THE DIARY OF WILLIAM SMITH OF CAVENDISH, VERMONT, A FRESHMAN IN DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, SEPT. 23, 1822-AUG. 3, 1823

The MAGAZINE is indebted to the courtesy of Professor Foster for the following very interesting diary of William Smith of Cavendish, Vt., who was a freshman in Dartmouth College from September, 1822, to August, 1823. There are other records of the early days at Dartmouth that throw a clearer light upon general conditions and appearances, but there has been none published that gives so accurate an idea of the psychology of the freshman of ninety years ago. William Smith had prepared for college at Phillips-Exeter, primarily with the intention of entering Harvard, or "Cambridge College," as he calls it in an old letter. Why he changed his mind and entered Dartmouth does not appear. At the time, he was twenty-two years of age. Conscientious, and desirous of making a good record in his classes, he soon found that close application to his books was undermining a constitution that had been developed in the open air life of the farm. Accordingly, after an evidently uncomfortable and homesick year, he gave up his college course and returned to Cavendish. A note on his subsequent career will be found in the second instalment of the Diary, which will appear in the January issue of THE MAGAZINE.

For the. notes which accompany the Diary, the Editor has relied mainly upon material furnished by Professor Foster and by Professor John K. Lord. In Professor Foster's letter, which follows, acknowledgment is made of the kindness of those from whom the original manuscript was procured:

PROFESSOR FOSTER'S LETTER

MY DEAR MR. KEYES:

In attempting to interest the undergraduate mind in the discovery of classical manuscripts in the 14th ana 15th centuries and in the preservation of American colonial records, I have been accustomed for some years to suggest that it is still possible to have the joy of recovering manuscripts and saving them from fire, damp, auction, and the terrible ravages of New England housecleaning. Nearly every year some student or alumnus reports the existence of a manuscript; and occasionally he is persuaded to give or loan it to the College that it may be preserved and utilized by investigators. Letters, sermons, and an unpaid bill of Eleazer Wheelock, tavern account books, old catalogues, and diaries have thus come to the College.

To the alumni, one of the most interesting manuscripts would be the journal of William Smith of Cavendish, Vermont. I send you a copy (verbatim,literatim, et punctuatim) of the first twenty-four pages of that journal (covering all Smith's entries during his freshman year in college), together with such data as I have been able to secure from college catalogues, treasurer's accounts, and the facts kindly communicated by relatives of William Smith, Douglas D. Ruxton '08, and Mrs. F. L. Bigelow of Rutland, Vermont, who kindly loaned the manuscripts.

The printing of the manuscript would serve a double purpose, if, in addition to preserving the record of one freshman, it should lead alumni and friends of the College to take measures for preserving other manuscripts.

Very sincerely yours,