Shown below, a detail from an 1852 portrait of Margaret Worthington Mansfield (1811-1863) by Thomas Buchanan Read, and a reproduction and transcription of part of the first page of her diary beginning April 1, 1836.
It is a hard thing to love from a sense of duty to wring from the heart those feelings which will not flow spontaneously--who would prize such love, who receive it--who be content with such worthless . . ., not those truly whose warm hearts have throbbed with the delightful consciousness of returned affection from those most dear. Yet there are some whom I feel it my duty to love--well I do love them but with a love so forced I cannot be happy in it--
Used by permission of the Ohio Historical Society.
Adena, April 1, 1836 Lizzy and I walked to town yesterday to meet with the circle of industry at James's--passed a pleasant evening--gave Mr. Taylor a needlebook he had bespoken. The honorable Judge did me the honor to make himself agreeable to me--so he intended it at least and so I took his intentions. Passed the night at Uncle James [Swearingen's] and walked home this morning. Gathered in the woods the first spring flowers whose delicate beauty always delights me.
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