December 19
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
December 19, 1997
Up at 7:00! Me and Renée went to Mrs. D’s kindergarten class. It was fun, they were cute, but it was very tiring. Home at 5:00. Kathy’s friend Eva ate dinner w/ us. Courtney came at 7:00 ish. We went 2 Juice Shoppe for Ashley and Karen. Stayed till 9:00 and took them to Karen’s. Rented “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” Good. Exchanged presents.
Crisis, age 20, London
December 19, 1980
1 Kitkat. Woke shortly before 12pm. Visit from man to read meter. Work £36. Bought £30 from Barry. Took valium, dope, drink and speed. To pub with Sal (Sofa’s friend), Barry and Theresa, William and Mark, then to squat then home but I’m locked out. To Jeff’s for film then to squat and stayed with Lain.
Anna L., age 76, Illinois
December 19, 1960
Helen better, very cold. Over to Carrie’s and Mrs. B.’s. Her brother’s condition the same. Washed again later will iron.
Marcy S., age 14, Tennessee
December 19, 1938
Nice day. Cool. Slept till 10:00. Ate a little breakfast and then worked till Daddy came for dinner. Ate a little dinner. Then more work. Helped Mother with Christmas cookies. At 3:00 I cleaned up and went down to the church and practiced my piece with Mrs. Moore. Ella was there. Then to town where I shopped a bit. Came home and practiced and helped Mother. Daddy home for supper. I cleaned up before supper and then finished afterwards. George came to see if he could go down with us but later decided to walk, fearing he would be late. About 15 till 7:00 Mother and I left and drove down. Daddy had walked down before us. I sat on the front seat with Ella, Barbara Lyons and some Mossip girls. I was first on the program. Seemed like a dream at first. Gave Christmas reading that I gave at music club, “Cobbler’s Visitor.” Then Senior C.E. gave a play. Mrs. Moore coached them. Very good. Then rest of program. About 8:15 Santa Claus (Mr. Smalley) came. I got 25 cents and so did everyone in our Sunday school class. They gave Daddy a lovely brief case. All over by 8:30. I got lots of congratulations on my reading. Went home and listened to tail end of Lux Radio Theater. Then to bed.
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
December 19, 1887
It snowed some this morning, but finally got too warm for that and has thawed all day. I sawed some wood this morning and then came in and did some pen work for Fred Neill in an Autograph album he is going to send his little niece. I went up town early this afternoon and sent out a letter containing an advertisement to be inserted in the Frankfort Express about my card writing. I don’t expect it will pay me though. I have been writing cards all the evening, did $.50 worth of work.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
December 19, 1862
Mail brought but little news. I got a letter from Sister Jane. They are all well. I made myself another apron & sewed some on Pinck’s last shirt of the three. Betsey got the cloth out this evening & went home. The children have three dresses each & then some plain linsey, for me some saques & coat lining. I sewed some after supper. Mr. Henry sent little Cora’s other tomb stone home by the waggon from Greenville. It is a very nice one, quill letters.
*(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 34, London
December 19, 1667
Up, and to the Office, where Commissioner Middleton first took place at the Board as Surveyor of the Navy; and indeed I think will be an excellent officer; I am sure much beyond what his predecessor was. At noon, to avoid being forced to invite him to dinner, it being his first day, and nobody inviting him, I did go to the ’Change with Sir W. Pen in his coach, who first went to Guildhall, whither I went with him, he to speak with Sheriff Gawden — I only for company; and did here look up and down this place, where I have not been before since the fire; and I see that the city are got a pace on in the rebuilding of Guildhall. Thence to the ’Change, where I stayed very little, and so home to dinner, and there find my wife mightily out of order with her teeth. At the office all the afternoon, and at night by coach to Westminster, to the Hall, where I met nobody, and do find that this evening the King by message (which he never did before) hath passed several bills, among others that for the Accounts, and for banishing my Lord Chancellor, and hath adjourned the House to February; at which I am glad, hoping in this time to get leisure to state my Tangier Accounts, and to prepare better for the Parliament’s enquiries. Here I hear how the House of Lords, with great severity, if not tyranny, have ordered poor Carr, who only erred in the manner of the presenting his petition against my Lord Gerard, it being first printed before it was presented; which was, it, seems, by Colonel Sands’s going into the country, into whose hands he had put it: the poor man is ordered to stand in the pillory two or three times, and his eares cut, and be imprisoned I know not how long. But it is believed that the Commons, when they meet, will not be well pleased with it; and they have no reason, I think. Having only heard this from Mrs. Michell, I away again home, and there to supper and to bed, my wife exceeding ill in her face with the tooth ake, and now her face has become mightily swelled that I am mightily troubled for it.
*(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.)