William Allingham

William Allingham’s diary, 1884

March

23 March 1884
Sandhills. The 'Forward Oak' is be- ginning to show a green top about this time.
26 March 1884
H. and I to the Evans's — Miss Kate Greenaway.
30 March 1884
Mild. With Sonny and Sissy down Haselmere Lane and into * Primrose Land ' — copse abounding in primroses, wood -anemones, some violets — wood-spurge sprouting. Home…

2 April 1884
Fine. Visitors — Mrs. and Miss Mangles, Mrs. Hunter, Mr. Burdon. The wallflowers now are rich, germander speedwells fine blue.
3 April 1884
Pruning currant-bushes. Walk with Sonny and Evey, Brook Road, little common. Skirt Banacle Copse, violets, stitchwort. Ants.

25 June 1884
Helen and I by invitation to the wedding of Hallam and Miss Audrey Boyle. The T. party were in our train in another carriage. We met at Waterloo Station. We in…

27 July 1884
Aldworth. About eleven T. and I came out to walk, first to the stables, where he unchained a Deerhound, a black Setter and two smaller dogs, then with these on…

2 August 1884
Warm — with breeze. H., I and Sonny and Evey to Godalming, by invitation, to the Wallaces,^ Frith Hill, beside the Water Tower. Hot climb. Mr. and Mrs. Wallace in…
4 August 1884
To Lythe Hill, Mrs. Stewart Hodgson's — Roomful — Corney Grain performing. Lord Tennyson, Hallam, Mrs. Hallam, Mr. Buckton, Mr. Macmillan, Wife and Daughter, Mrs.…
7 August 1884
A hot day. Helen and I all the afternoon at Aldworth. Various visitors and callers, so I had little talk with T. Some numbers of Justice — Democrat Socialist paper…

8 September 1884
H. and I to Aid worth. In the draw- ing-room we find Lady Tennyson — then T. comes in. His two little grandsons run in. Tennyson went to his bedroom and returned…

6 November 1884
Tennyson wished me to bring Mr. Alfred R. Wallace to visit him. It was arranged that W. and I should go over to-day. Mr. Wallace came by the 12.35 train from…
25 November 1884
On a sudden impulse I walked up from Sandhills about 3 o'clock, to call at Aldworth, the roads greasy with a thaw, ice on pools. On Blackdown met Hallam, and then…

5 December 1884
A fine day. H. and I to Blackdown. We found her last year's point of view, and she sat courageously for two hours sketching in the cold, for 'twas an eager air tho'…