - Robert and Joseph, the joiners, began this afternoon boring the King post of the South east (or little breakfast room) gable against the South entrance door (this King post having given way a little this winter before the great wind 7 January) and which we laid bare yesterday - the wood sufficiently good to hold inch bolts - told Booth to order them the 1st. thing tomorrow morning at Ward's - this job to be done and the passage flagged by Mr. Harper comes
Robert (joiner) junior busy oak-covering in the top of my library passage armoire - the wood stoothing finished putting up ready for plastering, on Saturday and the floor laid on Monday - Michael the joiner at the gallery passage taken off the north chamber into the red room - he has been at this these ten days or more and Robert junior helped him with the framing at 1st.
Wrote by tonight's bag to 'John Harper Esquire St. Leonards Place York Postage Paid to ask him to come at whatever earliest time may suit his convenience, and to hurry the people to send the glass for the tower windows - and thanking him his 2 exceedingly beautiful coloured drawings of an Egyptian temple and the Pandroseum at Athens, and for the lithographs particularly those descriptive of buildings which add so largely to his professional reputation
Coffee at 9 3/4 - before and after till now 10 25/60 wrote to so far of today - very cold, wild, windy, occasionally frozen-snow-showery day
Read aloud a few pages (to page 45) volume 1. quarto Mitford's Greece, and came upstairs at 11 10/60 at which hour Fahrenheit 35 inside and 31 1/2 outside
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