26 September–2 October 1853

Did nothing. Cannot write. Read my story to Valeryan. It will positively all have to be altered, but the idea itself is remarkable. Planned to write verses this evening but do not write them. Either Valeryan was only pretending to have toothache or he endures pain badly. I am beginning to think about the Turkish campaign — wrongly. One should be consistent, especially in the noble and admirable resolution I adopted, namely — to be satisfied with the present.

In the morning wrote a chapter of Boyhood well. After dinner rode on horseback from 6 till 8. ... In Grandmother' s Deaths I have devised a characteristic trait : she is religious but yet unforgiving.

Both yesterday and to-day wrote a chapter, but not carefully.

Wrote a chapter of Boyhood. Got up at 5 o’clock. The whole of Boyhood presents itself to me in a new light and I want to re-arrange it. Valeryan and Masha are leaving. I want to write a letter to Prince Michael Ivanovich and to Sergey Dmitrievich.