Rose before 8. Breakfast at 8.
Letter from Miss Slater, I have left some drawings at Hastings ― hearing of which disgusts me horribly. Wrote to her, & to T. Fairbairn.
Penned out a little: a pleasant Mrs. Ansley called. ― [(]sister of Mrs. Parsons)
Sate penning out & talking with Mrs. B. ― (who, θαύμαστον,[1] sate still half an hour! ―) till 1. when Mr. Bell returned, with Mrs. Oldham ― (mother of Mrs. H. Hanson of Constantinople?) a pleasant nice woman. ―
Lunch ― in a hurry ― Mrs. B. being in a fuss. ― Afterwards Mr. B. & I walked out ― up the “Scrubs ―” wh. he has bought & turned into pleasure grounds. But it rained a good deal, & finally so hard at last that we had to return.
O pottering! always wearying me! ― We walked again, as a thunder storm cleared off all ― up the Alton Road: & returned to dine at 5.30.
Dear Mr. Bell is always the same kindly man as ever. The evening would have been very delightful, as Mrs. O. sings well ― only Mrs. B. was particularly fussy ― & absurdly grotesque about Mr. B. & Mrs. O. who went to “look at the moon.”
XX
[1] Extraordinarily (NB).
[Transcribed by Marco Graziosi from Houghton Library, Harvard University, MS Eng. 797.3. Image.]
Edward Lear's Diaries 
Wonder what Mrs. Bell found so remarkable about her husband and Mrs. Oldham’s looking at the moon. Why is it in quotes? Probably we shall never know.
And two sad crosses there at the end.