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Greenville July 21^st 1837.

A few days ago I formed a resolution to keep a Journal.
I was at first uncertain whether I would commence from
the present time, and write leave the past unrecorded, or,
go back as far I can remember, from my earliest childhood,
and here set down all that has occurred to me up to the
present period. On reflection, I came to the conclusion that
the latter mode was the best, and have therefore adopted
it. The scenes of your childhood, that happiest period of
our life, ought not to be past over, or forgotten, and it will
afford me mingled pleasure and pain, to recur to the past
and put down as well as I can remember, all that I have
experienced of happenings on the reverse. I have very few
incidents of interest to relate, at least that would be interest-
ing to others, but as this book is intended for no eye but
my own, it is of no consequence, whether a journal of
it would excite interest in others or not, Every word
that I here record, every circumstance the most minute,
every thought, feeling, action &c, will at all times, and
particularly years hence afford me the greatest interest
imaginable. The improvement also that I hope to make
in Penmanship, formation of sentences, case in composing
&c. will give me great satisfaction. But perhaps I am
mistaken in thinking my Penmanship, and style, will
be improved by writing a Journal, for a Journal book
is one you take up at any time, and write in it with-
out any form or regularity, without improvement ever
in view. I may perhaps as I go on I may be able to com-
pose more easily than I now do, for I am so unaccus-