During the time he kept this first note-book, his reading and subjects of thought appear to have been of a very miscellaneous character, as will be seen by a few titles, taken as they stand in the index he carefully made: “Colossus of Rhodes;” “Conscripts;” “Consumption;” “Dogs;” “English Language;” “Milky Way;” “Mohammed Ali;” “Mr. Shinplaster;” “Skin;” “Smoky Chimneys;” “Spartan Heroism;” “Stoves,” etc. etc.
CHAPTER IV.
MORE NOTE-BOOKS.
In the spring of 1840, Walter Aimwell commences a new note-book. Here is the
“PREFACE.
“In the fall of 1838, I commenced keeping a note-book, somewhat similar to this. As I was then a member of the ‘Mechanic Apprentices’ Library Association,’ and consequently read considerable, I thought it would be useful to keep a book in which to write down all that was valuable and interesting in the works which I perused. And I also thought it would afford a good opportunity to write compositions of my own, which I had never before attempted. And lastly, though not least, it would improve my handwriting, which was then quite bad.
“With these ends in view I commenced a ‘note-book.’ As to the first object, I found it very profitable and interesting. In the second I succeeded very well,—better than I expected; for I found such a taste for writing that now I find it almost impossible to restrain my pen. As to the third object, the book will show for itself. Although there is now much room for improvement, yet I made more in that book than I ever did at any school. This book will differ from the other in that it will be composed mostly of original compositions, including the lectures.
“Boston, April 15, 1840.”
Let young minds notice particularly the first paragraph in the new note-book. It introduces his report of a course of lectures.
“The following course of lectures was the only one which I attended during the winter of 1839-40. For I thought it would be better to attend one course, and take notes of what I heard, than to go every evening in the week, and get my head filled with a miscellaneous assortment of facts which, for want of arrangement, would soon be forgotten. The lectures were highly interesting; and, meagre and hasty as the sketches of them are, I feel that I have not lost the object for which I labored, and I doubt not these faint outlines will afford me much pleasure in their perusal.”