Frost History - (Elizabeth) Marion Frost Journal

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.

Nov. 12, 1886

     Yesterday Mr. Jerome Howe put Carrie’s horse in the barn for her. This morning Ethel came over before daylight, soon after Arthur came with a load of manure for Carrie’s strawberry bed, and while he was still here Mr. Aubert came to get Mother’s medicine chest and book. Afterwards Arthur brought another load, and in the afternoon Cora walked up, bringing a chicken. As Cora was very tired and Mr. Dowler was working at Father’s house Jennie went down and Cora stayed.

Nov. 13

     Carrie put away her horse herself yesterday morning. Yesterday toward evening Arthur brought a load of corn for feed and fuel. This morning Carrie went to Father’s. Thea and Ethel came with some milk. They also had a little maltese and white kitten which was being killed by the Dowler baby. They took it home.

Nov. 14

     Carrie went to Father’s again to-day, but is back again. Jennie is here now and Cora is at her house, but I think she will come back.

Nov. 15

     Jennie went home and Cora came back. Ethel came up on horse back and went home again last night. To-day is cloudy and windy.

Nov. 16, 1886. Tuesday

     The nineteenth anniversary of Theodora’s birthday. The first snow that remained on the ground began coming yesterday between four and five in the afternoon. It came thick and fast and still continues to come thicker and faster, amounting almost or quite to a blizzard. Carrie went to school this morning but we hardly think she can find her way back. Arthur came to see us this forenoon.

Nov. 17

     Carrie did not come and we do not expect her until the storm is over and the road broken. This morning the head of Cora’s bead and the entire west side of the room, including the whole of my bed, were covered with snow. It was romantic enough last night but we would rather not keep it up much longer. At 10:30 A.M. we could see the sun. Arthur came up on Gyp at about noon and stayed three hours. He brought a cooked chicken and a jug of milk. At 3:00 P.M., or before, it seemed to have stopped snowing, but the wind was still blowing fiercely and drifting the snow.

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Nov. 18

     Bright, cold, windy, but the wind blows less fiercely than it did. Some one went by on a sled, so we think it possible that Carrie may come.

Nov. 22, 1886.

     Monday. Carrie did not come until Father went after her Saturday. He brought her in the wagon, leaving Skip and the buggy up at Chicago. I do not know whether the road will be good enough for her to come home to-night or not.

Dec. 11

     Day before yesterday Jennie received a package of magazines from Henry. The package was mailed at St. Louis, Mo.

Dec. 22

     Wednesday. Yesterday was the thirty-fourth anniversary of my birthday. Cora gave me Crocus for a birthday present. Crocus will be two years old next spring. We hope she will also give milk. Father went to Neligh yesterday and brought me a letter from Mrs. Wilson.

     To-day Morn lost a very little calf.

Dec. 29

     We kept Christmas although we were about out of money. Carrie spent twenty cents for some yarn for mittens for Father. Father paid twenty cents for a slate for Ethel. Everything else (except sugar, mutton, raisins, and some other articles of food) was made of what we had in the house. I am not able to tell about presents. Yesterday Father received a letter from Jotie enclosing a present of ten dollars. It enabled him to buy some wheat to-day. We hope we will also be able to get a new lantern. He did.

Jan. 3, 1887, Monday.

     To-day we received some Christmas presents from Aunt Em and her children. They were slippers, handkerchiefs, neckties, and a watch for Arthur. Father and Mother rec’d a letter from Aunt Em written by herself.

February 11

     Eve to Adam. Paradise Lost, Book IV.

How very unwomanly I must be!

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February 12

     Carrie, Cora and I came to Carrie’s house Jan. 27. Cora has been at her house two or three times since, and is there now. She takes care of me when she is here. It has been stormy almost all the time. I had not been here before since Thanksgiving. Have written to Eaton since I came up. Mr. and Mrs. Dean, two of their children, a Dowler boy, Arthur, Ethel, and Jennie, have been here to see us.

Feb. 13

     Father called on us today.

Feb. 28

     Buttercup had a heifer calf this morning. It is a warm and sloppy to-day. Father comes to see us every Sunday afternoon. Mother and Thea came to see us once, I think about the 16^th.

March 1, 1887

     Father was here on his way to Mr. Bertram’s to get some corn. Yesterday afternoon Carrie heard a noise as of water running into her well. This morning the water was discovered to be very muddy, entirely unfit for use, and to be much deeper than usual. We suppose that there is some defect in the tubing part way down and that surface water finds a way into the well. We can find no place where it can get in. We are using water from little ponds formed by melting snow. The water is very good and is easier to get than water from the well. The day is very warm and pleasant. We have t keep the door and windows open when we have enough fire for cooking. We saw a flock of wild geese flying north, to-day. Ethel made us a short call.

March 2

     I walked out to the barn to-day. It was too much. I mailed a letter to Henry to-day. Artie was here. Letters came for Mother from Freddie, and for Ethel. The baby heifer is named Cherry.

March 3, Thursday.

     Freddie’s letter was really to Carrie and Cora. Ethel’s was from Mrs. Merrill. Ethel and Arthur were here to-day. I still feel the bad effects of my walk yesterday. I didn’t take any to-day. It is a cloudy, windy, snowy day.

March 4, Friday

     Arthur was here. There was a letter from Ralph to Arthur and Ethel. My American Teacher came also. The day is cold and windy. I walked to the door and opened it, but did not go out.

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March 5, Saturday.

     Ethel was here. Cora called on Mrs. Botts. I walked as far as yesterday. The day is cold, cloudy until near night, windy (south).

March 6

     Arthur was here late yesterday. Ethel was here and got dinner to-day, while Carrie and Cora were gone. Carrie stayed at Father’s. Father and Thea came up. Thea stayed. The day has been warm; bright, and generally delightful. I went to the door several times and once or twice walked about halfway from the door to the hitching post.

March 7

     Carrie didn’t come back. Ethel began going to school to-day. I walked out to the barn again to-day. Arthur was here and has gone for the mail. It has been a bright, pleasant day. There was a letter from Flora DeGrey to Carrie, and a photographic group of Aunt Ann’s family for Cora.

March 8

     Carrie came back and Cora and Thea went home. I walked out to the barn. The day is pleasant enough except for a rather high wind. Mr. Botts has his sale to-day. Father will buy a horse if he can, but as there is quite a demand for horses he may not be able. Mr. Bott’s family will stay at Jennie’s until they can get away.

March 9, 1887, Wednesday.

     This morning, for the first time this year, we heard the prairie cocks booming. Cora made us a brief call this morning. Father bought two lady swine, a ham, and a jug of molasses at the sale. It is a very pleasant day to-day, and has been so warm that for a few hours in the afternoon, we needed no fire. I walked out to the barn twice to-day, but I think it was to much. I have been very good about reading to-day.

March 10

     Father and Thea came up yesterday evening, and Father and Arthur to-day. Father bought Mrs. Botts stove and some of its furniture for Carrie for two dollars. He did not think the stove worth much of anything. The furniture was a good teakettle, iron kettle, small griddle, light frying pan, heavy frying pan, old boiler, old coffee pot, bake pan, skimmer, two good and two poor pot lids. I think that is all. Father and Arthur put up the stove to-day. Mr. Dean has been plowing, the first plowing w have seen this year. Mrs. Botts and the children (five) are at Father’s now. I only went out to the barn once, but felt

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Last revised April 26, 2001.