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Mont St Michel Saturday Sep 23. 76 11 PM
Have I made a mistake in my association with my friends today? I was justly indignant. And the affair came very nearly causing very bad feeling. To be accused of a thing of which one is entirely innocent naturally arouses one's wrath; and then to be unable to prove one's innocence is a circumstance not tended to attain a disagreeable position deeply convinced as one may be of the perfidy of another. This has been my position today and although the affair was only the absence of a shoe string, when that absence is felt caused by one of two parties and both deny it, naturally a lie lies some where and the honor of a mans word in his denial is in jeopardy. I do not feel satisfied with my conduct and yet I have done what I considered best. The position was and is disagreeable; even though we have resolved to metion it no more and to remain together until the termination of our journey, yet this unhappy circumstance is evidently upon the minds of all three of us and if I had ordered a dozen bottels of champagne tonight and Anthony an equal number I feel satisfied that sleepfulness would not have come. It is the most unpleasant circumstance that I can recall ever having occurred on my birthday. Twenty four today and so unworthy of that age. O how deeply I feel my dissatisfaction with myself. Everything I could reasonably desire is granted me: money, health, affectionate friends, and I before whom this is lavished am so unworthy of the very least of these blessings. And why? Let us if possible arrive at some definite conclusion of this problem. I am equally endowed by Providence with the average of my fellows. And that average is as miserably unworthy as myself. Why? again: Because like myself they lack the resolution to pursue

Transcription Notes:
a lot of [[?]] need to be transcribed - this seems to have been resolved