September 29
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
September 29, 1997
Good. Ashley told me that she heard Chris tell Shannon David that he hated me. I gave him a note and he almost didn’t take it. Him and Mike came 2 Renee’s 4 about 5 minutes. No weed. W/E. I stayed till 6:00 with Sol and Zach. Fun playing pool. Kathy picked me up. Did geometry and watched TV. Ate dinner. Did more homework and talked 2 Ashley. Chris makes things fun.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
September 29, 1960
Up early and went to Carrie’s. Jim was coming for rubbish etc. for dump. Then he came and helped Lo with the spring and mattress seemed quite easy. Lo and I had put up bed last nite all set but making it. Lo moved little things from Carrie’s all P.M. So hard. George had been to eye dr. Eye not good. A nerve bad. After being at Carrie’s had to bring rugs to apt. to vacuum. Connections bad there at Anderson’s. Mrs. B. came in for a minute.
Marcy S., age 14, Tennessee
September 29, 1938
Cold better. Raining this morn. Daddy drove me to school. Talked with Elma in the auditorium, until the bell rang. Mother and Mrs. Rodgers are going to Dayton to see Mrs. Martin (G.’s gran and Mrs. McClure’s mother) at 10:00 this morn and won’t be back till supper time. I persuaded Mary to come with me and eat at Mrs. McClure’s instead of at school. I got very discouraged in Home Ec. because I don’t know a thing about a pattern. I finally became determined I was going to learn so I sat down and studied the pattern and tomorrow I think I can do it. At noon George, Mary and I walked to my house. G. came in and as he went out he locked the door. After Mary and I had washed, etc. we started over to G.’s for dinner and I unlocked the door and forgot and locked it again. We came back a few mins. later (dinner wasn’t quite ready) and tried the door. Couldn’t get in so we got the ladder and climbed in my bedroom window. Went back over to Mrs. M.’s and ate dinner. [In left margin: “P.S. At noon Daddy came home and left my Young America and Modern Screen.”] George left long before we did. Mr. Wilkey came as we were finishing. Our clock said 23 minutes to 1:00 but it was 5 mins. fast and that left us 2 mins. to get to school. We ran all the way and just got there as the others were going in. We didn’t have any lessons all afternoon due to the periods being changed because of the magician. We went to different rooms and finally ended up in the library. Just as I was getting settled Mrs. Moore came to see if I could take my lesson a half hour early. I could so we had the lesson (in different rooms). Mary waited for me and we talked awhile. P.S. (I looked at my movie book most of the afternoon and Mildred Norris and I wrote notes back and forth.) When I got home G. asked me over to his house to have a “tea” party with he and A.B. (G. helped me). I hid in a closet and A.B. looked right at me and didn’t even see me. He thought I was Mrs. McClure’s dress hanging up. I scared him. I couldn’t hide any farther back because I’d collide with the mop. We ate and then went outside and played gangster. I went after Helen and then we acted silly. Finally H. and I went in my house and read and listened to the radio and then I phoned for George to come over. Soon H. had to go and I practiced. George stayed till Mother came, about 6:00. G. went home. Gertrude Patton phoned to say we weren’t having the C.E. party tomorrow but a theater party and to ask Helen. After supper I phoned G. and had him to bring H. down (I had just done my head and couldn’t go out for an hr.) I gave G. a piece of gum for it. H. and I would both rather go tomorrow night so I phoned Gertrude. I washed the dishes, studied and listened to Major Bowes. Finally to bed. Daddy not home. Cloudy all day.
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
September 29, 1887
Arose at 5 o’clock this morning, had to light a lamp for the first time in the morning this season. I have been at the fair all day working at the fruit; there was lots of it come in today. Kate came over with Fred and Jessie Neill this afternoon. The baby got somewhat scared at so many people. I clerked at the store this evening as Case was attending to a concert given up there tonight. I got home about 9 o’clock tonight.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
September 29, 1862
Mrs. Common went to Asheville this morning, will return this afternoon. I have spent the day quilting, got along very well. Willie is still very loose in his bowels. Jeff woke us up last Friday night by barking incessantly. The dry house was a bright blaze. It burnt the top off. Left the walls standing. There was some 8 bushels of fruit nearly dry in it.
*(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
September 29, 1667
(Lord’s day). Up, and put off first my summer’s silk suit, and put on a cloth one. Then to church, and so home to dinner, my wife and I alone to a good dinner. All the afternoon talking in my chamber with my wife, about my keeping a coach the next year, and doing some things to my house, which will cost money — that is, furnish our best chamber with tapestry, and other rooms with pictures. In the evening read good books — my wife to me; and I did even my kitchen accounts. Then to supper, and so 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.)