“_May 11th, 1817._—It is my wish to say something of my parents; to express, if possible, the gratitude which I feel for their care during my childhood, for the pains they have taken in my education, and for their judicious treatment since I have attained maturer years. But the task is too great, and I shall not attempt it. I hope that I shall always show them, by kind and dutiful conduct, that I am fully aware of the magnitude of my obligations. I am thought, I believe, to have cold feelings; but if any one can entertain stronger feelings of gratitude towards his parents than I do, his heart must burst, for it cannot contain them.... My father and mother have acted most judiciously in using every means in their power to make home a place of comfort to us. The consequence is that we have none of that itching, which is so prevalent in most young people, to be always from home; and I think I may say without vanity that there is not a family in Birmingham where there is less discord than in ours. For this we are indebted to our parents, who, instead of interfering in all our undertakings, as is too common with many enlightened fathers and mothers, allow us to use our own judgment and discretion; and when we are in the wrong, rather let us find it out ourselves than by a continual interference beget a spirit of opposition in their children. My mother is a woman of strong native talents, but she has had few opportunities of cultivating them. She is kind, affectionate, possessed of great courage and spirit, and is well adapted to the situation she occupies as manager of a large household. My father possesses the strongest mind of any man I know.” Two days after he had made this entry he writes:— “_May 13th._—It has frequently been a surprise to me that people should choose to scald their mouths and injure their health by eating and drinking hot food, particularly tea and coffee, the goodness of which they appear to estimate according to the pain it must give them in drinking it. For five or six weeks past I have had mine made by mixing with tea and coffee of the usual strength about one-half of cold water, brought directly from the pump; so that it is both cool and weak—two very good qualities in my estimation. Lately two of my brothers have followed my example.” “_May 24th._—For the last month or two I have been in the habit of lying in bed rather too late. I now make a resolution to get up earlier in future. It is my intention to rise with the boys—that is, at six o’clock. That I may see whether this resolution is kept, I will keep an account of the time at which I rise every morning.” He kept up these entries for more than two years; but in August, 1819, he records:—