Undated Note

Editor's note: The following, which must date from about this time, is found on an unattached single leaf of paper inserted between the leaves of the diary.

For the past weeks my daughters have been amusing themselves with the production of a small ship's newspaper: "The Buffalo Telegraph". John, perhaps wisely, declined their entreaties to contribute. Sadly it seems that they have been amusing only themselves as this effusion, meant purely for the diversion of the ship's passengers, has been met with indifference bordering on derision.

Mr Stevenson, who clearly fancies himself as the next Coleridge or Pope or Johnson or perhaps a combination of all three has told me that he thought it "A dead failure with scarcely a redeeming point of intelligence or wit". He also felt it his duty to truth and the public interest to inform me that "Scraps from young ladies’ common place books do not become original by being fairly copied into a sheet of foolscap"

What this stupid arse Petronius Arbiter does not understand is that my daughters merely were being kind and acted for the amusement of all on a long and tedious journey.

I know they are talentless. I know they are bubble headed ninnies. I know only too well that Mary's passionate ode to her pony is not the stuff of great poetry. I know Jane's article entitled "Dreamiest Boys on the Buffalo" is worthless and her song "Bouncy Bouncy Dolphin" is not good. And the less said about Susan's Gothic romance "The Monk, The Maid and the Mirror on a Stick" the better.

But they are my talentless bubble headed ninnies and if it should come to my attention that Mr Stevenson has given public utterance  to his critical judgments then he will find himself walking bow legged and in need of a truss.

Worse, I may just let Mrs Hindmarsh know of the circumstances and then stand back while she deals with Mr Longinus Stevenson. Then we will see a dead failure without intelligence or wit.