April 20
Laura M., age 16, North Carolina
April 20, 1998
Good day. Pretty sure I still like Casey. We just laugh 2 much! :) I was giving Pat a hug and he was like, “I wanna hug.” :) Took Karen, Justin, and Zach home. Went 2 Ash’s. Called Jon and dumped him. Hell yeah! I’m so happy! Came home and did homework. Ate. Watched story. Excited about tomorrow’s day. Talked 2 Ashley.
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
April 20, 1997
I was in a really bad mood for most of the day. Mike came to 2nd lunch. I think whatever we had going is over. Shit… Driver’s Ed. Did homework and story. Dinner. Talked to Karen and cleaned kitchen. Went to softball at 7:30. Got back at 9:30. Sleepy.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
April 20, 1960
Did some cleaning in basement. Mrs. B. came for a short while. She going to Ringwood to luncheon. Fixed some things for Lo then went out to clean up under the bushes. Spent the P.M. there. Lo came a little early — sowed some grass seed at cabin, later it rained. Not hard.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
April 20, 1944
Nice day. No philosophy class. Practiced. No house meeting. Piano lesson at 4:30. Good dinner. Vespers at 7:40. Mr. Weaver stepped on our toes. About being quiet for a few minutes every day and that is prayer without words. Getting cloudy when we came out. Met Mary and she said “Did you know - women are going to be drafted soon!” Well, the rumor spread like wild fire and it finally was discovered that the bill had passed only one committee and probably wouldn’t get any further til after the elections. Betty and I were disappointed. Being drafted would solve a lot of problems. Joan came down and we talked about Mr. Weaver’s talk. Joan is so nice - I want so badly to be friendly and have friends!! Washed hair.
Marcy S., age 13, Tennessee
April 20, 1938
It is a warm, rainy day. Mrs. Moore told some funny stories or rather readings in chapel. She told the one about “I stood on the bridge at midnight” and everyone nearly died laughing. After school Helen, George and I played smuggling. It rained in later afternoon but cleared again. There was another rainbow and it was very beautiful. I got my lessons and practicing and then helped George with his. Mother gave Mrs. McCarter some ivy to plant on the bank. After supper I listened to One Man’s Family and Fred Allan.
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
April 20, 1888
I went over to Mr. Butler this morning and visited with him until train time then I went to Delhi and took the cars for Ann Arbor. I took dinner with Ralph McAllister and then went to the nursery and bought some raspberry and blackberries bushes and some grapevines. It was a cold, windy, disagreeable afternoon; I came back to Delhi tonight.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
April 20, 1887
I helped Kate care for the baby all last night, I got up rather late, had breakfast and then went over home and pa and I went to Ann Arbor where I got my trunk and purchased Kate some oatmeal and ½ dozen oranges. I saw Will Price at the Bank a little while. Pa bought a dozen chairs. I stopped at the depot in Delhi and got my satchel as we came back. My trunk was badly abused on the road. I took the sugar out and brought what Mrs. Neil made for the Queals over here with some syrup, which Fred sent. I am going to stay with Kate again tonight. It has the appearance of raining, but I fear it will not.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
April 20, 1863
I have done nothing of interest any importance today. Knit a little. Harrie & Mr. Henry went to Asheville this evening. I never expect to see Harrie again. Poor fellow. I fear his days are few on this earth. He is very feeble & coughs a good deal. He is still cheerful. I don’t think he will last long after he goes back to camps. He is Col. of the 60th. He says he is coming back after the next fight we have at Tullahoma if he is alive. Ah! yes if he is alive, I don’t think he would be able to be in a battle if he was there.
*(Fear in North Carolina: The Civil War Journals and Letters of the Henry Family, Eds. Karen L. Clinard and Richard Russell, used with permission.)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
April 20, 1862
I got up with a severe headache. Took some pills before breakfast & felt a great better when they operated. It has rained nearly all day. I hope Mr. Henry has not been in it. I have had a long lonely day. Mr. Norman came this evening & sit awhile, brought a letter to mail. Louise McKinnish did not come last night but Tom Tidwell staid with us. Atheline sleeps in the house every night while Mr. Henry is gone. Pinck is laying before a wee fire (it is not cold). Zona & Willie in the kitchen with the negroes. It is 1/2 past 5 & soon supper time. I hope Mr. Henry will be at home by next Sunday. He has been gone one week tomorrow, a long week to me. I ought to have written to Dora & Sister Frank today but I felt so little like writing. I also owe Sister Lena a letter. I must stop & mend up my fire & see about supper. May the Lord of Mercy look down on my dear husband & shield him from all harm is the devout prayer of his wife.
*(Fear in North Carolina: The Civil War Journals and Letters of the Henry Family, Eds. Karen L. Clinard and Richard Russell, used with permission.)
Samuel P., age 36, London
April 20, 1669
Up; and to the Office, and my wife abroad with Mary Batelier, with our own coach, but borrowed Sir J Minnes’s coachman, that so our own might stay at home, to attend at dinner; our family being mightily disordered by our little boy’s falling sick the last night; and we fear it will prove the small-pox. At noon comes my guest, Mr. Hugh May, and with him Sir Henry Capell, my old Lord Capel’s son, and Mr. Parker; and I had a pretty dinner for them; and both before and after dinner had excellent discourse; and shewed them my closet and my Office, and the method of it to their great content; and more extraordinary, manly discourse and opportunity of shewing myself, and learning from others, I have not, in ordinary discourse, had in my life, they being all persons of worth, but especially Sir H. Capell, whose being a Parliament-man, and hearing my discourse in the Parliament-house, hath, as May tells me, given him along desire to know and discourse with me. In the afternoon we walked to the Old Artillery-Ground near the Spitalfields, where I never was before, but now, by Captain Deane’s invitation, did go to see his new gun tryed, this being the place where the Officers of the Ordnance do try all their great guns; and when we come, did find that the trial had been made; and they going away with extraordinary report of the proof of his gun, which, from the shortness and bigness, they do call Punchinello. But I desired Colonel Legg to stay and give us a sight of her performance, which he did, and there, in short, against a gun more than as long and as heavy again, and charged with as much powder again, she carried the same bullet as strong to the mark, and nearer and above the mark at a point blank than theirs, and is more easily managed, and recoyles no more than that, which is a thing so extraordinary as to be admired for the happiness of his invention, and to the great regret of the old Gunners and Officers of the Ordnance that were there, only Colonel Legg did do her much right in his report of her. And so, having seen this great and first experiment, we all parted, I seeing my guests into a hackney coach, and myself, with Captain Deane, taking a hackney coach, did go out towards Bow, and went as far as Stratford, and all the way talking of this invention, and he offering me a third of the profit of the invention; which, for aught I know, or do at present think, may prove matter considerable to us: for either the King will give him a reward for it, if he keeps it to himself, or he will give us a patent to make our profit of it: and no doubt but it will be of profit to merchantmen and others, to have guns of the same force at half the charge. This was our talk: and then to talk of other things, of the Navy in general: and, among other things, he did tell me that he do hear how the Duke of Buckingham hath a spite at me, which I knew before, but value it not: and he tells me that Sir T. Allen is not my friend; but for all this I am not much troubled, for I know myself so usefull that, as I believe, they will not part with me; so I thank God my condition is such that I can retire, and be able to live with comfort, though not with abundance. Thus we spent the evening with extraordinary good discourse, to my great content, and so home to the Office, and there did some business, and then home, where my wife do come home, and I vexed at her staying out so late, but she tells me that she hath been at home with M. Batelier a good while, so I made nothing of it, but to supper and to bed.
*(The Diary of Samuel Pepys M.A. F.R.S., edited by Henry B. Wheatley F.S.A., London, George Bell & Sons York St. Covent Garden, Cambridge Deighton Bell & Co., 1893.)