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Below is a web page of text from a journal that (Elizabeth) Marion Frost kept from 1883 to 1921. There is a link to the next page near the bottom of this page. There is also an index of all of the pages. |
Carrie’s well bucket, and flowers for me. Carrie and Thea walked down from Carrie’s house. So to-day we are all here except Henry. We last heard from him last January, at Jacksonville, Ill. Yesterday I got some Arith. Ready for Arthur and reviewed Geometry to Bk. I, Th. IX.
Mr. Weaver was here to dinner to-day and took Clover, Cowslip, Crocus, Don, Star, Morn, and Buttercup to his heard.
May 9,1886
Jennie and Ethel have taken Carrie and Cora to their schools. Carrie’s first term begins tomorrow. She and Cora will board at the same place. This morning a dull gray cloud overspread the sky. Then I went to sleep. When I awake the sky was green instead of gray. Soon we had rain, wind and hail, none of them extremely severe. I am not so well to-day. This is the picture on an arrow-head, flint, that Arthur found on the top of Antelope Hill to-day. It is somewhat smaller, and is sharp at the point. I drew around it and could not draw close to it with this pencil.
Mother set a hen on four ducks’ eggs to-day.
May 11, 1886
Yesterday I was worse, to-day I am better. Mother set another hen yesterday on eleven hen’s eggs. She also went after Jennie and Ethel and couldn’t find the schoolhouse. A few days ago I began teaching Arthur Arith., and Botony. He studies when he rests out in the field. To-day Ethel begins teaching Theodora in the same branches.
May 12
Worse again. Thea and Arthur brought me grass flowers, wild peas, and violets, and I have made complete schedules of them. We had a rain this afternoon, so Father went after Jennie and Ethel. Dr. Hoagland asked Jennie to go with him to a basket sociable. She consented. She could not very well refuse under the circumstances. I am better to-night.
May 13, 1886
I am as well as I was last night. Yesterday, after I began to be better, we began treating my disease according to Mrs. Gleason’s directions. Before that, without knowing it, we had done about as she orders about reading and baths. The medicines which have seemed most desirable have been crocus, china, and arsenicum.
A hen began sitting on sixteen eggs. Cora’s Tabby is dead. It is supposed that her mother thought she would find a better place for her kittens and carried her on an exploring tour. The kitten has a hole in its head. It was found in a pig pen, [i]n the nest. The door was fastened and the pen was empty. We [t]hink the cat probably did carry it there. Cora’s Bright lost
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a beautiful heifer calf a short time ago. She seems to be unfortunate, lately.
May 14
Worse again. The kittens are all dead. We had considerable rain, without very high winds, last night and to-day.
May 15, 1886
Better. The girls are all here. Carrie and Cora are going to Carrie’s house. They have been making baskets for Jennie and Ethel to take to a "basket sociable." Carrie likes her school. All of the girls have nice schools now.
May 16
Better.
May 17
Not quite so well, but better than May 15. Yesterday Mr. And Mrs. Bainard, Mrs. Hovey and Virna called. I did not see them. This morning I have Jennie letters to mail to Aunt Em and Ditsie Mosnat.
May 18
About the same, perhaps a trifle worse, but not so sick as on the 15th. Mr. And Mrs. Oliver were here. I saw them through the window.
May 19
A trifle better. It is a beautiful, delightful day. One of the days when everything is happy, the grass and the flowers, and the flies and the sunshine and the breeze, and all things. I was not quite so well this afternoon. Jennie’s school-house was broken into last night.
May 20
Better. Arthur is to be baptized to-day. Mother went with him. Father would have gone if he had had decent clothes. I helped Mother dress. It is a very warm day, but breezy. Last night Jennie found that a sitting hen had picked the shell off from a little duck but the skin lining the shell was unbroken. She helped it hatch, and now it is quite lively.
May 22
Yesterday I was too tired to write or study, but was not worse. I seem to be getting better right along. Day before yesterday I finished Jennie’s and Ethel’s baskets and helped
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them get ready to go to the sociable. Arthur went too. Dr. Hoagland took them. Yesterday Lily had a little calf. It is a heifer, looks like its mamma, and is named Coral. My hen, Snow, has been hatching eggs. There are two ducks and seven chickens. There will be no more ducks in this brood, but we expect more chickens.
May 24
Carrie’s hen, Grit, began sitting yesterday on sixteen eggs. To-day mother gave her another egg. Saturday, the 22nd, a hen began sitting on three duck’s eggs, one white and two brown. Sunday Mother put another brown duck’s egg under her, and to-day a white duck’s egg. Yesterday I wrote to Mrs. Winterstein and sent the letter, enclosing her baby’s photograph, to Plainview today by Father. Mother put four Plymouth Rock eggs under the hen that began sitting May 22. Arthur is seventeen years old to-day.
May 25
I am decidedly worse to-day. Was least sick on 21st and 24th that I have been for over eight weeks. Some more chickens are hatching; a one-eyed blue hen is the mother. Thea began going to school to Jennie yesterday. The frame of my spectacles finished breaking to-day, so after this I shall have to go nearsighted.
May 26
Better. One f my little chickens is dead. This blue hen has hatched seven chicks. Only two more of the eggs showed any signs of life when placed in warm water. Only on showed much. Three sank. Ethel stayed out of school to help plant corn, because Father was about sick.
May 27
To-day is cloudy. One of Cora’s little ducklings is dead. Mr. Palmetier borrowed a clevis.
May 28
Another of my little chicks is dead. The blue hen only hatched seven chicks. Mrs. Dean called to-day. She came in to see me. Father went to Plainview to-day. We expect him to bring the girls.
May 30
Yesterday afternoon I was worse again. Yesterday Jennie and Cora made me a "Mother Hubbard" wrapper to wear over my nightdress. Last night George Bailey stayed here over night. To-day I received a letter from Ditsie Mosnat.
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May 31
Yesterday I received a letter from Freddie Hovey, and another of my little chicks died. I am not feeling very well to-day.
June 1, 1886
Mother gave the half-blind blue hen some Plymouth Rock eggs Sunday, May 30. All but ten of the little chicks are dead. I was a great deal worse last night and am still. Two hens began sitting to-day.
June 8th
Have hardly been able to write, but am getting better. There is a delightful article about the Botanical Garden at Cambridge in the last Century. I have intended ever since last summer to have a garden of native flowers. There are some things in that article by which I shall profit when I am able to begin. In some old copies of St. Nicholas there are outlines for lessons in botany. I shall try to use them as I am able.
June 12
Was worse again last night. Am better to-day
June 30
Have been unable to write. Was worse June 21, than at any other time. Am not able to sit up in bed to eat. Thea was quite sick last night. She thinks worse than ever before. Mother has the toothache all of the time, but has been twice to Neligh to see Dr. Whittemore.
July 15, 1886
Was worse again June 30. That night Mother received letter from Mrs. Gleason telling what to do for me. Began to get better July 1. July 4th was better (but not stronger) than any day since May 24. Am still getting better but get stronger slowly. Carrie, Cora, and Ethel are at the Normal. Will come home Saturday, July 17. Mother set my hen, Favorite, this week, Monday, July 12, she thinks. A hen has been hatching for several days. She had two little ducks and four chicks last night. This morning Jennie found the nest with no hen on it, all of the eggs cold, and a faint picking in one of them. She hatched it, warmed it, and it is still living and seems likely to continue to do so.
August 2, 1886
Favorite has nine chicks.
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Last revised April 26, 2001.