Surely the machinery of Walter Aimwell’s life was not complicated, and the material of it was not bulky. Few boys have less; yet he had all that was necessary to make a character strong and noble, and to accomplish results whose influence for good will outlast time itself.
This compact method of journal-keeping he practised until the very day of his death. In these journals, he never expatiates upon any subject; yet I shall extract a passage here and there, because I would rather the reader should take a suggestion from his own pen than an ampler remark from mine.
“Jan. 3, 1842. Went to work this morning at half-past three, to help get out the first number of the ‘Christian Reflector.’
“Thursday, April 7. Unpleasant. Annual Fast to-day. At seven o’clock in the morning went down to Salem in the cars, with my room-mate, L. P. H. On arriving there, I immediately went to Uncle R.’s, in Danvers, where I found my mother, who went down yesterday. From there we rode in a carryall to Miss Mugford’s.[3] We afterwards visited Mrs. A.’s, and from thence went to the Tabernacle church, and sat in the pew which we formerly occupied. Rev. Mr. Worcester preached a very good sermon from the text, ‘Remember this, and show yourselves men.’ Isa. xlvi. 8. After taking dinner with Mrs. A., I called on L. P. H., and became acquainted with his parents. We then walked around together for some time, and visited our old schoolmaster, Mr. Brooks, who appeared very glad to see us. After tea, mother and myself, with father and little Charlie, who came down in a carryall this morning, all rode home together, and reached Charlestown at about eight o’clock. Though the weather was rather inclement, I never spent a more agreeable visit in Salem, and I shall long remember it with pleasure.”
“May 1, 1841. Sabbath. Warm and pleasant. After the sermon, fifty-seven persons were admitted to the church by profession, and ten by letter. It was a most interesting scene, and one which I shall long remember with pleasure. The church was very crowded, and the services were unusually solemn. Most of those who united with the church were young, and some were yet in the years of childhood. These are the first fruits of the delightful revival now enjoyed by our church in common with others in the city.... The communion season was one of deep interest.”
“May 3. A fine day. At five o’clock in the morning went over to Charlestown with L. P. H., and took breakfast there.”
“May 18, Wednesday. In the evening attended a meeting held at Bowdoin-Street Vestry by the young men of Bowdoin, Park, Salem, and Green-Street churches. The meeting was excellent.”
“Sept. 28, Wednesday. A fine day. The annual muster took place to-day at South Boston Point, and about twenty-two companies were present. In the afternoon I had liberty “to go and see the soldiers.” I did not go to muster; but after dinner I went over to Chelsea, and bought me a fine pair of stout winter boots, custom-made. Returned home before four, and wrote the rest of the afternoon and evening.”
The day after he was twenty years of age, he “bought two feet of wood, and in the evening L. P. H. and himself got it in and sawed it once;” probably that he might make his private room sufficiently warm to write during the approaching winter months. From these two paragraphs, youths can get some notion of the manner in which young Walter Aimwell spent his limited time and his more limited means.
Much of his leisure during the year 1842, was spent in writing; yet he read about half-a-dozen good books, besides miscellaneous reading. He also visited Salem, Mount Auburn, and Fresh Pond; Woburn, New York, Hoboken, Jersey City, Brooklyn, and West Point. His “balance on hand” this year was seven dollars and forty-three cents.