June 18
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
June 18, 1997
Up at 5:45! Rode to Ferry to get to Ocracoke. (2.5 hours in car, same in boat.) Unloaded at cabin. (Nice.) Ruth came. We all went to the beach at 3:00. Swam with Katie. Came back and showered. Watched part of “Jane Eyre.” Went on a walk with Rachel and Renita. Fun. Rachel is a total angel. Ate chicken for dinner. Good. Listened to Ruth on guitar. Sleep.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
June 18, 1960
Went to Mrs. B’s after 10:00. Stayed an hour. She going to Ruth’s until Mon. nite. Lo stayed down for lunch. I mending etc. when the Wiens came. Ida and I had coffee. J had cookie. Car started fine, when we got to Helen’s with mail etc. dead. Lo went in and called Kenny Hunt. He cleaned and tightened it. Seems O.K. A shower coming home.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
June 18, 1944
Father’s Day and Mum’s birthday. I slept till 9:30. Pop went to Sunday school. Mum and I got dressed and went down to the Episcopal at 11. Mr. Eachus read the sermon. It was so hot! I just about fanned myself away. Visited with people after service. Then the Rockwell girls drove us home. They’re so nice. We had a cold dinner. About 3 I went out in the back yard and read the Robe. It has made me think again about Christ and Christianity. I thought I had it all straightened out in my mind but now I wonder. That’s always the way it is. Mum called me about 5 for some fruit juice — and I thought it was supper time. Was it ever hot! As I sat there reading I felt so good about home, etc. [In upper margin: “At dinner Mum and Pop opened their gifts. Mum loved the cute little card I gave her.”] I think I understand Mum better now and it makes everything different. We had supper about 6:30. And we had a big argument about the Church and Christianity. Pop wanted to know where I’d gotten all my ideas. I really surprised myself the way I defended my points. We then got off on the war and the post-war world — inevitably! I got so excited I forgot to eat! After supper we sat out in front yard. It was rather cloudy and we crossed our fingers for rain. I read till dark and then went in and finished the Robe. I felt stronger than ever the old urge to do something. There are so many problems to be solved — I must do something somehow! It was too hot to stay in long so I joined Mum and Dad out on the sidewalk. Soon Clure came over and we talked. Margie stopped by and visited a few minutes. George is due at midnight. Hated to go in but finally did about 10.
Aloys F., age 16, County Cork, Ireland
June 18, 1926
Had better class to-day. There is a handball tournament now on, and my partner is ‘Greta’ Hunt. We too were to have played Dr. Scannell and Jack MacSwiney to-day but didn’t. Saw this year’s Leaving Cert. Honours History and Latin papers. They are not half as hard as last year’s Inter Cert. I went in for, and are a much better class, and fairer. – Fräulein Engelmann has still a chance of a position in Limerick, but will probably leave for good this summer. She will be a great loss to us in many ways. – Intended to go with Markie for a swim in Glanmire to-day, but when I went up, my puncture in front wheel proved hopeless, and had a game of tennis instead. On way up I met Mrs. Sullivan who asked to-morrow for a day in Ballycotton. They are really very kind, but my school-work and piano are going to the dogs! Fr. Pat was here to-day and I played my Mozart sonata and my Chopin mazurka for him. – Without any affectation I would like to go out in a desert place for prayer and study. I have altogether too many distractions.
*(Original Archive Copyright © Estate of Aloys Fleischmann. The Fleischmann Diaries Online Archive by Róisín O’Brien is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Used with permission.)
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
June 18, 1887
I went up town this morning and got our washing at Mr. Bradford’s. Heard that my Buckboard would be here next Monday for sure. I took some strawberries over to Mr. Nevins’ for which I received $.50. Dor and I went over into Eden this afternoon and looked that country pretty much all over. We were treated to strawberries at Mr. Coates’. We went where we could see Lake Michigan and rue of the Manistee islands. I picked and took a pail of strawberries over to Bilderbach’s tonight and then went up town and got some lemons and a collar and tie. We had a good lemonade when I got back. It rains some.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
June 18, 1871
Good long letters, and papers from the East came yesterday. Very warm but not dry. Back a way is a big bunch of cow tongue cactus in bloom. If it was home how it would be admired. To warm to walk now. When I came I enjoyed walking, and did quite a bit.
Early in the spring, before the Indians left, They burned a strip from the river towards the prairie. The dried grass all gone, one could see piles of buffalo bones, and their wallows—where they had rolled until the sod was gone. Into these wallows, sunflowers and other seeds had drifted and grew, and now are nearly as high as I. This morning I washed, hung the clothes on the bushes to dry. Browned coffee and put more hay into my bed tick. Now it is 3 p. m. I am going to the garden for radishes and peas for dinner tomorrow.
*(kansasmemory.org, Kansas State Historical Society, copy and reuse restrictions apply)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
June 18, 1862
I finished my pantletts by dinner & sewed them on the drawers. I put tape trimming on them & tucked them. They look very nice. Mrs. Fanning warped the thread for the boy’s pants today. I did not help about dinner any. Cool. I have had a slight toothache all day, not much.
*(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
June 18, 1667
Up, and did this morning dally with Nell … which I was afterward troubled for. To the office, and there all the morning. Peg Pen come to see me, and I was glad of it, and did resolve to have tried her this afternoon, but that there was company with elle at my home, whither I got her. Dined at home, W. Hewer with me, and then to the office, and to my Lady Pen’s, and did find occasion for Peg to go home with me to my chamber, but there being an idle gentleman with them, he went with us, and I lost my hope. So to the office, and by and by word was brought me that Commissioner Pett is brought to the Tower, and there laid up close prisoner; which puts me into a fright, lest they may do the same with us as they do with him. This puts me upon hastening what I am doing with my people, and collecting out of my papers our defence. Myself got Fist, Sir W. Batten’s clerk, and busy with him writing letters late, and then home to supper and to read myself asleep, after piping, and so to bed. Great newes to-night of the blowing up of one of the Dutch greatest ships, while a Council of War was on board: the latter part, I doubt, is not so, it not being confirmed since; but the former, that they had a ship blown up, is said to be true. This evening comes Sir G. Carteret to the office, to talk of business at Sir W. Batten’s; where all to be undone for want of money, there being none to pay the Chest at their publique pay the 24th of this month, which will make us a scorn to the world. After he had done there, he and I into the garden, and walked; and the greatest of our discourse is, his sense of the requisiteness of his parting with his being Treasurer of the Navy, if he can, on any good terms. He do harp upon getting my Lord Bruncker to take it on half profit, but that he is not able to secure him in paying him so much. But the thing I do advise him to do by all means, and he resolves on it, being but the same counsel which I intend to take myself. My Lady Jem goes down to Hinchingbroke to lie down, because of the troubles of the times here. He tells me he is not sure that the King of France will not annoy us this year, but that the Court seems [to] reckon upon it as a thing certain, for that is all that I and most people are afeard of this year. He tells me now the great question is, whether a Parliament or no Parliament; and says the Parliament itself cannot be thought able at present to raise money, and therefore it will be to no purpose to call one. I hear this day poor Michell’s child is dead.
*(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.)