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May 23
Laura M., age 16, North Carolina
May 23, 1998
Oh my gosh. Normal day, but night was unreal. Me, Ash, Les, Née went 2 Olive Garden 4 dinner. Stopped by Ryan’s (the restaurant) after and saw Sean. Left and went 2 Steven and Doug’s stupid party. Had 2 take Ash 2 Karen’s at 10:30 and picked up Sean on the way back 2 the party. We went on a walk, sat on picnic table, and kissed. After a lot of talking, we decided that we wanted 2 be 2gether. Aahh! Spent night at Leslie’s with Née. They were drunk.
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
May 23, 1997
School was normal. Lots of people went off for lunch, but not me — I don’t want to get grounded again. :) Dad picked me up. Chilled on phone with Karen. Me and Mom went to a new dress shop and I got one! It’s long and summery. Went to Courtney’s. Lauren W. and Sarah were there. Travis, Andy, Thor stopped by. Went out with Paul, Geoff, Lauren, etc. Me and Courtney came to her house. “Woodstock.”
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
May 23, 1960
Did a big washing. Mrs. B. called for me to come over. Hung line full and was thru washing and went over. Not too good drying early but all did later. Mrs. B. came in P.M. to sit in sun. Lo to market and A&P at noon. Eve. went to Piggley’s.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
May 23, 1944
Cloudy and rainy. Poured in morn and thunder storm, too. Got another letter at 100. Good discussion in philosophy. Cleared at noon. Went to meeting at 2 of all students who had taken the tests Thursday but turned out it was just the ones who had taken the “transfer” tests. That makes me mad!! Back to hall and practiced. Cloudy again. About 3:30 I went to town and picked up Betty’s white dress and then went to the Ledo for a facial. Had a really good one. It was raining a little when I came out. Hurried back and started packing — trunks have to go tomorrow. I’m the world’s worst packer and I was discouraged before I’d begun so Betty took pity on me and offered to pack my trunk if I’d press her dress. A bargain! At 6 she went out to the country club for a Board of Pub. waffle supper. Jane and Mary Jo went out to the lake for the Wood ball chicken dinner — which I could not afford to go to! As soon as they’d all gone I unpacked the trunk and put more things on the bottom. Then started in on suitcase and by the time Betty returned about 7:30 I was all through. Mary and Kath. came in and we talked. Kath. can’t believe that I’m taking letters at 100 after only 1 year of shorthand. I worked some more on my term paper. Thank goodness! the packing is done! [In upper margin: “Received a very pretty nightgown from Mrs. Rodgers.”]
Marcy S., age 16, Tennessee
May 23, 1941
Hot, breezy, cloudy, clear, etc. Picked some yellow roses for Goody. Real cloudy when I got up but sun and blue sky soon appeared. Our class presented Miss Alford with a $2.50 Aid to Britain pin. I made 100 on English test. Review in history and Latin. Didn’t get off early at noon ’cause no typing class today. Walked home with Helen and June Carson. Nice unrushed lunch. Mom went to a luncheon at Mrs. Rodgers’s at 1:00. I hated to go back to school for three hours of study hall but I went. Marg. Louie and I stayed in the room some with the others till Cummins chased us into the Home Ec. kitchen so she could give a test. In fifth study hall I read “The Soul of Ann Rutledge” and again in the office. Some beautiful thoughts came to me and I think I am beginning to believe. Mr. Black started registering in the office so I sat out in the hall and read. Mary called but said she’d call again later. I discovered that a lot of pages were out of the back of the book. Phoned Mary when I got home. Soon Mom came.
Aloys F., age 16, County Cork, Ireland
May 23, 1926
After Mass and Communion, in which I learnt origin of ‘White Sunday’, being last day for catechumans who were baptised to wear their white clothes, I went off to Castlelack in great spirits, but leaving poor Mam and Pap at home. Sophie and Irmah and I were together in the train, and we had great fun. Mr. MacDonnell was kind enough to call for us at the station with the car. It was nice to see the old place again. Found poor Mrs. MacDonnell in bed with the ‘flu’: she won’t be able to get up again for a week. Diarmuid and Liam were sweet. Unfortunately it was pouring rain, so Dinnie, the driver, Sophie, Irmah and I went in the car to Bandon for the Misses Healy. I drove both ways quite successfully. Then in spite of the terrible rain, Mr. Mac and we all went up to the lake, and fished for about two hours. Mr. Mac caught four beauties. I hooked a big fellow, but he got away. Spent the evening playing Miss Hickie’s violin, while Mr. Mac and Irmah played guitar, and we fiddled away at all the old German folk-songs we could think of. Went to bed fairly late, and I slept in my old place in dining-room.
*(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 26, Michigan
May 23, 1888
I helped Kate and did some studying this forenoon. Went to Ann Arbor this afternoon stopping and getting Mr. Butler to go with me. We had a good visit on the road, at least I did. I got some tomato plants of Mrs. McAllister today. It has been quite warm and has threatened to rain, but I fear it will not.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
May 23, 1887
I brought the most of my things over to our house today and am going to live here now. I took dinner at Neill’s but ate my supper here. Mrs. Neill gave me some butter and I brought over a couple of our cans of fruit. I have had the pony here all day grazing around tied to a stake. I went up town this forenoon for some things. Called at Mrs. Water’s a little while. I don’t seem to accomplish anything of any account. I will be glad when Kate gets here. I went up town again tonight to mail a letter to Kate and get the mail. Jessie Neill and I ordered a fence pump together. I am going to sleep in our house tonight.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
May 23, 1863
Tax giving in day, a good many people here. Betsey got out the children’s dresses this evening. It looks very well. Mr. Henry sent three thousand (3000) lbs. to the armory again today which makes 5,307 lbs. in all. He did not go today himself. I fixed some sewing thread today. I finished the babe’s stockings yesterday, put bows on them.
*(Fear in North Carolina: The Civil War Journals and Letters of the Henry Family, Eds. Karen L. Clinard and Richard Russell, used with permission.)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
May 23, 1862
Mail came, nothing new going on. I received a letter from Matt. Some of the children are sick & Ell’s children have whooping cough. She also wrote that Cousin Harriet Neilson was dead. I am very sorry to hear that. She has been ailing for many years. She died sometime in April. I finished my hoop after dinner. Dovey Jones spent the evening here. I darned some cotton stockings for myself. J. Branton & R. Boyd stay here tonight.
*(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
May 23, 1668
Up, and all the morning at the office busy. At noon home with my people to dinner, where good discourse and merry. After dinner comes Mr. Martin, the purser, and brings me his wife’s starling, which was formerly the King’s bird, that do speak and whistle finely, which I am mighty proud of and shall take pleasure in it. Thence to the Duke of York’s house to a play, and saw Sir Martin Marr-all, where the house is full; and though I have seen it, I think, ten times, yet the pleasure I have is yet as great as ever, and is undoubtedly the best comedy ever was wrote. Thence to my tailor’s and a mercer’s for patterns to carry my wife of cloth and silk for a bed, which I think will please her and me, and so home, and fitted myself for my journey to-morrow, which I fear will not be pleasant, because of the wet weather, it raining very hard all this day; but the less it troubles me because the King and Duke of York and Court are at this day at Newmarket, at a great horse-race, and proposed great pleasure for two or three days, but are in the same wet. So from the office home to supper, and betimes 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.)
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