Morning clouds with rain and occasionally openings of dry, clear weather. I remained at home all day. Read part of the first and second Epistles of the second book of Horace and worked quite hard morning and afternoon upon some improvements in the garden. I am not accustomed to handle the spade and hoe. It blisters my fingers, yet the exercise is very good. Indeed it is here that I feel the principal benefit of my present way of life. Intellectually it does me very little service. Physically it aids me. I was so fatigued in the evening that I could attend to nothing.