Wonderfully lovely day. pleasant North wind.
Steamer in at 8. ― 2 papers & a rather nice letter from Percy E. Coombe.
By drawing boats with the window open, got a chill, & so could not settle to draw.
X3
Read papers. & finished the 5th ― 6th & 7th & part of the 8th of the samller 30 Tyrants.
At 4. walked the longer giro[1] ― seeing little Nicólo & Καραλάμβι. ―
Meeting Craven, walked with him, & returned nearly at 6.30.
Dined: & penned out till 11.30[.]
[1] Round.
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3. Image.]
The most faithful reader of these diaries will have on occasion to ask himself, “Why o why does the man have to play the recording angel and note his most insignificant of his doings?” The short answer could be that he feels his life slipping away and wants to prove to himself that he was around and active on such and such a day no matter how little he accomplished. As a freelance artist off on his own far from the social routines of home he also needed much self-discipline. So he gave an account of himself each day to his other more scrupulous self. Maybe.