BOSTON, Saturday morning, Sept. 8th—­The rain keeps me home from church, but I still have the more time for reading and reflection.  At every change in my outward situation I find myself forming new purposes and plans for the future....  I will trust that, by the grace of God, the ensuing winter shall be a period of more vigorous effort and more persevering self-culture than any previous season of my life.  Above all, let me remember that intellectual culture is worthless when dissociated from moral progress; that true spiritual growth embraces both; and the latter as the basis and mould of the former.  Let me remember, too, that in the universe everything may be had for a price, but nothing can be had without price.  The price of successful self-culture is unremitted toil, labor, and self-denial; am I willing to pay it?  I feel that I need light and strength and life; may I find them in Christ! As to studies, I mean to study the Bible much; also dogmatic theology—­which of late has an increasing interest for me—­and ecclesiastical history.  To the Spirit of all Truth I surrender my mind.

Monday.—­I have fallen in with Swedenborg’s writings.  Wonder whether the destiny which seems to bring to us just what we chance to be interested in is a real ordinance of fate or only a seeming one—­because interest in a subject makes us observant.  Am reading Greek with Julia.  We began the sixth book of the Iliad. Tuesday.—­Fifty lines in Homer; Companion proofs; Schleiermacher; the prologue and first scene of Terence’s comedy of Andria; two Nos. of N. Nickleby, and walked round the Common with Julia twice. Wednesday.—­Studies the same as yesterday, except that I read less of Schleiermacher and spent an hour or so upon Lessing.  Read “Much Ado about Nothing,” and disliked Beatrice less than ever before.  But I am not satisfied with Claudio; he is not half sorry and remorseful enough for the supposed death of Hero—­and then to think of his being willing to marry another right off!  Oh, it is abominable!  Walked over four miles in the morning, and out again before tea.

Tuesday, Sept. 17th—­Well.  The family are off—­Mr. and Mrs. Willis, and Julia too—­and the Recorder and Companion [10] are left for a fortnight in my charge.  I have been much interested in what I have read to-day in Schleiermacher.  It is his evolution of the idea of God—­if I may so say—­from holy, human consciousness.  It recalls some thoughts which I had on this subject once before, and which I began to write about.  My notion was this—­that an absolutely perfect idea of man implies, contains an idea of God.  I have a great mind to try and make something out of it, only I am so hurried just now.  They keep sending me papers to make selections for the Recorder, and I have just been writing an article for the Companion.  I spend half my time looking over newspapers.  Double, double toil and trouble; most wearisome and profitless.  Would not edit a paper for the world.