Sometimes Fanny acts as though she is speaking to an outside audience, and perhaps she is writing for more than expression. She did of course want to become a professional author one day! Here we see her regretting her less mature diary notes as she begins to experience the massive events of the Civil War. Her mixture of casual and momentous content is exactly why Fanny’s writings are so interesting to analyze. We are glad she didn’t throw her early entries away!

“On returning home I thought it not worth while to continue my journal here, where every day has some memorable occurence I shall try to do so. My diary of last winter at home is so full of trivial notes--that I am half vexed with myself for chronicling so many little events of every day life, and would be inclined to throw away the whole, were there not mingled there interest. What can look more egotistical a year after than ones own diary, filled with what “I” did. However perhaps it’s well enough, to occasionally look over the pages, and find how I spend a pleasant winter in Auburn. As for chronicling public events that I of course cannot do--so that I will not keep this journal consecutively, except here--” Dec 24, 1861