October 26
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
October 26, 1997
Up at 11:00. Courtney took me home. Got food with cousins. Went 2 Ashley’s from 1-4:30. Rainy and gray. Did art homework. Went 2 Los Tres. Saw Travis. Came home. “Simpsons.” Did art. Aah! 11:00.
Marcy S., age 14, Tennessee
October 26, 1938
Nice day. Practiced. Went to chapel. Usual classes. Mr. Ballard was out most of the period. Margaret W. pushed my seat, which is moveable, all over and I nearly went out the door. Home at noon. In afternoon usual classes. Read. After school talked to Mary and Betty. Betty went home with me. I teased her. She went over to Mrs. McClure’s with me and I sewed on the machine. Mrs. M. went downstairs and the machine came unthreaded and even when I managed to thread it, the thing wouldn’t work. Between Betty and I we finally got it fixed. Feather in my cap. Bart came after B. and she had to go. About 5:00 I went home and practiced and studied. Daddy came. After supper I listened to One Man’s Family and sewed. Then read. About 8:15 I washed the dishes, took a bath and to bed. P.S. Some people were over at Mrs. M.’s talking about rooms when B. and I first went over there.
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
October 26, 1887
The thermometer was only 18 degrees above 0 this morning; it was the hardest freeze I ever saw at this time of the year. I put the roof on the cellar this forenoon and began to make the cellar way. This afternoon I went up and commenced my seasons work teaching Bookkeeping and penmanship at the College. A few of the new tables were done and they are good ones, just what is needed for the work. It has grown some warmer during the day.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
October 26, 1862
We had some rain last night & it is raining & snowing a little now. Very cold & unpleasant. I very much fear the sweet potatoes will spoil as they dug them yesterday & Friday. They are covered with straw & boards. I have saved a nice chance of pepper & that I pulled up is ripening very well on the bush. Mr. Boyd staid here last night & is here now & will stay till after dinner. The snow I see is laying on the kitchen. I don’t think it will snow much, at least I hope it won’t for it will ruin the sweet potatoes. We are all in my room by the fire. Mr. Henry & Mr. Boyd reading. Pinck & Zona eating chesnuts, some George gave awhile ago. I am going to get two Gall & 1/2 for 1.00 from him in the morning. Mr. Henry says he is well this morning, only a little feeble. Oh! how I pity the poor soldiers this cold day. They are suffering for clothes & shoes at this time & we are so comfortable around our hearth. I do indeed pity them, may we soon have an honorable peace is my prayer & the prayer of every true Southerner. I must stop soon as I want to read some. I have been reading “Mothers Recompence” for some two or three weeks at odd times & want to finish it today. It is now soon after 12 & dinner will soon be on. We have had a big snow & very cold at night. The snow was two inches deep where it lay & would have been a big snow if all that fell had not melted so fast. The ground froze in the evening. The wind from the North & very cold. Poor soldiers you will suffer this night. Boyd went home after dinner. Mr. Henry wants him to put a chimney to the dining room soon as it is so cold in there. I hope will do it before long. Mr. Henry is much better today, will be able soon to go any where.
*(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
October 26, 1667
Up, and we met all this morning at Sir W. Pen’s roome, the office being fowle with the altering of our garden door. There very busy, and at noon home, where Mrs. Pierce and her daughter’s husband [L&M say “and her daughter, husband,” P.G.] and Mrs. Corbet dined with me. I had a good dinner for them, and mighty merry. Pierce and I very glad at the fate of the officers of Ordnance, that they are like to have so much blame on them. Here Mrs. Pierce tells me that the two Marshalls at the King’s house are Stephen Marshall’s, the great Presbyterian’s daughters: and that Nelly and Beck Marshall, falling out the other day, the latter called the other my Lord Buckhurst’s whore. Nell answered then, “I was but one man’s whore, though I was brought up in a bawdy-house to fill strong waters to the guests; and you are a whore to three or four, though a Presbyter’s praying daughter!” which was very pretty. Mrs. Pierce is still very pretty, but paints red on her face, which makes me hate her, that I thank God I take no pleasure in her at all more. After much mirth and good company at dinner, I to the office and left them, and Pendleton also, who come in to see my wife and talk of dancing, and there I at the office all the afternoon very busy, and did much business, with my great content to see it go off of hand, and so home, my eyes spent, 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.)