- Beale George W
- Adams Charles F.
I cannot yet return to my interrupted course of Life, and all my regular
occupations run in arrear—above all, my diary which I cannot even keep
up with the current of time— Mr Beale brought me the Deeds
of 30 Pews in the Stone Meeting house 15 in one deed, and 15 other
several Deeds— I am to examine them and finding them correct, to give up
the Note of the parish to me— I hear my Grandchild Mary-Louisa, from 2 to 3 hours every
day, learning her Letters. If the employment is not dignified it is
necessary, honest, and at least not a waste of time. These are my only
consolations— May the blessing not be withdrawn— My wife went to Boston this
afternoon, and returned home this Evening— Charles came out here and went back. I weeded the third
alley between the rows of Rasberries and found a row thickly sown of
white Mulberry trees, just up from the seeds which I planted in July—but
not one of my Strawberries 145has come up. That
experiment as invariably happens with those on which I place any
reliance, has totally failed and it is so late in the Season, that I
cannot expect any of my white mulberries will survive the Winter. The
hickory pignuts planted last Autumn, still continue to shoot up from the
surface of the ground— I found two or three just appearing this day— I
had two stumps of Old Peach trees dug up by my workman Walter, and taken away. Yet remnants of the
Roots were left in the ground. As they were they reminded me too much
and too often of my own Condition. Dead to all useful purpose, but
presenting a permanent ruin to the eye, and occupying by its mere
existence a place which might be filled by young, healthy and profitable
Plants— Miserere mei Domine. (N.B. 21 June 1835. The querulous tone of
this day’s record was written in no becoming Spirit, under the pressure
of disease, disappointment, and melancholy forebodings— A Christian
should endure with fortitude and resignation all the ills of life, and
never lose his trust in a superintending Providence— The failure of my
planting experiments, trifles lighter than air grates upon my feelings,
by the train of associated ideas linked with the purposes and hopes of
life— My white mulberries were all killed by the succeeding winter,
because they were sown too late— The Strawberries all came up in the
Spring of 1834. and in the Summer of 1835 are exterminated by an
invasion of self-sown clover— The great difficulty of raising Hickory
trees, arises from the lateness of the Season when they come up— The
stem has not time to ripen before the killing frost comes. Patience and
a mind fortified against disappointment are indispensable to a raiser of
seedling trees. He must always remember the story and moralize to his
own improvement the Story of Jonas and
his gourd)