Cambridge.
Ther [Thermometer] Wednesday, Jan.  24,1917 [January 24,1917] Wea [Weather]
"We Dine" Fair
Sun shining rather dimly through
thin clouds and perhaps also haze.
Air calm & frosty yet not very cold.
  Garden birds. A Purple Finch (gray)
and Flicker in Parkman apple tree;
a Jay in lilacs; 15+ House Sparrows.
I have not seen either of our
Peabody birds since the Shrike
was here two days ago. Perhaps
he got one or both of them but
this seems improbable.
  Worked most of day on Goose &
Guinea-hen story. To put it 
aside before completion seems
quite impossible yet should not be.
More than one man I know could
write it equally well & probably
better, in a few hours - which
is not encouraging to think of. 
  "We Dine" at Walter Deane's this eve.
Everyone but Barbour there.
Usual delightful time.

Cambridge.
Ther [Thermometer] Thursday, Jan. 25, 1917 [January 25, 1917] Wea [Weather]
Fair
Pale sunlight more & more obscured
by gathering clouds, combined with
moderate temperature & windless air
to make the day seem colorless albeit
not uncomfortable.
  Garden birds. 2 Jays & about a dozen
House Sparrows - nothing more.
  Still the Goose & Guinea-hen story
drags wearily along. I added
two pages to it to-day & seem
to have almost reached the end
but such was also my impression
a week or more ago.
  At luncheon we had Sally Dearborn
& Miss Willard, both very interesting
& agreeable.
  Evening spent in front hall
E. [Elizabeth R. Simmons] reading aloud from Charlotte
Bronte's "Villette" which impresses
me as a rarely good novel although
not so altogether admirable as her
"Jane Eyre".