25Feb1865, The Bishop Held a Confirmation

LATIMER, February 25th, 1865.
—Bright clear morning, indescribably pleasant after the London dirty dinge and slop. Most of the womankind went to the "Waterside Church," where the Bishop held a Confirmation of about 80 several of whom were elderly people. Now, though my own Confirmation is a sacred and precious memory to me, almost beyond anything else, and though Spencer's and Lavinia's was full of deep interest, I can't say I ever saw, till to-day, a Confirmation really impressively and strikingly done. But the Bishop of Oxford has always excelled in this respect (having done, I should think, more good at Eton than can be measured by his Confirmations there), and this was most solemn and moving.

24Feb1865, From Euston Square to Hyde Park in 17 Minutes

LATIMER, February 24th, 1865.
—Went headlong in a hansom to Euston Square from Hyde Park Corner in 17 minutes ; and here we are, in a very pretty house, with Gladstones, Emma and B. Lascelles, Miss Campbell (a sister of Mrs. Wyndham), Messrs. Evelyn Ashley, Cowper, Hugh Smith ; and the Bishop of Oxford, who has come to hold Confirmations.

20Feb1865, Furniture Shopping

LONDON, February 20th, 1865.
—Lou, F., and I did a deal of furniture inspection, not deciding yet upon much. Also we showed off the house to the Duke who was much pleased with it. F. and I dined very pleasantly at Ld. Granville's, meeting the Argylls, the Bruces, Messrs. M. Arnold, Leveson, H. Cowper, Ld. Lyons, and Sir D. Dundas.

19Feb1865, Hearing Mr. F.D. Maurice Preach

LONDON, February 19th, 1865.
—We went to hear the famous Mr. Maurice in the morning. He preached most beautifully on Triumphant Hope ; with a manner full of love and fervour. If one had not known of his startling, peculiar opinions, I think one would have seen nothing in his sermon but what any Christian might agree with. But alas ! there is terrible difficulty and dispute all round one now, and one is unconsciously on one's guard and in a state of distrust.

17Feb1865, We Dined at Lord Russell's

LONDON, February 17th, 1865.
—We dined at Lord Russell's ; it amused me immensely to go to dinner with Fred ! It was pleasant. Met Sir Edwin Landseer, Ld. Lyons, Mr. Barrett Browning, [FN: Probably the poet Robert Browning, not his son Barrett who was only a boy at this time.] Cap. Egerton, the Stanleys of Alderley.

03Feb1865, Reading Hume and Lingard

HOLKER, February 3rd, 1865.
—Began to read the same period in Hume that I have in Lingard : that is, I only read the memoir of Hume to-day : it was flesh-creepy to discern the soullessness and irreligion of the man, and his ghastly cheerfulness and indifference up to his dying moment.

30Jan1865, Kingsley's The Water Babies

HOLKER, January 30th, 1865.
—Little boys (Edward and Alfred) (and Compton) plunged into the snow before luncheon ; played at hide-and-seek afterwards. I did some French and Latin with them, to my great enjoyment, reviving old-maid recollections. Also read to them the beginning to Kingsley's mad book "The Water Babies" : the only comprehensible part ; the rest being an entangled jumble of allegory, fairy-tale, and natural history—very dream-like and crazy. I have begun a course of English History, and am reading Lingard's first vol.; Iliad, Carlyle, Butler.

28Jan1865, Advanced to the Stage of Clumsy

HOLKER, January 28th, 1865.
—Ice the order of the day again. I advanced to the stage of clumsy, spasmodic self-propelling, diversified by tumbles, and supported by a stick. F. had to foot-hunt, to my grief. He has a horrid cold. He saw the last 5 minutes of my exploits. Lou and I have begun Ld. Derby's new translation of the Iliad, in blank verse ; it is very nervous, easy, and dignified. Little boys tumbled about with and without skates, and swore friendship with Compton. A young man of three-and-twenty has just died of drink, his grandfather and all his paternal uncles having done the same. It is frightfully common about here.