April 7
Laura M., age 16, North Carolina
April 7, 1998
Went 2 Ash’s after school and called Courtney. She read me the note that he wrote me. It was the nicest thing in the world. I paged him, but I didn’t tell him that I’d heard the note yet. I don’t want 2 embarrass him. Had a really good guitar lesson. Cleaned kitchen. “Dawson’s.”
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
April 7, 1997
Damn good day! :) Found out that Crozier really wants to get up with me and Ashley said even go out with me. Woah! He’s adorable. Went home with Renee. Mom picked up up. Did homework. Ate dinner. Cleaned kitchen. Went to 1st softball practice at 7:30. Fun as hell. Love that game! Talked to Karen.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
April 7, 1960
A bright morning. All set. Lo feeding cats. Left the house to board the train for city. Helen came down to see us off. Arr. at N.W.O.R. took cab to Palmer House, then limosine [sic] for air port. All set to go when announcement was made — a little mechanical trouble holding up the flight. Left at noon. A beautiful smooth ride. Arriv. at Ft. Lauderdale shortly after 3:30. Folks there to meet us. Fran prepared meal at home.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
April 7, 1944
Good Friday. Heavenly mild, breezy day. Was glad when tennis was over, although I actually did hit a few balls! Good lunch. Have kept to diet strictly lately. After lunch Betty and I hit tennis balls around room and in hall and had fun! Studied at 1 — philosophy. Will be glad when I finish that report — still Dewey. At 2 Betty and I went over to park near tennis courts and hit balls back and forth. Fun! Glorious afternoon. Big clouds around but sun out. At 3 Betty went to class and I went back and outlined history chapter. At 4 we went over to library to see Mr. Miller about writing our report on “Paradise Lost.” Sounds as if it will be easy! About 4:30 Betty and I went to town and I tried on hats for about an hour. Betty was all worn out after 2 hours of tennis. Finally got a cute little navy blue straw [hat] with white flowers at the Nancer. We stopped at dairy for a soda. Then to P.O. Muffins and cake came. Met Mary and Kath. They came in while I tried on my dress and hat — thought both were “darling.” To dinner at 6:25. Good — sorta. Had fun at table. Orange ice cream for dessert. Had planned to spend evening studying but Jane and Neen talked us into going to the show. We went to Varsity (18 cents) and saw Rosalind Russell and Fred MacMurray in “Take a Letter, Darling.” Sat way down front. Cute picture. Then corny stage show — a juggler. Things like that are pitiful. Out about 9:30. Walked through town. Lovely, rather hazy night. Couldn’t decide whether to go for bus ride or not. Finally decided not to. Went to bus station to rest room. No rolls. Jane is a card. Back through town. Nearly picked up 4 soldiers when Eleanor met us and they were out-numbered. Went to dairy and then bowling alley. Jane and Neen bowled while Eleanor, Betty and I sat on sidelines. A soldier in front of us with the cutest smile kept smiling at Eleanor every time he bowled and we nearly popped! Eleanor was embarrassed — it was so funny. Then some soldiers behind us started calling us Mabel, etc. Left about 10:45. Betty and I had more fun just laughing at other kids. Spectators. On way home a carload of boys passed us and yelled — Jane yelled back and they stopped so suddenly that the brake screeched. Eleanor ran. They wanted us to get in but we didn’t. Betty and I laughed so hard we nearly died. Washed hair in shower — to bed late. Good Friday night. Kids came in for cake.
Marcy S., age 16, Tennessee
April 7, 1941
Nice. Cool but warmed up in p.m. Went to chapel. The Baptist missionary from Brazil spoke. Very hard to look at when he speaks. Again at 9:00 we heard him in the high school gym. Test in history and Latin. Terrible to think that Mary will never be back. Have to write precises [?] in English for tomorrow. After school I went to see Mrs. Brashears about music club. Then Helen and I walked till 4:30. She coached me on the third act. Our room won the poster contest. A badly needed dollar added to our treasury. So much milder and trees so lovely with their branches tipped with balls of light green. Practiced. At night we practiced the play at school. All three acts. Miss Alford there. Kept us till 9:40. Anne drove me home. Mother up in arms. Phoned Mrs. C. for keeping us up so late. No can do again.
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
April 7, 1888
I was at my place this morning, and as there was a good crust on the snow. I fixed up the fence in the woods, brought all the things I am going to pack in my trunk over, and began the packing. I was there this afternoon, and got the canned plums ready to ship. Fred Neill gave me a gallon of syrup to take home. The man who is to live there moved some of his goods in today. I was at a sugar eat at Mr. Marshall’s, and took tea with Mr. and Mrs. Harvey this evening.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
April 7, 1887
This has been a fine day. I worked for Fred this forenoon, helping his partner, Mr. Huntington tap maple trees. It was the first time I ever worked in a sugar camp. I drove the piles and hung the buckets. I got pretty tired by noon, as we began to break through the crust into the deep snow. There were only 12 in my writing class today. I went to the store and practiced telegraphy after school. I succeeded in taking the most of a message going through. I am getting interested in the business and would like to become an expert operator, but of course I never can that I see now, and don’t know as it would pay to try. I have been writing copies tonight. It is a beautiful evening.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
April 7, 1871
Fine day. The peaches have bloomed, now the pears and cherries ct. are in bloom. The soil does not seem as fertile here as farther north. This end of Ill. is called Egypt. They have such odd names for places around here. Hard to find—Deadhog— Greasy—Foggy—Possum-point—ct. Cousin Sallie put water in the ash hopper, and a few days later, when she had lye enough, she made pretzels or is it Bretzels? They were excellent. I always supposed they had to be made in a factory. One Sunday we were to a Presbyterian church—some miles away. Part of the road led through low land and as the buggy—(The cousins have a top buggy which is great luxury out west) jolted over a strip of corduroy road, I noticed rose canes among the tangled underbrush by the road side, and asked what color the flowers were. Cousin Jim said he had never noticed, and when I asked the name of a shrub with a yellow fringe of bloom, he said, “I cant tell you, really I only know the name of one flower.” “What is that,” I asked. Then he could not remember it. How we did laugh, but we laughed more yet, when some time later he said, “I remember now, it is the Johny jump up.”
*(kansasmemory.org, Kansas State Historical Society, copy and reuse restrictions apply)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
April 7, 1862
I fixed some window curtains out of some old sheets for the room upstairs over the hall. I cut out a shirt for Sam & one for Peter. Mr. Henry got a bolt of cloth. He had to give 25 cts. per yd. Dear cloth I think. I had a letter from Frank last Saturday. They are all well. Rained a little today.
*(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 35, London
April 7, 1668
Up, and at the office all the morning, where great hurry to be made in the fitting forth of this present little fleet, but so many rubs by reason of want of money, and people’s not believing us in cases where we had money unless (which in several cases, as in hiring of vessels, cannot be) they be paid beforehand, that every thing goes backward instead of forward. At noon comes Mr. Clerke, my solicitor, and the Auditor’s men with my account drawn up in the Exchequer way with their queries, which are neither many nor great, or hard to answer upon it, and so dined with me, and then I by coach to the King’s playhouse, and there saw “The English Monsieur;” sitting for privacy sake in an upper box: the play hath much mirth in it as to that particular humour. After the play done, I down to Knipp, and did stay her undressing herself; and there saw the several players, men and women go by; and pretty to see how strange they are all, one to another, after the play is done. Here I saw a wonderful pretty maid of her own, that come to undress her, and one so pretty that she says she intends not to keep her, for fear of her being undone in her service, by coming to the playhouse. Here I hear Sir W. Davenant is just now dead; and so who will succeed him in the mastership of the house is not yet known. The eldest Davenport is, it seems, gone from this house to be kept by somebody; which I am glad of, she being a very bad actor. I took her then up into a coach and away to the Park, which is now very fine after some rain, but the company was going away most, and so I took her to the Lodge, and there treated her and had a deal of good talk, and now and then did baiser la, and that was all, and that as much or more than I had much mind to because of her paint. She tells me mighty news, that my Lady Castlemayne is mightily in love with Hart of their house: and he is much with her in private, and she goes to him, and do give him many presents; and that the thing is most certain, and Becke Marshall only privy to it, and the means of bringing them together, which is a very odd thing; and by this means she is even with the King’s love to Mrs. Davis. This done, I carried her and set her down at Mrs. Manuel’s, but stayed not there myself, nor went in; but straight home, and there to my letters, and so home 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.)