ugh, at the outset, for four weeks' living at the
farmhouse, with eight shillings to spare besides. By embroidery-work I
can easily make nine shillings more to put to that, and there is a fifth
week provided for. Surely, in five weeks' time--considering the number
of things I can turn my hand to--we may hit on some plan for getting a
little money. This is what I am always telling my husband, and what,
by dint of constantly repeating it, I am getting to believe myself.
William, as is but natural, poor fellow, does not take so lighthearted
view of the future as I do. He says that the prospect of sitting
idle and being kept by his wife for months to come, is something more
wretched and hopeless than words can describe. I try to raise his
spirits by reminding him of his years of honest hard work for me and
the children, and of the doctor's assurance that his eyes will get the
better, in good time, of their present helpless state. But he still
sighs and murmurs--being one of the most independent and high spirited
of men--about living a burden on his wife. I can only answer, what in my
heart of hearts I feel, that I took him for Better and for Worse; that
I have had many years of the Better, and that, even in our present
trouble, the Worse shows no signs of coming yet!

The bead purse is getting on fast. Red and blue, in a pretty striped
pattern.

21st.--A busy day. We go to Appletreewick to-morrow. Paying bills and
packing up. All poor William's new canvases and painting-things huddled
together into a packing-case. He looked so sad, sitting silent with
his green shade on, while his old familiar working materials were
disappearing around him, as if he and they were never to come together
again, that the tears would start into my eyes, though I am sure I
am not one of the crying sort. Luckily, the green shade kept him from
seeing me: and I took good care, though the effort nearly choked me,
that he should not hear I was crying, at any rate.

The bead purse is done. How are we to get the steel rings and tassels
for it? I am not justified now in spending sixpence unnecessarily, even
for the best of purposes.

22d.-----

23d. _The Farm of Appletreewick._--Too tired, after our move yesterday,
to write a word in my diary about our journey to this delightful place.
But now that we are beginning to get settled, I can manage to make up
for past omissions.

My first occupation on the morning of the move had, oddly enough,
nothi