Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth, Vol. 1 (of 2)

Tuesday.-- ... William went up into the orchard, ... and wrote a part of The Emigrant Mother. After dinner I read him to sleep. I read Spenser.... We walked to look at Rydale. The moon was a good height above the mountains. She seemed far distant in the sky. There were two stars beside her, that twinkled in and out, and seemed almost like butterflies in motion and lightness. They looked to be far nearer to us than the moon. Wednesday.--William went up into the orchard and finished the poem. I went and sate with W. and walked backwards and forwards in the orchard till dinner time. He read me his poem. I read to him, and my Beloved slept. A sweet evening as it had been a sweet day, and I walked quietly along the side of Rydale lake with quiet thoughts--the hills and the lake were still--the owls had not begun to hoot, and the little birds had given over singing. I looked before me and saw a red light upon Silver How as if coming out of the vale below, There was a light of most strange birth, A light that came out of the earth, And spread along the dark hill-side.