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10 A o Wednesday Nov. 19th Let me see if I can not go ahead now without any such omissions as the last page represents, & suceed daily in filling up at least one page of my diary -- One indication of a great mind is a steady [pursuit -crossed out] perseverance in any thing, even in the smallest mat= ter, when once begun -- And, though I do not mean to say that a continued perseverance in [words crossed out] keeping a journal, can make me a great mind, may it not help to improve my mind -- Dr Todd, in his "Student's Manual" advises it, and it is from this advice that I commenced it -- I intend, when we become settled, to take this "Student's Manual"; and study it, and endeavor, as far as in me lies, to regulate my hab= its of study, according to [word crossed out] the directions therein contained -- I feel that I have wasted the best part of my time in desultory habits of reading & study, & will try to improve "Better late than never" -Now, that the time is approaching, when I must depend upon my own efforts for my "daily bread", it is necessary that I should endeavor to improve my mind, -- to lay aside all childish things, and fit myself to launch out into the great theatre of this world's action, and play my little part in it -- I say, little, because I have no great aspirations after high & lofty things, which would in all probability never be fulfilled -I will be contented, if I can live in the place I wish, to fill an humble station in society, to earn my bread by the sweat of my brow, & to make the study of Nature one of my great occupations as well as pleasures -- My only ambition is to be "Great not like Caesar, stained with blood, But only great as I am good." But let me return to the things of the present day & see what I can note down of the affairs of today. After spending as much time, as we poor mortals usually waste in dressing our bodies & filling it with its food, - I was occupied for an hour or more in painting a little trifle in an album, for my mother; - she had begun it but not having time to finish it, got me to do it. -- though the painting did one but little credit. I afterwards went up town with Pa & Cally, to help purchase her a doll -- we at length suited her fancy, with a nice little lady who could bend her limbs to per= fection. I then hunted up my long-legged friend, & engaged him to go a hunting with me after dinner -- We accordingly fitted up and took a walk beyond, what is called the orange grove, which is nothing more than a barren old field covered with briers & brush --how it came by such a beautiful name is unaccountable --We returned home
11 A u laden with the additional weight of a sparrow & a thrush So much for our success in hunting at this place My father received a letter from LaFayette Chambers Co. today, which was not very favorable He also saw a gentleman from Tuskegee who gave him strong assurance of success there he moreover saw another from Montgomery, who advised him urgently to settle there He intends visiting Pensacola if possible, before the end of the week, & see what chance there is for our settling on the long sighed for ocean I certainly should be glad if it could so turn out that we can take up our abode there, and prosper Thursday Nov 2oth Another day without any letter from Tuskegee Pa sought for some means of getting to Pensacola, but could not find even s sloop going there today He will go there tomorrow by the stage (Providence permitting) if he gets no letter from Mr Brumby which would induce him to depart immediately for Tuskegee I hope we will find a fav orable location in some quarter, for it is disagreeable to spend so long a time in inactivity in this place It is truly a dull place to while away time I find amusement & pleasure though, not in these narrow, dirty streets, resounding with the din of business, but in the quiet & beauty of nature I went with Pa & Mr Patterson to try our luck in fishing Pa, after catching some cat fish, left us, & Mr Patterson left me to get his dinner But the fishing line had such charms for me, as to keep me at the end of the pole till three oclock, when I reluctantly rolled up my tackle & turned my steps homeward with a tolerable mess of fish and crabs My steps were accelerated by the calls of outraged nature a dinner is a thing which I rarely can afford to lose But I lost it today; for when I returned the table was cleaned, & I did not trouble them to get any thing for me, & I therefore fasted till sup per, & I felt pretty sharp till then. I painted roughly a beautiful little fish called the Bream (a kind of Perch) I also daubed a sketch I had made of a crab After supper I went with Ma to the Presby terian church, to attend the prayer meeting, & heard Dr Hamilton make a beautiful discourse from the text "O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee Ps LXV shall all fesh come." A beautiful text from which he made a discourse, very appropriate for a prayer meeting. I see that the prayer meeting is not much better attended than in Tuscaloosa I liked Dr Hamilton much better tonight than when I last heard him in Tuscaloosa
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A y Friday Nov 21st A day which has passed just as usual In the morning, as Pa thought of visiting Pensacola, I did not make my usual pis catorial expedition, but staid at home and amused myself by reading the life and adventures of Mr Midshipman Easy, by Capt Marryat I was much interested with it, as I have been with all his novels at the the first reading; but they do not bear reading a second time I think I like this as well as any of his writings I admired Jack's independence & sang froid in every thing his readiness to "argue the poin"t any where & at any time he was a real "philosophe"r Pa met, down town, today, a gentleman who was born & bred in Pensacola, and who put him out of all no tion of going there; theefore, we will depart for Tuskegee, as soon as possible We came very near going on the "Winona", a new kind of steamer, constructed on the low pressure principle The captain, who is the inventor, has procured a patent for it; but as it is a new boat, having never navigated this river, & does not work exactly to suit the captain, we concluded to wait till tomorrow & go up on the "Admiral", commanded by Capt. Weibling, who boards with us, at Mrs Herbert's Moreover as Julia afterwards said, it is Friday, an un lucky day on which to begin a journey She seems to be more super stitious on this point than any of us, having, with Ma & Cally, been nearly frightened to death by the running away of the horses, on the day we started from Florence, 3 years ago; I think it very lucky, (if such a word can be used here) that none of them were killed As it was, the driver (Mr Reister) had his leg broke It is singular that most people, especially sailors, have such a superstition on this point And many coincidences have happened, seemingly to verify it. Stephen Girard, they say, in order to cure the sailors of this, built a ship, which was commenced on Friday, finished on Friday, named Friday, launched on Friday, equipped on Friday, set sail on Friday, and never was heard of more no one ever returned to bring tidings of her fate This thing only served to convince the sailors that they were right & you cannot induce one to begin a journey on this day It is a singular superstition, taking its rise, I suppose from the day on which our Savior was crucified
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Saturday Nov 22nd We are, once more, moving - sailing up the river at a much faster rate than we descended it - we are on the above mentioned steamer "Admiral", commanded by the above mentioned Capt Weib ling - Any one can easily tell by the zig zag lines I am making, on this the last page (for I did not write in my journal last night) nor this night, but tomorrow morning) (Sunday) that my pen is tossed about by the potting of the boat & don't you see, I'm writing with blue ink. I had to use Indian Ink (which, by the by, makes capital ink) at Mrs Herbert's I must, if I expect to continue my journal, as it should be kept, to write regularly every night - however interesting an occupation I may be engaged in, to lay it aside, & at least, write one page -There is nothing like regularity in habits. The greatest men have been noted for the clock-like regularity of their occupations by having "a place for every thing, and a thing for every place" -- Here it is Sunday, and I am writing for Friday & Saturday. - "These things ought not to be thus". - Well - I spent the morning in finishing "Jack Easy", doing errands for Ma, looking for a letter at the office, & going about with Pa, to fix upon the boat in which to go to Tuskegee. In the evening, we had our freight, (or plunder) stowed away in the hold of the "Admiral" - 21 packages, containing our "goods and chattels". The trunks, band boxes & other little things were then conveyed to the boat, by the instrumentality of a dray - by the by, I lost at this time Ma's cologne bottle, which I would not have done for a great deal, as a lady cannot well spare this article of her toilet. We then went to the boat, accompanied by many friends, who parted with many farewells, and we are off again. We left in a drizzling rain, with overhanging clouds which promise more. Mobile with its twinkling gas-lights, and busy hum of bells and business, dwindled slowly away in the distance, and as there are (or rather were) no other ladies on board, besides my mother & sisters, we spent a delightful evening in the Ladies Cabin reading & chatting (a thing which we did not enjoy much coming down, as the Noxubee was so crowded). Our friends were very kind in giving & lending us books to read on the way. I employed my time in skimming over "The White Slave", which is a beautiful work - too long though, to read through on the boat - so I just skimmed over it, gathering its sweets
14 B a Sunday Nov 23rd The first Sabbath I have spent, for a long time, without attending divine service of any kind. But we worshipped our Maker, I hope, in the great temple of nature - far more glorious than any made with mortal hands - with the blue heavens above, & the varied surface of the earth beneath - the hill & dale - the sand bar, and the bluff - the cultivated field, and the wild scenery of uncultivated nature, - and the bright water foaming and dashing past us - how could we but look up, & recognize, in all these things, the hand of Him who made them all - and, in the language of Holy Inspiration, "commune with our own hearts, and be still". But how hardened and insensible are our hearts on this subject, we are so taken up with the vanities and trifles of earth, - with our daily occupation, - with our food and dress - with all that relates to our poor frail bodies of dust, as entirely to neglect and forget our God - Him, who has made us, and surrounded us with so many blessings - by whom, if we were neglected or forgotten a single moment, we could not draw another breath. Oh, when will we learn wisdom, when will we learn to feel as we should, that the day the day is fast approaching when we (who are now so careless and unconcerned) shall be summoned into His Holy Presence to render an account for the manner in which we are now spending our lives. "Lord, so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom". We have had a bright and beautiful day - the clouds which obscured yesterday's sun, have dispersed, and our hearts have been gladdened and cheered with the unclouded light and warmth of the beneficent sun. I slept but little last night - this boat, having but a single en gine, is obliged to slacken its pace at every corner - and this river being so crooked & twisting, I was kept awake by the incessant interruption of the noise of the escaping steam - we passed the Amaranth (the boat on which we came near travelling and on which Mr John C Calhoun is) several times during the night - she passed us just at day break - and, as she draws less water than our boat, she keeps ahead of us - the river is so very low, that we jolted over several sand-bars, during the day. We hope though, to get to Montgomery, without stick ing fast on the bottom (just see, how the boat shakes).