Mrs. Parks the Aunt of my Wife by her Mother’s side is dead after a lingering illness. The members of the family thought it fit to attend the Funeral which took place today at her house at Cambridge.

The dinner hour was fixed at one o’clock so that my morning was rendered of very little service to me. I did however succeed in making up a few of the longer days of my Diary. The variety of a Journey had become exceedingly necessary to infuse interest in these ordinarily monotonous pages. I have ceased to believe in the utility of a Journal and would break off mine if it had not become a habit which I do not like to destroy. The Communion with my own mind, the expression of feelings which escape nowhere else have become necessary to me and will often do much to soothing down the moments of depression which will occasionally come upon me.

The afternoon was passed partly at the Athenaeum, partly at the shops where I am ordering my various things. I hope on Monday to 26get myself into train for the winter. I continued Sir James Mackintosh and finished Mr. Sedgwick.