"Mr. Davenport Chosen Tutor And confirmed by ye overseers."
Here we have a clue to the Latin.
And in August is another entry:
"Governor Burnett, upon an invitation, came to visit ye Coll: besides—— ye Civil Officers in Cambridge wth some others, together with ye Masters of Art in College, were invited to dine wth him. There was an Oration in ye hall by Sir Clark, some of ye neighboring Clergie were present, & about sixty persons in all had a handsome dinner in ye Library."
Here was an event to be recorded. But was W. S. present? We remain in the dark.
Entries now become more and more uncommon. We learn little more of the clock or of the cyder; and we are at a loss to explain the reason why. But lo! we have it! In November there is but one entry, on the
"21. I was married."
There is the gospel, without note or comment. To whom? We ask in vain. "I was married," and that is all. But is not that enough? No more records about clocks and cyder! What need of those things? Very few entries are made in this year, and these are records of the thermometer. Evidently a new one had come from London. But in October is a short and significant record:
"19. Bille was born at 5 a clock morning."
It was inevitable—cause and effect—a striking example—most philosophic! Had he black eyes or blue? Was he like his father or his mother? Was he little or big? Did he weigh eight pounds or ten? Did he live to be a man? None of these things are recorded, and we shall never know. After this supreme event few entries appear in the diary through the years. Life has become engrossing, important. Let us hope it was sufficing and not full of failure and trouble; let us enjoy the pleasure of believing so, as we well may. The clock, the cyder, the thermometer, the little Bille: what more important matters had he or have we to record? We part with the three, the four faint shadows, Nathaniel, Nathan, W. S., and little Bille, with a mild regret, hoping we may meet them, and especially "little Bille," on the other side. Till then farewell.