June 25
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
June 25, 1997
Up at 10:00. Watched Rosie. Did some laundry. Walked to work at 12:00. It sucked for the first hour or so, but then it got better. Had to close. Got done by 5:00. Walked to Caribou and Dad picked me up there. Went home and changed for game. I did really well, but we lost. The season’s officially over! Came to Dad’s. Showered. Talked to Ashley. Pie Works for dinner.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
June 25, 1960
A beautiful A.M. Lo up early, had bake sale. Didn’t rest quite as well. Couldn’t get to sleep, too much talking I guess. Lo picked me up at 3:30 and took me to the Dr. Had to wait quite a while, saw Sylvia Nolan with her baby, sweet little girl. Dr used tape on chest for relief. Rode to cabin.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
June 25, 1944
Woke up about 7. Cold. Closed window by bed and pulled spread up. Had strangest dream about an imaginary man at Mrs. McClure’s. Up at 9:30. Beautiful day. Cool inside but hot out. Still breezy, though. Pop went to Sunday School. Mum and I dressed - I in my Easter outfit, feeling very classy - and went down to the church about 11. Mum had driven down before to take the lilies. The service started soon after we got there. Pop counted 39 people! Bishop Dandridge gave a good sermon and then we had the communion service. Out about 12:30. Visited with different people. Mrs. Muller and Isabelle asked me to come out and see the baby. Mrs. M. looks badly - her mother died a few weeks ago. The family has had 8 deaths in 14 months, I think. The suit about the baby will be the final blow. Mrs. Warriner is leaving next week to live in Illinois. The Bishop said he remembered about half of me! Walked home and nearly melted. Had dinner about 1:30. Ice cream! I did dishes and sat out in back yard and read funnies, magazine and wrote Aunt Nellie and Val. Millie and Nancy Stevens came up and brought me a graduation gift - and some beans for Mum! Mum gave Millie a handkie - she graduated from 8th grade this year and I gave them one of my announcements. I opened the box when they left and found a lovely wooden compact! Practiced some before supper. Afterwards Pop went out to deliver some papers for the 5th war loan drive - he and Mum have charge through the block system. I prettied up and took some down to Mrs. Bowman’s and up to Mildred to see the mimosa tree in her back yard. The leaves had all closed up ’cause the sun was down. Mum and I sat out in the from yard and I wrote J.C. Anderson to thank him for the French coin he sent me. Milton came over on his way to church to say hello. He’s quite a dresser! I think he’s making $100 a week at the project! About 8:30 I went in to play the piano. Got out a lot of old music. Pop came back soon and came in to sing. When Clure returned from church she came over and Pop and I gave her a concert. Once we heard applause from the porch and there were Betty Bowman and some other girls. They didn’t stay, though. George and Harvey were supposed to be around somewhere but they were evidently in hiding. About 9:30 in walked Milton “to hear Pattie Anne play.” He picked out some pieces for Pop to sing and then he asked me to render a solo or two. So I obliged with the Aeolian and Revolutionary Etudes, which he thought were very difficult. Then Mum served some fruit juice and cake. We sang and played till 11 o’clock and ended up with a magnificent rendition of “Wagon Wheels.” We’d all had a grand evening. Left dishes and tumbled into bed about midnight. [In upper margins: “Before supper I was singing around at the top of my lungs and one of the boarders was sitting in Clure’s yard - he probably wondered who was being murdered!”]
Aloys F., age 16, County Cork, Ireland
June 25, 1926
I never got my Latin or Geometry marks, so I must do without them. Found yesterday that this term’s composition exercise [book] of mine is lost. This annoyed me terribly because I am keeping all my comps. since 5th grade. To-day I began work, having spent all yesterday in clearing and tidying up my books etc. I will do piano 1½ hours, violin and harmony ½ hour, maths and Irish 1 hr, German History and English ¾ hr, and Latin ¾ hr and will go to 8 Mass and Communion. If I can keep this up, as I really intend to do, I will have great hols. studying from 9 till 1.45, and reading, stamps and outing for the rest of the time. To-day went to Thompson’s where I got the first English Matric. paper from Fannie, who just came to lunch from his exam. It was terrible, all grammar, and one question being to classify Scandinavian influence on the English language. Brought it up to Scannie, as ordered, who is in bed with flu. He was dismayed it was so hard. Went to Dr. O’Hea-Cussen at 5, but he was out, so went on to Ivor and Joe who are back from Clongowes. Found them fishing at Carrigrohane. Had dinner there. Mr. + Mrs. Horgan were much nicer than usual. Then went boating, and we had great sport dodging in and out among the overhanging trees. Was very nervous of my new suit, however; must not wear it again.
*(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 25, 1887
I hoed out the corn in the plum orchard today. This afternoon Kate took Jimmie and the Buckboard and she, Jessie and Jessie’s niece went up to Eden and called on Grace. It was the first time Kate had driven Jimmie since she came up here. I hoed some more and planted some corn for fodder, this afternoon. Picked strawberries for supper and enough for breakfast also. Ms. Waters was here a while picking strawberries for tomorrow’s use. I put up some picture knobs in the bedroom tonight, so we could hang some things up out of the way. It turned warmer today.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
June 25, 1871
This morning it was so rainy and Philip so sick he could not attend to his oxen. When the bread was baked. I put on his boots— and went up to get someone to move the oxen. I was a wet fright when I got there, and did not go in the house. Mr. Smith was there. I met him when I came down in April, but he had been away several weeks freighting. He is from Maine, and one of the nice men I have met in Kansas. He wanted me to ride one of his horses back, but I declined, as I was wet already. I hurried back, and he and Jake soon came to see Philip.
Last Fall Mr. Smith had several acres broken on his claim. This Spring he was away when it should have been planted. The high winds carried sunflower seed over it, after the sod was turned, and I saw it the other day two or three acres in solid sunflower bloom.
*(kansasmemory.org, Kansas State Historical Society, copy and reuse restrictions apply)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
June 25, 1862
Mr. Henry went to Asheville this afternoon. Got me a beautiful knife, pearl carved handle. He got himself two barlows. He says he loses so many knives, he will try barlow awhile. I made my last cap today for this time. Put tatten on it & began a skirt for Willie out of some pieces of flannel I have. His bowels are a little loose yet. He has four jaw teeth partly through. He does not decrease any in flesh.
*(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 25, 1667
Up, and with Sir W. Pen in his new chariot (which indeed is plain, but pretty and more fashionable in shape than any coach he hath, and yet do not cost him, harness and all, above 32l.) to White Hall; where staid a very little: and thence to St. James’s to [Sir] W. Coventry, whom I have not seen since before the coming of the Dutch into the river, nor did indeed know how well to go see him, for shame either to him or me, or both of us, to find ourselves in so much misery. I find that he and his fellow-Treasurers are in the utmost want of money, and do find fault with Sir G. Carteret, that, having kept the mystery of borrowing money to himself so long, to the ruin of the nation, as [Sir] W. Coventry said in words to [Sir] W. Pen and me, he should now lay it aside and come to them for money for every penny he hath, declaring that he can raise no more: which, I confess, do appear to me the most like ill-will of any thing that I have observed of [Sir] W. Coventry, when he himself did tell us, on another occasion at the same time, that the bankers who used to furnish them money are not able to lend a farthing, and he knows well enough that that was all the mystery [Sir] G. Carteret did use, that is, only his credit with them. He told us the masters and owners of the two ships that I had complained of, for not readily setting forth their ships, which we had taken up to make men-of-war, had been yesterday with the King and Council, and had made their case so well understood, that the King did owe them for what they had earned the last year, that they could not set them out again without some money or stores out of the King’s Yards; the latter of which [Sir] W. Coventry said must be done, for that they were not able to raise money for them, though it was but 200l. a ship: which do skew us our condition to be so bad, that I am in a total despair of ever having the nation do well. After talking awhile, and all out of heart with stories of want of seamen, and seamen’s running away, and their demanding a month’s advance, and our being forced to give seamen 3s. a-day to go hence to work at Chatham, and other things that show nothing but destruction upon us; for it is certain that, as it now is, the seamen of England, in my conscience, would, if they could, go over and serve the King of France or Holland rather than us. Up to the Duke of York to his chamber, where he seems to be pretty easy, and now and then merry; but yet one may perceive in all their minds there is something of trouble and care, and with good reason. Thence to White Hall, and with Sir W. Pen, by chariot; and there in the Court met with my Lord Anglesey: and he to talk with [Sir] W. Pen, and told him of the masters of ships being with the Council yesterday, and that we were not in condition, though the men were willing, to furnish them with 200l. of money, already due to them as earned by them the last year, to enable them to set out their ships again this year for the King: which he is amazed at; and when I told him, “My Lord, this is a sad instance of the condition we are in,” he answered, that it was so indeed, and sighed: and so parted: and he up to the Council-chamber, where I perceive they sit every morning, and I to Westminster Hall, where it is Term time. I met with none I knew, nor did desire it, but only past through the-Hall and so back again, and by coach home to dinner, being weary indeed of seeing the world, and thinking it high time for me to provide against the foul weather that is certainly coming upon us. So to the office, and there [Sir] W. Pen and I did some business, and then home to dinner, where my wife pleases me mightily with what she can do upon the flageolet, and then I to the office again, and busy all the afternoon, and it is worth noting that the King and Council, in their order of the 23rd instant, for unloading three merchant-ships taken up for the King’s service for men- of-war, do call the late coming of the Dutch “an invasion.” I was told, yesterday, that Mr. Oldenburg, our Secretary at Gresham College, is put into the Tower, for writing newes to a virtuoso in France, with whom he constantly corresponds in philosophical matters; which makes it very unsafe at this time to write, or almost do any thing. Several captains come to the office yesterday and to-day, complaining that their men come and go when they will, and will not be commanded, though they are paid every night, or may be. Nay, this afternoon comes Harry Russell from Gravesend, telling us that the money carried down yesterday for the Chest at Chatham had like to have been seized upon yesterday, in the barge there, by seamen, who did beat our watermen: and what men should these be but the boat’s crew of Sir Fretcheville Hollis, who used to brag so much of the goodness and order of his men, and his command over them. Busy all the afternoon at the office. Towards night I with Mr. Kinaston to White Hall about a Tangier order, but lost our labour, only met Sir H. Cholmly there, and he tells me great newes; that this day in Council the King hath declared that he will call his Parliament in thirty days: which is the best newes I have heard a great while, and will, if any thing, save the kingdom. How the King come to be advised to this, I know not; but he tells me that it was against the Duke of York’s mind flatly, who did rather advise the King to raise money as he pleased; and against the Chancellor’s, who told the King that Queen Elizabeth did do all her business in eighty-eight without calling a Parliament, and so might he do, for anything he saw. But, blessed be God! it is done; and pray God it may hold, though some of us must surely go to the pot, for all must be flung up to them, or nothing will be done. So back home, and my wife down by water, I sent her, with Mrs. Hewer and her son, W. Hewer, to see the sunk ships, while I staid at the office, and in the evening was visited by Mr. Roberts the merchant by us about the getting him a ship cleared from serving the King as a man of war, which I will endeavour to do. So home 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.)