On April 18, 1843, George W. Lunt returned from Portland to his Westbrook home with two books that he presented to his daughters, Mary Ann and Zelia, then ages 17 and 19. He told them to keep track of "common-place-matters of the day."
Between 1843 and Dec. 31, 1854, Zelia kept track of those occurrences.
In this first volume, Zelia Lunt commented on visiting various friends and relatives, her father's many trips to Peru, Maine, where his brothers lived and where he had frequent business; and, especially, on her attendance at Westbrook Seminary.
She comments on lectures attended, topics of discussions, fellow students, and the activities of several of the students in teaching at small schools of their own.
In 1846, she wrote of her diary-keeping, "Many may consider this practice of committing to paper the thoughts, feelings and events of the day, however simple, as a foolish waste of time; but to me it does not appear so.
"Ease is thus acquired in the narrative style of writing and much that is often important and interesting to remember, is saved from sinking into the role of forgetfulness."
