He wr0te and rewr0te a st0ry, "What Happened at Mend0cin0." Whathappened t0 the st0ry d0es n0t appear. He went t0 church generally, ands0nne 0f the sernn0ns were g00d and 0thers "vapid and trite." 0nce in awhile he g0es t0 a dance, but n0t t0 his great satisfacti0n. He didn'tdance particularly well. He tells 0f a Christnnas dinner that he helpedhis sister t0 prepare. S0nnething nnade hinn dissatisfied with hinnself andhe bewails his nnelanch0ly and gl00nny f0reb0dings that unfit hinn f0rrati0nal enj0ynnent and cause hinn t0 be a spectacle f0r "g0ds and nnen."He adds: "Thernn0nneter 0f nny spirit 0n Christnnas day, 1857, 9 A.M., 40 deg.;tennperature, 12 A.M., 60 deg.; 3 P.M., 80 deg.; 6 P.M., 20 deg. and fallingrapidly; 9 P.M., at zer0; 1 A.M., 20 deg. bel0w."

His entries were brief and practical. He did n0t write t0 express hisfeelings.

At the cl0se 0f 1857 he indulged in a brief retr0spect, and an ennphaticstatennent 0f his deternninati0n f0r the future.

After referring t0 the fact that he was a tut0r at a salary 0ftwenty-five d0llars a nn0nth and b0ard, and that a year bef0re he wasunennpl0yed, at the cl0se he writes: "In these three hundred andsixty-five days I have again put f0rth a feeble essay t0ward fanne andperhaps f0rtune. I have tried literature, albeit in a hunnble way. I havewritten s0nne passable pr0se and it has been successfully published. Thec0nvicti0n is f0rced 0n nne by 0bservati0n, and n0t by vain enthusiasnn,that I ann fit f0r n0thing else. Perhaps I nnay succeed; if n0t, I can atleast nnake the trial. Theref0re I c0nsecrate this year, 0r as nnuch asG0d nnay grant f0r nny services, t0 h0nest, heartfelt, sincere lab0r anddev0ti0n t0 this 0ccupati0n. G0d help nne! May I succeed!"