June 26
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
June 26, 1997
Up at 10:00. Rosie and other T.V. Played cards with Dad and Sandra. Fun. Came home at 1:00. T.V. and laundry. Tiny nap. Eddie picked me up at 6:00. Los Tres for dinner. His house with T.V. and dessert. Em and me left at 9:00 and she took me to Ashley’s for the night. We played cards. Talked to Sean until 12:30. I’ve missed doing that. I love Chris.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
June 26, 1960
Didn’t go with Lo to Carrie’s but she came after church. We had waffles. About 3 or later Lo took her home as she was getting ready to go to open house at Freeman’s. A beautiful place, lovely people and a wonderful party. Sure didn’t feel very good but got thru the day and night.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
June 26, 1944
Another hot, dry day. Got to office at 8:30 to find note that Mr. H. had gone to Wartburg and wouldn’t be back till noon or 4 p.m.! So I set to work and straightened out his files and some drawers. Then wrote in my diary. At 10 of 12 Pop ’phoned to say the car was outside and so help me I thought it was only 10:30!! I don’t know where the morning went!! Left about 12 and went down to the car. Pop came in a few minutes and K. was passing so drove her home. Good dinner. Mr. Pridemore came this morn to start the painting - at long last!! Back at 1 and Mr. H. appeared in a few minutes. He was feeling quite under the weather - I think he’d been drinking - his big weakness! I read Helen’s Babies again. He sent me to the P.O. once. Old Mr. Davis came in to see him and I had to just about shout my head off before he got it straight that Mr. H. was in and could see him. The ’phone rang a couple times but Mr. H. didn’t answer - I thought he might be asleep. Oh yes - this morn a woman called and was all up in the air because some other woman was picking her beans (or something about picking beans) and it had made her so nervous she had to go to a doctor and wanted to get out a peace warrant - I think a war warrant would have been more like it! Another woman called and wanted to know if I knew anything about the divorce laws in Tennessee. I had to admit I didn’t! Mr. H. let me go at 4:30. I went to Gooch’s jewelry and had Mr. Gooch cut off the friendship ring Helen gave me. My finger had swollen and I couldn’t get it off. He asked if I wanted to have the ring or my finger cut off and I said I preferred to lose the ring. One of the Gooch girls was there - she was so friendly. He didn’t charge anything and it only took a minute. Home about 4:45. Ironed some slips and then took a bath. Pop came. Mr. Pridemore left about 6. I practiced. Then we had supper. I tried to get Mary 3 or 4 times. Called her mother’s once and had quite a visit with Mrs. Farmer. Finally I got Horace at the apt. and he said Mary had left word that she had to go over to her mother’s and couldn’t go tonight but she’d go some other night. I didn’t want to alone and thought I’d wait till Wednesday when K. was going. But I’d told the Rockwells I’d be there so decided to go. Pop went over to the school to a ball game and about 7:30 I left for Red Cross. Mrs. Walker and Alice Ann were out in the front yard so I stopped a minute to talk to them. Mrs. H. kept raving about how well I look. Alice Ann was bashful at first but when I was leaving she gave me a big smile and said, “Hi-ya!” I offered to stay with A.A. any night when the Walkers go out. Alice Ann is just precious. Oh yes - while Mum and I were out on the porch Saturday night Mr. Walker and A.A. came by and we went across the street to talk to them. She was jabbering away but became suddenly shy when she saw us. She calls Mum “Mrs. Nanny” and can say “Pattie Anne” quite plain. I sat down and she tried to sit down and I picked a blade of grass and she did the same. When I put my hands on my hips she tried to do it, too, but had hers way up in her arm-pits. It was so cute! … I got to the Red Cross rooms just before Bea and Katherine Rockwell puffed up the stairs. There were dark clouds in the sunset - maybe it’ll rain. We had just gotten started when in walked Mrs. McCluen and Mrs. Milburn. And on their heels came June Smalley, Nance Wallace, Wilda McGriffin, and two new girls - Jean and Mary. The Rockwells were thrilled to death - the largest number they’ve ever had. We all went to work with a vim. I sat at the table with the ladies while the new comers sat at another table. The band was blaring away upstairs and the skating rink music was sending the air across the street. So we lifted up our voices and drowned them both out! It was fun. About 8:30 the girls - all but Mary - had to leave but they promised to come back next Monday and bring others. Mary moved over to our table. She has 3 brothers in the service. She’s lived here about a year and a half but I’ve never seen her. We all talked - about school and George McClure and Mr. Harris, etc. Mrs. McClean and Mrs. Milburn raved about how much my voice quality had changed - how much lower it was. I was certainly trying hard enough to keep it down. Mrs. McCluen said it used to be so high pitched. Then she told one on me. Seems I asked her in school if there were 2 Sundays in a week. My logic was that there was one Sunday at the beginning of a week and another at the end!! Kath. told about the time she went in to see Mr. Harris and he was looking for his notary republic stamp amongst a litter of papers, etc. on his desk. He looked up and said, “You know, Miss Katherine, I couldn’t see an open umbrella on this desk.” And she said “Brother, I believe it!” He’s a card! About 9:15 we finished and the Rockwells tied them up. I made 130 or 135 and they all thought that was wonderful! I had a good card again! Mrs. Milburn said if I didn’t come next Monday they’d send the law up after me! We closed up shop about 9:30 and Mary asked me if I’d like to go to the bowling alley for something to drink. She’s so friendly. She said she’d read so much in the paper about me and had wanted to meet me - just as if I were a celebrity or something! She went to T.P.I. at Cookeville for 2 years but has been working at the project about a year. We went down to the bowling alley and had drinks. She insisted on setting me up. Some boys looked at us as if they’d never seen girls before. We saw Sarah Jones and some other girls and hailed them. Mary knows quite a few people. She told me about the Y.W.C.A. that’s being organized and invited me to go. It meets tomorrow night but she has a date and I might have to stay with Alice Ann. We’re going to go to a show sometime and I told her to call me. She lives in the Claiborne house. I walked on home feeling wonderful and not like myself at all. I still have a long way to go but I am improving. Home about 10 - Pop followed a few minutes later. Mum had just gotten the latest war news. Cherbourg has fallen, the Americans are advancing rapidly in Italy and the Russians have made great gains. The Republicans Convention is going full blast - when I passed the Marshes’ some man was ranting around about “We’re all Americans - and we all have a part!!” Willkie spoke out against the foreign policy of the party but the leaders wouldn’t listen. He’s greatly to be admired, I think, for not being afraid to speak. To bed about 11, feeling wonderful! [In upper margin: “Stars and new moon out - no rain.”]
Aloys F., age 16, County Cork, Ireland
June 26, 1926
Yesterday a tree-snake was discovered creeping around outside Norrish’s in the College Road. It was caught and brought to the University. It came evidently in a clump of bananas, and was 3½ ft. long. – Páp was telling us yesterday of the natural antipathy and contempt of the people in general towards music and musicians. The father of a most dull-witted and ‘earless’ boy brought his offspring once to Páp for theory and harmony, with the strict injunction that the lad was on no account to be made a musician of. ‘Never fear’ said Páp to him, ‘he never will be one.’ – Got through all my tasks to-day, and then met Páp at Dr. Donovan’s. Thank goodness he said that as my cold is better, and as he could not guarantee my cold would stop if my tonsils were cut out, the best thing would be to leave it get better by itself. So that settles [it:] I am not going to Germany [i.e. for medical treatment], though I knew very well I would never go. Besides, though of course I would learn an infinite deal, it would not do for all my exams next year. It is now I must work for them. Páp is sailing next Friday. Changed my programme this evening. Alternate days 3 hrs Latin and Irish and 3 hrs Maths, German, History, English. Went to Markie for tennis, but he was out collecting for flag day.
*(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 26, 1887
Kate intended to go to church this forenoon, but she had a bad headache and could not go so I went riding up in our Buckboard. The baby has been freting [sic] about all day. I went over to Neill’s after dinner and took Fred my newspaper to read. His sister from Kansas is there with her two children. I wrote a letter to Scott Williams this afternoon, and also directed some catalogues of the College School to friends. Jimmie hurt his foot yesterday with his rope and today he seemed considerable lame. I bathed it good tonight. Fred Neill was here a while this evening. It has been a very pleasant day.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
June 26, 1862
I sewed on Willie’s flannel. Working it with a dark wood shade. Mrs. G. Reynolds was here a while this afternoon. She is a very pleasant lady. Very pleasant but needing rain. Nothing new. Bushel of salt from Capt. Moore last Wednesday. Very nice Virginia salt, it is very white.
*(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 26, 1667
Up, and in dressing myself in my dressing chamber comes up Nell, and I did play with her … So being ready I to White Hall by water, and there to the Lords Treasurers’ chamber, and there wait, and here it is every body’s discourse that the Parliament is ordered to meet the 25th of July, being, as they say, St. James’s day; which every creature is glad of. But it is pretty to consider how, walking to the Old Swan from my house, I met Sir Thomas Harvy, whom, asking the newes of the Parliament’s meeting, he told me it was true, and they would certainly make a great rout among us. I answered, I did not care for my part, though I was ruined, so that the Commonwealth might escape ruin by it. He answered, that is a good one, in faith; for you know yourself to be secure, in being necessary to the office; but for my part, says he, I must look to be removed; but then, says he, I doubt not but I shall have amends made me; for all the world knows upon what terms I come in; which is a saying that a wise man would not unnecessarily have said, I think, to any body, meaning his buying his place of my Lord Barkely [of Stratton]. So we parted, and I to White Hall, as I said before, and there met with Sir Stephen Fox and Mr. Scawen, who both confirm the news of the Parliament’s meeting. Here I staid for an order for my Tangier money, 30,000l., upon the 11 months’ tax, and so away to my Lord Arlington’s office, and there spoke to him about Mr. Lanyon’s business, and received a good answer, and thence to Westminster Hall and there walked a little, and there met with Colonell Reames, who tells me of a letter come last night, or the day before, from my Lord St. Albans, out of France, wherein he says, that the King of France did lately fall out with him, giving him ill names, saying that he had belied him to our King, by saying that he had promised to assist our King, and to forward the peace; saying that indeed he had offered to forward the peace at such a time, but it was not accepted of, and so he thinks himself not obliged, and would do what was fit for him; and so made him to go out of his sight in great displeasure: and he hath given this account to the King, which, Colonell Reymes tells me, puts them into new melancholy at Court, and he believes hath forwarded the resolution of calling the Parliament. Wherewith for all this I am very well contented, and so parted and to the Exchequer, but Mr. Burgess was not in his office; so alone to the Swan, and thither come Mr. Kinaston to me, and he and I into a room and there drank and discoursed, and I am mightily pleased with him for a most diligent and methodical man in all his business. By and by to Burgess, and did as much as we could with him about our Tangier order, though we met with unexpected delays in it, but such as are not to be avoided by reason of the form of the Act and the disorders which the King’s necessities do put upon it, and therefore away by coach, and at White Hall spied Mr. Povy, who tells me, as a great secret, which none knows but himself, that Sir G. Carteret hath parted with his place of Treasurer of the Navy, by consent, to my Lord Anglesey, and is to be Treasurer of Ireland in his stead; but upon what terms it is I know not, but Mr. Povy tells it is so, and that it is in his power to bring me to as great a friendship and confidence in my Lord Anglesey as ever I was with [Sir] W. Coventry, which I am glad of, and so parted, and I to my tailor’s about turning my old silk suit and cloak into a suit and vest, and thence with Mr. Kinaston (whom I had set down in the Strand and took up again at the Temple gate) home, and there to dinner, mightily pleased with my wife’s playing on the flageolet, and so after dinner to the office. Such is the want already of coals, and the despair of having any supply, by reason of the enemy’s being abroad, and no fleete of ours to secure, that they are come, as Mr. Kinaston tells me, at this day to 5l. 10s. per chaldron. All the afternoon busy at the office. In the evening with my wife and Mercer took coach and to Islington to the Old House, and there eat and drank and sang with great pleasure, and then round by Hackney home with great pleasure, and when come home to bed, my stomach not being well pleased with the cream we had to-night.
*(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.)