Diaries are pictures of character—unsafe repositories of intimate personal things that enlighten and betray. Among the pages were traces of petty jealousies and much harmless egotism. Here and there were patches of sunlight, touches of irony and unconscious humor. At times a tinge of pathos shadowed the lines of the “wether book,” and under it all was the human story of one who, in this humble form of expression, had sought relief from solitude. As I perused the faded chronicles the figure of the old man, sitting before his fire at night, with his pipe and almanac, diligently recording the happenings of the days that passed in his little world, seemed a reality. The record covered a number of years, but extracts from the entries of 1852 will convey a general idea of the contents of the old book. _Jan 1st_—This is the first of the yeare & I start in not very well. Cold prevales & a good dele of snow. Snow drifts stacked around the house. Cant see out. I stay mostly in my blankett. _Jan 10th_—Lots of snow. Froze hard last nite. Big wind. Stade in & must hole up for rest of winter if this keaps up. Rumetiziam bad. Hiram Barnes com today with feet froze. It is blowing bad. Looks worse outside. Moon eclips was predicted for the 8th but nuthing of the kind sene. _Jan 12th_—I notis by my almanack Lady J. Gray behedded today in 1555 but what for does not say & hevy rain storms predicted but nuthing of the kind. It has never ben colder. I got to melt som more snow and get the pump going. She is froze hard. _Jan 14th_—Was out som today & it looks thawy. Thaw coming. Som deer traks on iland. Will get after deer soon. _Jan 16th_—Got a buck today & fixed the meat. Sunup & Sunsett both according to clock. Evrything on skedule. Som sweling white cloudds off in W. The cold abates som. _Jan 20_—We are geting storms in these parts & a good dele of wether comes at nite. Som days are cleare & cold with merkery stedy at Zero. The moon is around but nites dark & clouddy. Moon must hav ben full the 7th but not sene. _Jan 31st_—Month closes mild yet flying snow. River ice som places over a ft. thick. This has ben a remarkabel month. Thare was too much wether in Jan. The merkery gets funny now and then. I dont think eny thermomter is akkerate. _Feb 2nd_—Big thaw has com & erly in the morning a shour of rain. Got a buck on the ice at the marsh & got the meat home late. This was yesterdy. Snow is all mushy. This has ben a quere day. It is now 5 P.M. _Feb 3rd_—Snow flurrys mixed with rain. Ice braking som. I heare meney cracks out on the river. As I sett down to rite in my wether book I beleve the back bone of the winter is broke. _Feb 5–6–7–8–9–10_—Had 1 nice brite day & ever sence a whopping big storm. Big drifts. Cant see out. Must get some backake ointmint. Full moon was on the 5th. Good thing I got a lot of wood in. I notis in my almanack storms probabel this month & this is rite.