May 25
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
May 25, 1997
Up at 10:00. Showered. Went to “Shoney’s” with Eddie, Steven, Bryan. Chilled some at Eddie’s. Came home. Chilled. Studied for exams. Ate. Watched “Simpsons.” “King of the Hill.”
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
May 25, 1960
Mrs. B. had her hair done. I couldn’t get appt. so will struggle along. Didn’t get into too much as Circle met this P.M. at Mrs. Peterson’s. Charlotte showed pictures, very nice, Mrs. P. narrated. Last meeting women presented officers with gifts. Came home about 4:00. Had to ride out with gas. In early. Pres. spoke. Good. K.J. called, coming down Friday nite bringing friend and folks may come Sunday.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
May 25, 1944
Bright and beautiful day. Up early to finish studying history. Got another (3rd) letter at 100. We had history class in a room down near the Social Studies library. Nice room. Mr. Carson was late and we were getting worried. When he did come he announced that it was to be an objective test — the first part anyway. We nearly passed out. The questions were all on the chapter “The End of Splendid Isolation” — about events leading up the war of 1914. Easy except I misunderstood 2 questions and missed them. Missed 3 and a half in all. Then Mr. C. started down the roll asking each girl an oral question but he didn’t get very far and said he’d finish Saturday. It was so easy! We were late to philosophy but had a good excuse. Good lunch. The discussion we had in philosophy discouraged me — guess I’ll have to start the paper all over! Had short meeting at 2. Studied for Eng. Lit. exam. Practiced. Piano lesson at 4:30. Came back and dressed. About 5:30 Mary Jo, Eleanor, Neen, Jane, Betty and I caught the bus at the corner, changed at town and rode out to the Wigwam Cafe. Had to stand up on bus. My hair is a mess. Had pretty good dinner — pie a la mode for dessert. Missed the bus at the corner so we walked down the street to another corner. Hickman High graduates tonight — we saw some kids in their caps and gowns. We began to think the bus wasn’t coming and Eleanor had to be back by 7:20 for Recognition vespers — ditto Neen. Seniors didn’t have to go. Finally the bus came. We left Mary Jo and Jane off at town. Betty and I went back to hall and got our money, etc. Walked down to Varsity to see Ann Sothern and James Craig in “Swing Shift Masie.” Very funny. Saw corny stage show — well, the bicycle acrobat was pretty good but his cracks were corny. Out about 10. Back to hall and to bed later. It was good to get back to campus tonight after being out at the Wigwam. Funny feeling. [In upper margin: “At piano lesson I played the 3rd movement of Beethoven’s Sonata and for the first time really felt it. Miss GS was so thrilled and said I could do that increasingly with all my pieces. I’m beginning to really appreciate music now.”]
Aloys F., age 16, County Cork, Ireland
May 25, 1926
Back to school again! But work has its attractions also. – When I was home last night, nobody was at home, as Mam was at ‘Fannie’s First Play’ by Bernard Shaw, which she said was very clever, and very common. She told me a killing story of how Sophie used to boss me when we were both about 7, and how I detested her always wanting to dress and command me. But one day when she came over to dress me as usual, I suddenly stuck out both my arms in front of her, and with the most solemn face, turned round every way she tried to get at me. Sophie was completely astonished. Thus began the Dawn of Emancipation. – I forgot to say that Mr. MacDonnell had a waterfinder out at Castlelack to search for water. He travels over England and Ireland discovering the presence of the water by means of the turning of a hazel twig in his hand. Mr. MacDonnell tried it, and actually with some success. – Read in paper that poor Abd El Krim is practically done for by the bombing of the French and Spanish. Targhuist has been taken. Where is the defender of small nations now? – Wrote a letter to Mrs. Mac thanking her for endless kindnesses.
*(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
May 25, 1887
It rained rather easy through the most of the forenoon. I was rather slow about getting my breakfast and clearing things away, took a shave, and after caring for Jimmie, I went up town to see about getting a cultivator. I thought I could get a spring tooth, but I changed my mind tonight and had Mr. Hopkins order an Acme for me. I did a little more plowing this afternoon. Fred Waters was here for a little while this afternoon. I went up town with him; he goes to Manistee tomorrow. I got a letter from Kate tonight, which makes me feel good. Spent part of the evening at Neill’s. I feel pretty tired.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
May 25, 1871
This has been a busy week, Mon. worked in garden and sewed. Tues. washed and ironed. Wed. made a tick and two sheets. Today went down to the cabin where we will live, until the dug out on my claim is finished. Coming back, it rained, and I got wet through my clothes. So many new flowers: mats of sensative plants with a base of red bloom, prickly pair in bloom and many new plants I do not know. One day I saw what I thought was a white cloth on a stick, way beyond my garden. So I walked to it, thinking some one had staked out a claim. Behold it was a white flower on a long stem.
*(kansasmemory.org, Kansas State Historical Society, copy and reuse restrictions apply)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
May 25, 1862
My head aches badly this morning & I feel very little like writing. Pinck has just started to church at the Academy. Byrd preaches there today. The negroes, some of them are going. I had a good laugh at Zona a little while ago. She wanted Pinck’s pants on. I put them on & she looks so funny. I had to laugh. Her hoops in the pants too. She is crying now, she is so vexed. Mr. Henry has gone to the mill. Willie is out with Atheline. I must see about dinner, as it is after 10 o’clock. My head got easy after dinner & Mr. Henry & I started to Betsy McKinnish’s to get her to help wash wool. We saw her little girl at Jim Parker’s so we went down there. She said she would come tomorrow. We went out & looked at the wheat the other side of the store house. The Dixon wheat is getting in bloom. The rye in full bloom. The walker & white wheat in root. I came back & left Mr. Henry, Branton & old J. Night looking at the wheat near the stables. It has the rust a good deal. Mr. Henry has from the Murray fields (including them) clear to the Green field including that in wheat. It looks finely & will make a good deal if it is not injured by rust.
*(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 25, 1668
Waked betimes, and lay long … and there fell to talking, and by and by rose, it being the first fair day, and yet not quite fair, that we have had some time, and so up, and to walk with my father again in the garden, consulting what to do with him and this house when Pall and her husband go away; and I think it will be to let it, and he go live with her, though I am against letting the house for any long time, because of having it to retire to, ourselves. So I do intend to think more of it before I resolve. By and by comes Mr. Cooke to see me and so spent the morning, and he gone by and by at noon to dinner, where Mr. Shepley come and we merry, all being in good humour between my wife and her people about her, and after dinner took horse, I promising to fetch her away about fourteen days hence, and so calling all of us, we men on horseback, and the women and my father, at Goody Gorum’s, and there in a frolic drinking I took leave, there going with me and my boy, my two brothers, and one Browne, whom they call in mirth Colonell, for our guide, and also Mr. Shepley, to the end of Huntingdon, and another gentleman who accidentally come thither, one Mr. Castle; and I made them drink at the Chequers, where I observed the same tapster, Tom, that was there when I was a little boy and so we, at the end of the town, took leave of Shepley and the other gentleman, and so we away and got well to Cambridge, about seven to the Rose, the waters not being now so high as before. And here ‘lighting, I took my boy and two brothers, and walked to Magdalene College: and there into the butterys, as a stranger, and there drank my bellyfull of their beer, which pleased me, as the best I ever drank: and hear by the butler’s man, who was son to Goody Mulliner over against the College, that we used to buy stewed prunes of, concerning the College and persons in it; and find very few, only Mr. Hollins and Pechell, I think, that were of my time. But I was mightily pleased to come in this condition to see and ask, and thence, giving the fellow something, away walked to Chesterton, to see our old walk, and there into the Church, the bells ringing, and saw the place I used to sit in, and so to the ferry, and ferried over to the other side, and walked with great pleasure, the river being mighty high by Barnewell Abbey: and so by Jesus College to the town, and so to our quarters, and to supper, and then to bed, being very weary and sleepy and mightily pleased with this night’s walk.
*(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.)