Diary of Clarance Dodd Jamison

©Dru Ann Jamison Thompson Clark

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Diary of Clarance Dodd Jamison
Transcribed by Dru Ann Jamison Thompson Clark

Thursday, July 23, 1914
I was very much surprised to see Mrs. Parker come walking in the door today as she had been gone for so long.
We washed today and just had gotten through washing when she came. As I had not written so long in my old diary, I decided I would start anew. I know this is a fine book to start in, but I have not any other, without going to town. In the afternoon, I went down to Mrs. Parker’s room. Gracie went with me. I carried Mrs. Parker a little crocheted powder bag that I crocheted. She was crocheting some lace to go on her new shiffarobe. She said she thought she would go back Sunday night. The bible pictures are going to be shown at the picture show tonight, Joseph in Egypt. We’re all going. It is about 5:00 in the afternoon. Looks very much like rain. It does not look like ma is going. Mrs. Parker and Frank went driving this afternoon.

Friday, July 24, 1914
I carried Mrs. Parker tomatoes this morning and went to get my physiology. She is packing up her things. She did not stay very long. We got a letter from Aunt Belle and of course we went to straightening up a little. It did not rain last night, so we got to go to the show. Tomorrow is Election Day. Willie, Grace and I went walking a little in the afternoon. Mrs. Parker went to see Mrs. McMullin. Mama is making me a new white dress. She will finish the dress this afternoon.

Saturday, July 25, 1914
Today was Election Day, a day that a great many people have been longing for. Judge Scruggs, Mr. Spiller, Mr. Callan, Mrs. Mrs. Benchoff…well just all of the anti officers were elected, except one. Mr. Hartgraves beat Mr. King. I ran off and went down to Mrs. Parker’s in the afternoon. Frank came back and stayed with us awhile. Grace is sick and taking medicine. She has had a fever for several days.

Sunday, July 26, 1914
Well, this day has come at last. I have been dreading it for a long time. Mrs. Parker, one of her best friends, is going to leave this evening for good. She is going to Fort Worth. I went by her room and stayed a few minutes in the afternoon. When I got home, we had company. When I got to thinking about telling her goodbye for good and I couldn’t stand to go back. I thought I would try to forget about her leaving and I couldn’t. I started over to Willies, thinking something would happen to get it out of my mind. But just as I was entering the gate, I glanced up in time to see Mrs. Bigham in her car taking Mrs. Parker to the train. That made me worse than ever. I went in the house and saw Mrs. Spiller and Mrs. Finley talking about Mrs. Parker leaving for good and it was all I could do to keep from crying.

Monday, July 27, 1914
Well I guess Mrs. Parker has made it home by this time. Nothing important has happened today. Not anything worth writing.

Tuesday, July 28, 1914
Willie came over in the evening and we got to talking about things that happened in school last year. Willie, Nellie, and I went to the Teacher’s Meeting that night and had a very good time.

Wednesday, July 29, 1914
No Entry

Thursday, July 30, 1914
It was very warm today. I went over to Willies in the afternoon. We made a little tatting. Mr. Nelson left today. I know you will think we almost cried when he left. We ate some mush melon. The rinds and spoons are put in a public place where we can see them every day, but we do not care about anyone knowing where they are. We went to choir practice that night and Willie got ant stung.

Friday, July 31, 1914
I was very much surprised to know that I could go to the Modern Woodman picnic, as it going to be on the river. I went over to Willie’s in the morning and she decided to go, too. We started about 9:30 and it didn’t take us long to get there. Oh Yes! I forgot to tell you that Grace and I had a racket about a hat before we started. When we got to the river, I could not imagine how we might get across. We started to carry a bridge and put it across the water, but some children saved us the trouble by telling us that foot logs were in sight. We went on across and were about the first ones there. When the reunion grounds were in sight, we could see a stand with people just as busy as a bee making lemonade. Underneath one part of the stand, a great high stack occupied the ground. Cases of soda water and a great big block of ice were in one corner. A great big ice cream freezer occupied the other corner. This looked very good to me as I hadn’t been to a picnic in a long time. After people began to gather, we were astonished to see people paying for the cold drinks as we thought it would be free. Neither one of us had a cent. We went to sit in Mrs. Miller’s buggy awhile. We could not think about anything else to talk about, so Willie told me the story about her garnet ring. It was not very long until the crowd began to gather. We met Bessie Dial and began telling her our trouble. And to think of being at a picnic without any money. It seemed almost as though we were disgraced. Every kid began buying soda water. We were so thirsty for it that we could almost taste it. Bessie was fortunate enough to have 20 cents in her purse. She was very generous and treated us to a Dr. Pepper. While opening her purse, she lost a nickel. So she was broke for the rest of the day. It was not long until dinner. We went to the table in a rush. Don’t you think it was an honor for me to get the first piece of meat that was passed around? They served barbecued beef and goat, different kinds of salad, cakes and pies, coffee and all the we could eat. We were the first ones to get to the table as we wanted to have our share of the dinner, as we knew we did not have any money to buy anything to eat. As I started to say, we were the first ones to the table and the last ones to leave. Just imagine how greedy we were. After dinner, Willie, Bessie, Hetty and I went to sit n Mr. Haney’s surrey and talked for some time. It was not long until we saw him standing by the cold drink stand, motioning his hand for us to come there. Believe me, we were out of that Surrey too quick to talk because we knew what he was going to do. He treated us to red soda water. As you know, it would not seem like a picnic unless a little red soda was mixed in. We thanked him and went on to the river and talked awhile until the conversation was broken by the shrill voice, which sounded like a speaker. Sure enough it was the speaker for the Woodsmen. We sat in the sun while the sweat poured off of our faces until he was through. If he hadn’t been a “Lawyer Lawyer” from Waco, we could not have afforded to have had a speaker such as him. After his solemn speech was over,
as that is the style of all Woodsmen, speakers, we were grateful enough to be treated to half a watermelon. I mean, Mr. Dial was grateful enough to treat us! This was very refreshing. It was not long after this until it began to thunder and one could see a dark cloud through the leaves of the trees. The stands were soon torn down and everyone returned to their homes having had a nice time all day.

Saturday, August 1, 1914
I know a great many of my friends knew I had started a diary in July. They would almost swear not to start one in June when there is a great deal more to write about in June than July. Why, I could almost fill it with resolutions, but the human mind can’t be trusted. We do a great many things that we never would have dreamed doing until they are already done. Today is the first. I am feeling blue about it because it is one month until school will start. Just think, one more month to be free as a bird out of a cage. We just have one more month out in the fresh air and sunshine. It is almost as bad as being in jail when one is housed up in an old school house each day of the year with just one day for rest. Just think of having to mind three and four teachers at once and your parents and your grandparents. They are enough without the teacher added on.
Elizabeth Peterson is rejoicing over her school. She has a school at Fort. McCavett. She will get $40 a month.

Sunday, August 2, 1914
I have some very sad news to write today. Mr. George Washington Hartgraves died about 8:30 a.m. He is known to everyone as “Uncle Wash” He was born February 22, 1886 and died August 2, 1914. He was born a crippled and was a cowboy almost all of his life. I’ll never forget the first time that Cecil saw him. He was so little that Cecil thought he was a little boy. Mama and I went to Mrs. Hartgraves and stayed until time for the funeral. Ruth Orenbaum carried us to the funeral service in their buggy. Reverend Henderson, the Presbyterian minister, preached the funeral service at the graveyard. Ruby ate dinner with Fay Rudolph.
We have one of the largest watermelons I’ve ever seen. Well, I have started another book. The name of it is An Unwilling Guest. The author is Grace Livingston Hill. It certainly is good. This will make 6 books. I love to read during vacation! The first 2 were Mark Twain books, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. They were comprised of adventurous stories. Then I read of Mrs. Gene Stratton Porter’s books, A Girl of the Limberlust and The Harvester. I enjoyed both books very much, the latter one more than the first. Pollyanna was the next one. It is called the glad book. It is a new book. Part of it was published in 1914, the other part having been written in the latter part of 1913. Now, I’m reading An Unwilling Guest.

Monday, August 3, 1914
It is raining some. Dora Crawford had a party. Evelyn and Willie were there in the morning, Ruth and Hattie in the afternoon. Mama is weaving Miss Lucy Decker’s hair. She will leave for California in a few days. We had a nice mess of fish for breakfast this morning. A man was hospitalized this morning and has been paralyzed all day.

Tuesday, August 4, 1914 It was very cloudy this morning. We’re canning and preserving tomatoes today. I finished An Unwilling Guest. It certainly was fine. I sent a letter to New York today for a catalogue.
Now, I’ll give a little sketch of the fun I had at the Teacher’s Meeting. Mrs. Hartgraves came over in the afternoon and told mama that the teacher’s meeting would be at their house instead of the church. She said they would serve watermelon after the meeting. Willie and I were delighted to hear this. We said we were going if we had to walk! We soon found out that everybody would have to walk, as there was no way to ride. Mrs. Mary Shaefer, Mrs. Fenley, Lizzie, mama, and I all went together. We had not gone a little piece down the road until I got some kind of ticker in my shoe. I stopped right in the middle of the road and took off my shoe to try to get it out. Mrs. Shaefer caught hold of me and tickled me until I could hardly get my shoe back on. It is a good distance to walk in the cool air at night. We played, whistled, and sang all of the rest of the way up there. The first thing we saw was Nellie Murchison coming to meet us. Nellie, Hallie, Ruth, Willie and I sat on the grass for a few minutes to rest. But it was a little resting that we did. We soon saw that it was too public a place for us to laugh and talk and have a good time. So we went around on the other side of the house on the lawn. We found some quilts and a large blanket on the fence. It was some spread on the grass for us to rest on. We hadn’t turned a somersault in so long that we decided to turn some. They all said they did nothing they could do. I ventured to try one first. I went over very well, but knew it would take a little practice to do it well. Willie and I were in good practice in just a few minutes. But Nellie could not turn them so well on account of having on a white embroidery tight skirt dress. We turned so many somersaults our heads were almost soaring. We then played the Pitt Patt class. I suggested in a loud and boisterous way (just as Mr. Sellman began to pray), that we should play leapfrog! Of course, when we heard him praying we got still like little mice. When we got through, we played leapfrog until we were disgusted with it. We sat and talked about school and listened to Mrs. (Doctor) Weaver play we didn’t know whether it was her for sure, but took it for granted that it was, as it was her home. The teacher’s meeting was over now and Mr. Hartgraves brought a great many large watermelons out on the porch. Mr. Shaefer cut the melons. We had all the melons we could hold and more, too. We all got into a fight with the watermelon rinds. You never saw anybody in your life that looked like Willie. Her dress was wet all over with watermelon juice. We did not get to soak Nellie on account of that white dress. The fight ended with Mr. Hartgraves into it, too. It was almost 11:00 when we started home. Out of all the uproar and fun, we did not forget to have a few manners and thanked them for the treats and started home. Mrs. Shaefer and I had a little tickling game on the way home. We all laughed and talked and played the rest of the way home. Everyone had enjoyed themselves very much and heartily wished that every Tuesday night would end with such fun.

Wednesday, August 5, 1914
The day dawned very early. Everyone you met seemed to be very busy. It seemed just like a school morning. Willie and Lizzie washed. I washed all by myself for grandma and myself. Willie came over to my house in the afternoon and crocheted for awhile. Then we went out under the apple tree and sang almost every song in the new songbook.

Friday, August 7, 1914
I am inclined to be a little lazy unless I work at some little something. It is true. An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. We know when we are idle we’re always getting into trouble. I hem stitched a handkerchief yesterday afternoon and whipped tatting around it. I started another one this afternoon and have it hem stitched. I’m going to put some honeycomb work in it. Willie is busy hem stitching a linen tablecloth for the dining table. Mama went down to the ME Church and cleaned up her room for the little class at Mrs. Marshbanol.

Sunday, August 9, 1914
The little town of Menard was fairly delighted to hear that the Dyer Amusement Company Carnival would be here Monday. It seemed almost like a large circus coming. That is the talk amongst the children in the neighborhood and most of the grown people, too. I suppose that there is a great many of them that have never seen a Farris Wheel or a merry-go-round. In fact, I have heard several say they never saw a Farris Wheel and never rode on a hobby horse. All the coming week will be a sight for the people of Menard. I lost my silver Bulgarian fur that I got for Christmas yesterday. The first thing I did was to get up early this morning and hunt for it. I search for it, but all for vain. It was not to be found. I soon finished my ____ but I cleaned the toilets for Sunday School and went by for Willie. It was very early and we went walking until Sunday School time. After SS, we stayed for church. Rev. W Wall was the preacher. After dinner, I hunted for my fur again but did not find it. I decided to read some in the afternoon as I have started another book. The name of it is A Very Naughty Girl. I tried to read but couldn’t get interested and lay down in the bed and went to sleep. I was awaken by someone out at the front gate calling me. It was Willie and Rachel. They were in a car and wanted me to go riding with them. I got in and went with my hair stringing around my face. Well, I just went like I was. We rode all of the afternoon until train time. We ten went to the depot to watch the train carried the boy on. He is going to Dallas to be operated on. The rest of the family surely did take it hard. They put him on a folding cot and carried him into the baggage car. People were covering his cot with flowers. It seemed almost like a funeral. I suppose they think they will never see him again. The holiness preacher and his daughter, Thelma, are visiting here today. It was getting late and we had to start home. Ruby found my fur our in the garden while I was gone. Willie and I went to the party Friday night. We certainly had a lovely time. There were about twenty five or thirty present. We played the following games: Snap, Clap In and Clap Out, Wink’em, Sister Phoebe. We’re Marching around the Levy, The Miller and Son, and Spoons. We stayed until almost 11:00. It was misting rain when we started home. Mrs. Fenley, Willie and Rachel carried me home. It was not long until we were in the land of dreams, resting peacefully for the night.

Monday, August 10, 1914
The carnival people came in today. Mrs. Nations washed at our house today. It began raining at 12:30. She had her clothes already on the line…starched, too! It rained until late in the afternoon. After it stopped, she came back and restarted. The carnival band played in the afternoon. It is very muddy tonight. We wish that it would not rain so we could go tomorrow night. I went to sleep foe most of the afternoon.

Tuesday, August 11, 1914
I did not do anything important in the morning. Willie came over to my house in the afternoon for me to teach her how to make honeycombs. We were busy working until we heard the band. Everything was dropped and we were over at Mrs. Fenley’s house in a few seconds. The band always played right out in front of their house. The sun shined all day and the mud dried up faster than any ever saw. I stayed at Willie’s almost the whole afternoon. Tonight is the Teacher’s Meeting. I think Mama will go. I went home and had supper. After supper, we went to the teacher’s meeting. Grace, Ruby and I went. Mama and Willie went with her mama. The carnival is on the square and the church house is right across the street from the square. Mama and the teachers went inside the church for the meeting. They have all of the tricks up their sleeve, well except for Farris Wheel , but it will not run yet. We watched them from the church trying to start it. The band was playing and we were just crazy as a loon. There it seemed like the teacher’s meeting never would close. We were looking out of the window and saw them start it for the first time. Willie hollered out loud, “They have it started!” After the hobby started we were more anxious than ever to go. The teacher’s meeting was over and we started with great glee to the carnival. We met Rachel and Trudie. Porter and Jimmy were standing out in front of the crazy house. They were calling us to come in. It was the first time any of us had ever been in a Crazy House, and it liked to have scared us to death. It was all we could do to stay in the thing. I liked to have fallen several times. It looked like you were falling all the time! An old man hollered all the time and we thought we were going to fall on our heads. I was never so glad as when we got out of there. We then went on the hobby horse. Willie and I rode in the Lover’s tub. After that, we went into the Negro minstral show. We stayed in there about half an hour. After the minstrel show was over, we walked all over the grounds and looked the different kids of tents. It was about 11:00 but we just had to ride the hobby again. This time we rode horses. It being so late, we then started home. They will have the Farris Wheel up tomorrow night. Willie and I are sure going to ride it! We might be a little afraid as neither one of us has ridden one before. But that didn’t make any difference. When we have four minds set to do anything, we most always do it. I cannot state all that we did in this little space just only a few of the things. We certainly had a nice time. I think it’s one of the best times I’ve had since I’ve been here.

Wednesday, August 12, 1914
I finished A Very Naughty Girl. It was very good. They are putting up the Farris Wheel, so we know we can ride tonight. I went up to the dentist’s office with grandma to have the impression taken in the afternoon. We had to stay until 5:00. We went home and had supper. Afterward, Papa brought a dozen hot tamales home. You can bet that we had a bite of these!! While we were eating these it began raining. We knew that we were inside for the carnival tonight. We will not get to ride the Farris Wheel after all. I hope it will not rain so much so we can go tomorrow night.

Thursday, August 13, 1914
When I awoke this morning, I went to the door to take a peek. It had been raining very hard and the streets were raging like a river. It rained all day long until late afternoon. We knew that once again, there would not be a chance to go to the carnival because it was impossible for them to have it. They had not gotten to show but one night. I worked on my honeycombed handkerchief for about an inch and that was not cut. I wrote a letter to grandpa but did not get it mailed on account of it raining all day. In the afternoon I went to sleep and slept almost all day. When I woke up it was still raining. Willie had on her boots and raincoat. After awhile, the clouds began to get lighter and it stopped raining. The sun finally came out and I bogged through mud and hiked over to Mr. Mauldin’s house. We played on Annie Mae’s new hand harp for a long time. Mrs. Dawson was crocheting. She showed us her new pieces. Afterward, I went home, had supper, and went straight to bed…early!

Friday, August 14, 1914
It rained all night and the entire morning. It stopped raining around 11:30 and didn’t begin until about 3:00. It rained off and on all the time until 5:30. I was down at the Mauldin’s in the afternoon. Willie was already there, and Viola Nye came by, too. We crocheted all afternoon. Annie Mae was crocheting on a yoke to a slip and Willie Mae had just started one for herself. She said she might use it for a slip or possibly a shirt. I started some red garter. I finished one and finished my honeycomb handkerchief as well.
I don’t think it will ever quit raining.

Saturday, August 15, 1914
It has rained all day. I fixed my dark blue serge skirt and crocheted another garter. Now I have a pair!!! I never saw it rain so much!

Sunday, August 16, 1914
The first thing we saw Sunday morning was the pretty sun shining through the window. When anyone has to stay in the house for a week or so, on account of rain and mud, it sure does look good to see the sun again! We went to SS this morning. There sure was a large crowd present for such a muddy day. Willie and I were late for SS. I must not go all this way along telling all the smart things without a few of the lazy ones mixed in. We decided to stay for church. Mr. Hamilton preached. He censured Hallie and Trudie several times during the sermon. In the afternoon, Willie came over to my house and we went up the Dial’s place in the mud. Bess was not there. She had gone to Rochelle. We stayed a few minutes with her mama and started for home. The sun ceased shining and it began to sprinkle. We kept on walking and after awhile it stopped. We got as far as Mrs. Nye’s and met Trudie, Hallie, Mary D., and Bessie. We all went walking in the mud. We went up to Mrs. Willie Bevans and stopped awhile and played with the baby. I slipped and fell in the mud and had to wash my hands and arms. It was a superstitious bunch for as you readily see, everytime it looked like rain we would start out walking, thinking that it would do some good! We all walked back to Mrs. Marbank’s and played and sang awhile, then went home. I suppose the walking did a great deal of good. After all, it did not rain!!!
The carnival will be here all next week and we will get to have a good time, if it will not rain anymore.

Monday, August 17, 1914
Well, it did not rain anymore, so we washed a big load of washing today. We went to the carnival, all right! I rode the Farris Wheel for the first time. Elva Fenley and I rode together. It was her first time and mine also. When it went over the top, it stopped with us right on the tip top. The seat surely did rock! It scared us both. It never stopped with us on the top anymore. What a fine ride!! After we got off the Farris Wheel we rode on the Hobby. Then I met Willie and we went into the Lion Show. We watched the great big lions roll each other over into a buggy. Mrs. Dyer has raised and trained them from infancy. She was inside the ring with them all the time! She even rode the largest lion like it was a horse! She made both of them lie down and then she laid on them with just her arms around their necks. When they did not want to mind, she would take a whip to them just a little. But, they surely did GROWL and open their mouths as if they were going to bite! They did a great many more things, but this is all I will have time to tell about. After we got out of that show, I met Elva and we went to the Wild Man… at least they said he was wild! He had a deformed foot and snakes would crawl all over him and not bite him. I certainly had a nice time. I rode on the Farris Wheel with Willie 4 times before I left.

Tuesday, August 18, 1914
Grandma Dodd is very glad. Papa came over and told her that Dr. Weaver had her teeth made. Of course she was very glad. It will be two months tomorrow since all her teeth were taken out. We went up to the dentist’s office and got her teeth. Dr. Weaver said he never saw teeth fit any better. Willie and I went up to Mrs. Nard’s yesterday afternoon. We got into the mud. We went on by Mrs. Dials and of course she had me up for company. Mrs. Cannon and Mrs. Read were there and a girl named Isabel. The girl is a fine musician. She played awhile for us.
We went to the show tonight. I rode the Ferris Wheel four times tonight! Elva and I went into the Crazy House again tonight, but it was not half as scary as the other time. The Crazy House man let us watch things. We looked at the Wild Man and rode on the Hobby. Everyone got into a confetti fight. My, we had fun with it. Old Tom McRoy bought a sackful and poured it down the back of Willie’s dress.. Grace, Ruby and Hallie rode on the Hobby.

Wednesday, August 19, 1914
Papa came home tonight and carried us to the carnival. Mama went, too! All of us, except for Mama, went to the Animal Show. We saw all kinds of animals: different types of snakes, and monkeys. All kinds of birds…a parrot included. Several coyotes and even an Australian Turkey were there for us to view! That was the most exciting thing they had! It was very large and had black hair that resembled a hog. It had a head just like a turkey, but it didn’t have any wings, and had feet that looked like an ostrich. The next thing down the line was a black bear followed by this tiny, little deer. We were told that at this time of year they have velvet on their horns. We saw the kangaroo, 2 of them, but they weren’t very large. We saw a porcupine and a very large striped cat that they called an Osolock. I think we looked at the owl and all the other animals again and went outside to see something else. Next, we rode on the Ferris Wheel with Viola and Annie Mae. I tried my luck on turning the wheel but did not get anything. We ate popcorn and played with confetti and soon went home as they were cleaning up.

August 26, 1914
I forgot to tell about sending off my labels. I sent them the other day, but forgot the date. It rained yesterday and we did not get to have the chance Togo this weekend. Grace and I decided to go up to Ruth and Hallie Hartgraves to learn to crochet rabbits. We started about 2:30. When we got there, Hallie, Ruth, Grace and I crocheted. Ruth showed me how to make rabbits. We were all so busy crocheting that we didn’t realize that an hour had gone by without talking. Once again, it began raining hard at 4:20. It rained and rained until it was getting late. Grace and I didn’t know what to do. We couldn’t start home in the rain with it pouring down. So, Hallie phoned her mama and asked what we must do. She said she wanted us to stay all night, but Grace and I didn’t want to unless mama knew something about it. We couldn’t start home in the rain with it pouring so much. Mrs. Hartgraves said she would tell papa if he came back into the store. In just a little while the phone rang and Mrs. Hartgraves said that papa would tell mama. So, we were satisfied and stayed. Ruth and I fed the chickens. We both had an umbrella, but an umbrella wasn’t much good in such a downpour. We went back into the house and sang and crocheted awhile until Mrs. Hartgraves drove up. The Hollow was over the bridge. We watched Mr. Hartgraves cross it. Mrs. H then fixed supper. Afterward, we began fixing our bed as it was pretty late then. Ruth and I slept together. I slept in one of Ruth’s gowns. I told then about An Unwilling Guest and we all went to sleep. The next morning the sun was shining and all was clear. Ruth and I got up and Grace and Hallie got in our bed. All four of us got into bed and played until breakfast. After breakfast, we crocheted some more and ate watermelon. Ruth and Hallie hitched up old Jim and carried us home in the delivery truck. We had a nice time after all. This is the last time I will write in August. I hope I will have as many good times to write about next month.

September 1, 1914
I was thinking as I wrote the last lines on the other page that it would be impossible to think that it would be as much fun this month as last, but the way it’s starting out, I don’t think it will be so bad after all. We’re going to have 2 parties this week: one for Mrs. Fenley and one for Mr. Vanderstuckins. Just think of it…2 in one week! Willie and I have been writing games all say for the party Wednesday night and we don’t want to play so many old games.

September 2, 1914
Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we will be getting ready for school about 8:30. Oh! Think of getting up early every morning and getting off to school about 8:30. Think about the hard lessons, the hurrying and worrying of keeping your clothes in readiness for school. We are no longer to be free. No longer to have the afternoon to lounge around and go sleep or crochet or something better…It will be almost as bad as a savage starting to school as I. For I have forgotten everything I ever knew. But let us not think of trouble until we meet it and make precious the little time we have left.
Willie and I helped make ice cream for the party tonight. She made strawberry and I made apricot. We prepared for the Guessing Game. After everything was almost done, we went driving for about an hour. It was about 5:30 when we got home, so we began to prepare for the party.
I went to the party very early. It wasn’t long until a crowd started to gather. Almost everyone our size was there. Nellie got the prize of a paper weight for the Guessing Game. We then played the Art Gallery Game and Winnie Crowell got the prize: a picture. Rachel one the prize for guessing the most pictures: a box of stationary.
The refreshments were being served. Mine and Willie’s ice cream was passed around. Several varieties of cakes were present. After eating this, we were treated to mint gum and so forth. After we were all through eating, games were continued such as Wink’Em. We did not go home until about twelve. We all had a nice time.

September 3, 1914
School started today. I think Mr. Litsey will be my teacher most of the time. We went to school this morning for him to get our names and so forth. He told us to get our books and come back in the morning to have our lessons assigned. I have forgotten three of mine.

September 4, 1914
We went to school today but did not do much. I think I shall like to go to school here this year. I went to Mary Elder’s birthday party and gave her a little homemade honeycombed handkerchief that I promised her. I went with mama, Mrs. Fenley and Willie to the party. We had a delightful time playing all kinds of games. After the games were over, we enjoyed eating watermelon. A great many of the guests played with the rinds. Mrs. ORourke did not like for us to and I didn’t start it. There was a large crowd there. Muggy Shana from Brownwood and Willie Lou from the ranch came in, too. Having had as nice a time as possible, we went home and soon were in the land of happiness.

September 11, 1914
All pleasures such as picnics and parties must now be discarded. Our dear old vacation days are over. Those days will never come again. The joys and sorrows that we had in those days will perhaps never happen again. Perhaps we have let the opportunity pass by, one seizing hold of a few that we liked as they passed by. We are now buckling down to the first days of the school year. Let us prepare our lessons day after day and not neglect them at the beginning. There are plenty of opportunities awaiting each and every one of us that are going to school. There are nice gold medals that will be awarded at the end of the school year.
On this beautiful day of Sept. 11, 1914, a life has been taken. It is sad to think that human beings with good sense frighten and kill each other. It reminded a person of a lower class of animals, such as dogs. They fight and kill each other, but when it comes to people doing this, it is simply terrible. This killing was due to the temper of two men who fought and one killed the other. It reminds me of a little verse:
Do you think of temper? With its mighty, mighty power that makes the tongue speak with an awful, awful clamour?
Look at the harm it does you; it is like a burning coal. It has caused death and sorrow. It is like the lion bold.
Let the rivers and the waters flow over the burning coal. It will then be kind and gentle and no more like the lion bold.

September 30, 1914
My work studying domestic science and other things kept me very busy and I have neglected writing in this faithful red diary. This is the close of one school month. We’re just about broken into studying. We have a nice school. Mr. Litsey in my room teacher and Miss Avery is my English and Domestic Science teacher. Mr. Russell is my Latin teacher. We are getting along nicely in our Domestic Science work. Everyone in the class is making a linen bag and of course it’s all handmade. We’re making one to carry our work to school in by embroidering our monograms on them. They’re going to be on display for Exhibition Day.
We’ve also organized a basketball. Mr. Russell is the referee. We play 2 evenings out of every week. I enjoy playing very much! We practice in the full bloomers, but are going to have the suits to play games in when we play match teams.
I have gotten my report card. I made very good grades. The importance was not very high, being a 92. I will be able to raise it some for next month.

October?, 1914
Another carnival has visited Menard. The people did not seem to care too much about it. The carnival came so soon after the other one. We did not get to go on account of school was in almost everything they had. It stayed here about a week. I was really glad when it was gone.
The fall of the year is here. The days are beginning to grow cold. The 19th is Grace’s birthday and the 31st is mine.
I finished my crocheted rabbits that I started in the summer. I put them on the dresser scarf.

No Entry Date
Well I made more in deportment this month by receiving a 98. Grace’s birthday has passed. She got a signet ring, a dress, a purse and some ribbons. She is 13 years old.

No Entry Date
Today is Saturday. Annie Mae Mauldin, Viola Nye, Alvis, Alton, Mama, Cecil, Ruby, Grace and I went out to Alexanders today. They had some cotton and as we had never picked any before, we pickled a little. We ate tomatoes, pecans and everything we wanted all day. Of course the day is hardly ever finished without me having some bad luck. I was ant stung and it gave me severe pain. I was not the only one for Ruby was stung twice on the neck! We stayed until late in the afternoon before we started home.

No Entry Date
Mrs. Deaver entertained a number of guests at her beautiful home Friday night. Games were played like Snap, Wink’em, and other party games. Nel Murchison entertained the guests with several pieces of good music. After staying until it was getting late, everyone returned home having had a delightful time.

No Entry Date
I made a large doily out of ecru carpet worn thread. Everyone likes it and I’m proud of it or this would not have been stated here. Everyone is making a number of Christmas gifts during the Domestic Science period. Everyone is getting along.

October 31st, 1914
Today is my 15th birthday, but you would doubt it very much by my writing. I was gone all day and when I came home I was very much surprised to find a nice book written by Gever Stratton Porter. The name of it was At the Foot of the Rainbow. After searching awhile, trying to find who had given the gift to me, I found the words Miss Clarencia Dodd from William Fenley. These are our school nicknames. The book seems twice as good with these names in it as opposed to our given names! After I had eaten supper, I began preparing for the Halloween Party at Burchoffs. There was also entertainment at Topperwein’s tonight for Miss Thurman’s class. After I was ready, I went by for Willie and we went to the party. Willie had a sprained leg and couldn’t play much. After the masks had been taken off, the guests played all kinds of games as were prepared. A great many pieces were rendered by Miss Nellie Murchison that added a great deal more pleasure. We were then served. After everyone had heartily dined, Mrs. Benchoff and Mrs. Neal went with us to ring a few church bells. We walked around a bit to see the mischief the boys had done. The schoolhouse doors were blockaded with delivery packs. The water trough was soon filled with rocks. After walking around awhile, we returned for home to retire for the night, having had a very nice time.

November 1, 1914
The fall of the year has come. The ruts and ditches are filled with crimson and red-yellow and golden hued autumn leaves, hinged slightly with blue. I finished the book that Willie gave me last month and reading it very much.
I received a letter from Mrs. Parker today and surely was glad to hear from her. There is a big revival meeting going on in Ft. Worth. The Tabernacle seats 7,000 people. There is a 50 voice choir and a wonderful orchestra. This was some of the news that Mrs. Parker wrote. I surely wish I could go and stay a week or two. I can think of hardly anything this month.

December, 1914
This dear old month has come at last, one that most girls and boys enjoy as faithful old Santa Claus visit us on the 25th. I made a large crocheted doily that I sold to Mrs. Melinger for $2.00. I made one that I’m keeping for a Christmas present for Mrs. Parker. That makes 4 and I have 2 more to go! So that makes 6 large crocheted doilies and 2 are crocheted garters. Christmas is approaching and I have purchased Little Red Riding Hood for Frank, a signet ring for Cecil and a nice towel for mama. It has been bad rainy weather, just misting and drizzling for about a month. Christmas was, of course, raining. I stayed over at the hardware store and sold toys all day. There was a nice Christmas tree at the ME Church. Candied fruit was bought with SS money, and every teacher gave their pupils a little present. Mrs. Fenley gave the boys in our class a nice tie and the girls a Kewpie doll pin cushion along with a handpainted perfume bottle. We had a nice little tree at home. Grace and Ruby got baby dolls and many other little things. I got a lavaleure, a sterling silver ring with a cameo, a chaimois skin from Leona and a nice pair of garters from Willie. On Christmas Day when the mail came in, we got a box from Mrs. Parker. It contained a spinning top for Cecil, a little clothes basket with clothes pins for Ruby, pretty handkerchiefs for Grace and a nail cleaner and shoe spoon. Papa gave me an 8 piece manicure set with pearl handle. This is one thing I’m surely proud of. The day was very pleasant although I stayed at home all day. We had a great many fireworks which helped to provide a jolly time for us.
I suppose this is the last time I shall write in this book for this year. I trust that the year of 1915 will be as pleasing as the year which had just passed.

January, 1915
This is the first opportunity that I have had for writing since the above lines. It’s about middle January. We have all started back to school and are getting our share of work. The book I should have received at Christmas has finally arrived at last. The name of it is Laddie. I have had a good many pleasant days but only have a few lines to relate so many in. I think you would be interested in our picnic on the hill more than anything else.
One Saturday afternoon, mama took her SS class up on the hill. They all carried lunches. I asked Willie and Annie Mae Mauldin to go. We carried a Kodak and got some good pictures which will be always in the memories of the day before us. We carved our initials on several large rocks. Every tree and bird and almost every rock had a new name before we left. We ate our lunch and painted our lips with red jaw breakers. We walked so far that everyone reached home before we did.
I have received one letter from Mrs. Parker this week. We must do all we can possibly do before school is out. We have 2 compositions to write for a contest, one on Sanitation and the other on Physiology. Mr. Russell, of course, had to get some new patent in Latin, and we have to make a Latin book, composing a story about Latin and how we learned it. We have a book to read and be able to reproduce by the end of the term. I got a letter from Grandpa Dodd. He is near Belton now. We were so glad to hear from him that I answered right away.
I can remember entering into a drawing contest some time back. I drew a picture of the Natural Oats Girl and sent it in to the contest. Wouldn’t I be lucky if it brought me that, although I am not looking for any thing. After school, Hettie Ellis, Bessie Dial and I were determined to have a party. We went to pushing and the results came. Mrs. Jim Smith gave me one the first time we asked. I invited all the crowd and had everything arranged. As you can guess, it RAINED! Well, I say rained, not hardly that at all. It sprinkled and drizzled off and on all the time until we could not go. Of course, everyone was disappointed. If you try and don’t succeed, keep on trying until you do succeed. And so I did!
Yesterday afternoon I went back and had everything fixed and by the time I reached home, a dark cloud was rising. I knew it was not, for it just couldn’t be so angrily looking. But, in a few minutes the down pour came again. It didn’t rain long, but very hard while it lasted. The sun came out bright and the sky was pretty and clear. We finally persuaded mama to take us. Although it was very muddy, there was a large crowd. We played out on the lawn and a few games in the house. Roy McCoy had an accident by falling into one of Mrs. Mears lamps. It was a glass lamp and smashed the minute it hit the floor. Fortunately, there was no explosion as the lamp contained only a few drops of oil.
In playing Snap, I think someone got a few kisses. I might mention the names but you might question me further! It is never good to tell tales out of school! Everyone stayed until 11:00 and seemed to have an exciting time.
Bessie and Mary were fortunate enough to get some company on the way back. Willie and I were not , as we had mama as a chaperone.
I finished Laddie today! I forgot to mention anything about the party last Friday night. Bessie Dial gave me a party at her house. It was more of a hen party than anything else, as there were only 5 boys present. Games were played and refreshments were served. Everyone almost returned with a pardner.
About half of Menard is in Fredericksburg today attending court. I guess this will have to do for awhile so I will stop until some more news happens.

April, 1915
Well, I’ve been neglecting this dear old book for a long time. I’ve been so busy studying, as you well know. I have not had time to write. We had to write our sanitation theme and hand it in and then Miss Avery criticized them and handed them back for us to write over again. Mine was eight pages long and I had to stay home one beautiful sunshining afternoon and copy all of mine. The Sunday before that, all of us girls walked around all afternoon. We went over to the depot and saw the train leave. However, we got there before train time. We rode on the baggage wagon for about half an hour, and played. Wee, we did everything we could think of to have fun. After the train had gone, we all went home, not feeling quite so good. We knew our day of fun and frolic was over and the next day was Monday, the ever dreaded school day by so many children.
The morning soon arrived, and after the day was passed, we got along fairly well with the rest of the week. That brings me up closer to this date.
We had a party last Friday night at Mr. Shelley’s. The Animal Game was played and Smith Pyatt won the prize. Refreshments were served and a number of games were played out on the cool grassy lawn. The regular bunch attended the party, but you may not believe that we had a hard time getting there. Poor Willie did not get to come after all. Her mama was feeling poorly and that made it still harder for her. We all had a fine time and returned home wishing they came just twice so often.
We were really surprised about 2 weeks ago when Mr. Armstrong came to see us. He is one of our dear old friends who lived in Ballinger when we lived there. He surely did make you want to go back and get one more glimpse of the old town. Last Sunday I was not feeling very well, and after SS I started home. I read and finished The Squaw Man all the afternoon. It was real interesting.
One more week has passed and here it is Sunday again. It has rained all the week. At night when we would go to bed it would look clear, but it would not be long until we would be disturbed from slumbering dreams by the thundering and the forked streaks of lightning. This was followed by large drops of rain just pouring down.
Yesterday, Saturday the 24th, Aunt Mag, or rather Mrs. Dawson surprised us all by marrying Mr. Tom McCoy. Willie and I went up to Bessie Dial’s in the evening. Yesterday morning we all got up at 5:30 and went to the depot to see the 150 Booster and 10 cars. They had not gotten dressed and we had to wait for awhile. When they did get ready, the band played “It’s a Long Way to Tippiarry”, but instead, we used the words:
“It’s a short road to Dallas, it’s a short road to come!
So come on to Dallas, and trade with folks from home!
It’s a short road to Dallas and the mammoth Texas Fair!”
They distributed a number of little trinkets like they have at the fair. I got several little things and this pencil I’m writing with. We enjoyed ourselves very much!
When we reached home we were very hungry. Especially since we had walked there and back and it was so early.
In the afternoon, Willie and I tried to get some baby doll slippers, but it was impossible.
Saturday night
It rained another hard rain Saturday night. We haven’t done anything today but watch the river. It has been rising all day but falling some now. It doesn’t matter if the San Saba River is noted for the crystal clear water. When it gets up, the turbulent tide looks very angry.
I intended to finish reading the Wide Wide World today, but for this reason I did not. I received a letter from Mrs. Parker.

May 17, 1915
All of the excitement and the worrying of Professor Brain is now over. Grace was exempt in everything. I was exempt in History, English and Arithmetic. I had to take exams in Latin and Algebra, though. All my exams are over and I am promoted. All of us were promoted for that matter. We had the Commencement Exercises that started Wednesday night and last through Friday night.
Our Cantata was Monday Night. Almost all of the children in school were in it. They acted their parts well. Here is the program that was given Thursday night:
Melody of Love Duet – Hallie and Ruth Hartgraves
Play: “The Schoolmistress”
Patrons of the school: Squire Snyder, Viola Nigh, Mr. Fosdick, Mrs. Clary, Mr. Saunders, Hallie Hartgraves Grace Dodd, and Mae Davis.
Pupils of the school: Jonas Snyder, Bill Fosdick, Patrick O’Clary, Jake Saunders, Ollie Frazier, Bernice Rourke, Eveline Fenley, Fay Rudolph, Emmie Lychenbauch, Marie Lee Callan, Richard Randolph, Douglas Randolph, Sammy Joe Walker, Alvin Wahrmund, and others.
Leota Waltz Duet Gwendolyne Callan and Maude Olivia Bevens
Legend of Love Sudie Oliver
Playlet – “Just Plain Dot”
Children in Expression Class
Delivery of Diplomas
Program for Friday Night Parts One and Two PART I
Lustsphiel Overture Duet Bessie Dial and Gladys Thurman
Her First Recital Mabel Mears
Gazelle and Swan Willie Fenley
On the Meadow Lyles Patton
Unexpected Guests Velma Ellis
Daisy Music Practice Hour Evelyn Fenley
Sad Effects of Good Intentions Olivia B.
Dance the Winds Melvin Strickland
Little Friend in the Mirror Nellie Roeck
When Morning Breaks Mildred Fenley
Spring Song Hallie Hartgraves
DECISION OF THE JUDGES
Little Corporal Duet Louise and Emmie
The Standard Bearer March Mable M
Where the Lilies Bloom John Oliver
Our Boys March Bessie Dial
Rosy Fingers Gladys Thurman

Awarding of Declamation Medal
Awarding of other Medals and Banner

The children that won the medals were as follows: Evelyn Fenley Declamation
Bess Nigh Effiency
Grace Dodd Arithmetic
Willie Fenley Sanitation
Winnie Crowell Care of Eyes
Clarance Dodd Domestic Science

I know you’re surprised to see my name appear on this list, but no more surprised that I was to receive the medal. It was the last one given out. It a pretty star shaped award. 

May 26th, MOVED

May 29th, 1915
School has been out 2 weeks. I finished reading The Wide, Wide World. I have read The Little Rebel of the School and The Heart of Gold. I am now reading Palace Beautiful. Monday we got a letter from Mrs. Parker. Wednesday we moved from the house where we’ve been living so long. We moved into the Keiltnner House. We like our new home very much. Went to the picture show Tuesday Night. Willie, Lizzie and Mrs. Fenley and all of them came up the other night. We talked until bedtime. Granny and Evelyn are trying to get off to Tennessee by the 6th of June. Mrs, Hartgraves, Ruth and Hallie are trying to get off all that time to see their grandma. Grandma and I are trying to get off too, if I get to go, which I think I shall. Grandma has to finish her a waist and wash and iron. I have to get some of my clothes together. I have not had a chance to ask Papa if I could go yet, but surely I hope he will not refuse.
Grandpa came up from the ranch Thursday. He is going to leave today. We got a letter from Grandma Brooks yesterday.
Evelyn and Willie have their engraved medals back. Grace carried her medal to Schaefer and Grandstaffe Tuesday to have it sent off.
Papa has left the Menard Hardware Company and he and Loyce Callan have opened up a tin shop of their own in the old Otto Vanderstucken building.
Last Sunday, Annie Mae and I went upon the hill and gathered berries for the first time this year. They’re just beginning to ripen.
Grace has had her diploma framed and I had a large picture of the two horses and girl framed.
All of the teachers have their places back in school next year. I hope they will all accept them. Mr. Litsey has applied for the school at Mason. He will know in 2 weeks which position he will take.
I had another great surprise when I got a letter stating that my drawing of the National Oats girl had been selected among 2,500 other sketches as one of the best. They enclosed a one dollar bill.
I have been crocheting some today. I almost finished a yoke.

June 5, 1915
While the sun is slowly setting in the west, shining in s golden lacework through the trees upon the hill, my mind becomes clear and I can think of a number of things to write in my diary.
Gladys Thurman ate dinner with me Tuesday, and stayed the rest of the afternoon. Willie and Annie have been up several times this week. We went to Ballinger twice this week, once being yesterday afternoon. Mama and Mrs. Russell went with us. Mrs. Russell lost Eloise’s underclothes and she had to go back home with just her dress on. When I got out to dress, I opened my bundle of clothes and couldn’t find my dress! I thought Willie had hidden it and I just declared that she had. I soon found out that it was nowhere to be seen. When I got home, there it was on the bed where I had left it. I had to come as far as Webbs with just my petticoat on! Willie and I went over the hill to keep from going down Main Street. When we got to Webbs, I borrowed clothes to go home with.
Thursday night we had a party at Loyse Callan’s. Annie Mae stayed all night and went with me to the party.
Mrs. Fenley would not let Willie go. We surely had a nice time! Had 2 contests and Mack Patton won both of the prizes: a fountain pen and a bouquet of flowers. We played Snap, Spin the Pan, Pin the Donkey’s Tail On, and had the contest and the guessed “distance in feet” to have a pardner to eat supper with. Henry Patton was my pardner and Eddie Lee was Annie Mae’s. After supper, we played “Cross Questions and Crooked Answers”, but of course we couldn’t go until we had played our favorite game: Snap! Everyone enjoyed themselves and regretted very much when the hour came for them to leave. When Annie Mae and I reached home, we were so sleepy that we fell asleep the minute we hit the bed. GOOD NIGHT!

The word Coleman is now written across the top of the page. It refers to Coleman, Texas.
It has been so long since my last entry that I don’t know the dates of things. Grandma left for left for Dallas several weeks ago. Annie Mae Mauldin, her mama and Aunt Mae went with her. Dawson went but he didn’t stay long.
We went to visit on the river the same day that Grandma went to Dallas. We went in Loyse Callan’s car. Mrs. Joe ___, Nell Murchison, Lucy Erghart, her brother Loyse and his wife and baby, and all of us went. We surely had a grand time. I fished a good deal but didn’t catch anything but a few perch and turtles. We had turtle stew almost every day and went in bathing 3 and 4 times a day. I tried to learn how to swim, but can’t swim like a sailor, yet. One day, Rachel Benchoff, Bessie Wearing and Sudie Oliver came out there. We went in bathing. We had a good time. I was almost turned over in the boat. We had some “Ladies Home Journals out there and we read, played, bathed and did everything imaginable.
We carried a sack of flour and a sack of meal, crackers and every thing out there. We went Sunday evening and stayed until Thursday evening. By the time we had used all of our flour and almost all of the meal…well almost everything. Thursday night we went for a long boat ride and the next morning we went home.
Mrs. Russell is away and we deliver milk for them. We have old Pat to ride every morning and every evening and any other time we want her. Waldo let me ride his wheel until he left and he decided to carry it with him.
Since I came back off of the river I started Ancient History. We’re going to finish the book and not have to take it when school starts up because we will have 2 other histories.
Willie, Lizzie, Hattie, Louise and Sudie and I are taking it easy. I have read several books since school was out: Hilda of the Hippodrome, Ethlyn’s Mistake, The Little Rebel of the School, Palace Beautiful, and finished reading The Wide, Wide World. I may have read some more, but don’t remember much more just now.
We had a party at Mrs. Dr. Weaver’s last Thursday night. I had to spend the night with Willie to be able to go. Sudie, Willie and I went over to Schaefer’s and got some Coca Cola and we stayed awake all night long. There were 4 Brady girls over here visiting. We invited them and they seemed to have a good time, but some of the girls were left out as they beat their times. John Oliver, Lulla Gay and I went riding twice. Mrs. Fenley, Willie Cannon, and Ralph Dawson brought Louise, Willie and I home. We had a very good time, what time we stayed after the party. I surely was sleepy the next day.
On Sunday, Willie, Lula, Gladys, Reah, Stella and I went to see Bessie Dial in her Ford.

Picnic Day

Menard finally decided to give herself a picnic. Everybody of course was a surprised but delighted to go. Papa and Loyce Callan had a stand and sold lemonade, hamburgers, and soda pop.
We were looking for Aunt Belle and Uncle Price on the picnic Day, but were not sure if they were coming. So mama decided to wait until after the train came in before going down to the picnic grounds.
We got Grandpa Dodd to take us early that morning. We surely met lots of strange people. Every night they had the picnic and of course there was not a band of any kind here. We had to order a band from Ft. Worth that cost $2.50 a night.
We had a very nice time that morning as there were stands everywhere. Leona and I went to the table to eat together when dinner time came.
Pickles….don’t say PICKLES! I never ate as many pickles in my life. The meat was fine…that just forgot the salt, that was all!
I was just half started when I looked across the table and saw Aunt Bess and Uncle Price. Everything that I was eating was dropped and Leona and I went tearing around the table to meet them. Yes! It was Aunt Belle and Uncle Price!
In my flight I left grandma’s umbrella and didn’t even think about it until late in the afternoon.
Can you believe that when I went back it was still there? Wasn’t that luck? Well, it was more than I’d had in a coon’s age! That afternoon we listened to good music and speaking. We went to the stands every five minutes to get something to drink.
They had goat roping and horse racing in the afternoon but we did not stay to see it all. We came home and went up to papa’s stand and ate hamburgers, drank lemonade and all the soda pop you could hold.

Five pages are missing in the diary. Resuming on page 67.

Aunt Belle and Uncle Price stayed something like a week or so. I had already planned to go home with them. Papa knew it, and he planned to sit right down and say I couldn’t go. So, Uncle Price asked if I could not go and he said yes.
We left for Coleman Thursday morning on the local train. I never had as much fun in my life as I did that day. The freight conductor’s wife was on the train, along with Aunt Belle, Uncle Price, and me. That was about it, truly! We stopped in Brady and the men went over to the market and got some of the best barbecue sausage that I ever ate in my life. We already had a lunch on board, so we fared very well.
The “local” surely did go SLOW! We rode until late in the afternoon until we got to Brownwood. We stayed in B.W. for about an hour and walked around. We then went to a hotel and waited for the Santa Fe. When we got on the 9:45 I learned that it was the FAST TRAIN…It didn’t take any time to get to Coleman. We soon walked down to grandmas. They had already gone to bed, but we woke them up.

July
It was so nice and cold that I fell asleep when I first hit the bed. I slept with Aunt Dodie that night. The cool breeze of Coleman greeted me with one of the loveliest COLDS which I had ever possessed. Well, Mr. Cold entertained me for the next 3 days until I couldn’t have time too enjoy myself with any one else.
The next morning was Friday. Aunt Dodie had to go to town to collect some money, so she asked me to go with her. She had a “little” shopping to do. As Baxter’s was the cheapest store in town, Aunt Dodie went there first, as “Old Maids” usually do.
We then left Baxters and went to the racket store as I had promised to get Grace and Ruby a doll. I found some in good shape and purchased them. The nice man wrapped them up and we walked out.
Our next stop was to Newsome’s where Aunt Bess and Uncle Gene met me. Uncle Gene met me with one off those smiles from ear to ear and a “Howdy-de-do Where Did You Come From?”
Aunt Bess had a customer just at that time but she gave me a glance of her face all the same. It seemed to say “Well you Tacky Thing! How did you get here?” In the next instance she was around there hugging my neck and kissing me on my lips until that first expression had really disappeared.
Uncle Gene asked if we wanted to go to Aunt Hannah’s and we said yes. But in just an instance I noticed some white rubber sole slippers (baby doll style) in the showcase window. There surely was some class to them, too! So, I told Uncle Gene that I wanted to see some of them before we left. He whisked me over to the bench where you try shoes on and got out a number 3. Ha!! My big toe just happened to go in those pretty slippers. He drew out my old favorite 4’s and they just fit to a “T”. I went running and put them into Uncle Gene’s buggy. We all piled in and I do mean ALL: Aunt Dodie, Uncle Gene and I with Old George pulling us up to Aunt Hannah’s house.
The place had been much improved that I hardly knew it. The paint had been changed from a sky blue to a dark grape-green. The fence had been cleared away. I asked Uncle Gene what it was all about and he said, “Ah Country! Don’t you know that fences aren’t style anymore? Style, STYLE, STYLE thought I to myself, but didn’t have time to notice anything else until I had seen everyone from the largest to the smallest!
The first ting I saw when I first ran in the house was Aunt Hannah (like an elephant, bending over the ironing board ironing away. Then there stood big eyes Dot with a dish rag in her hands, wringing it and looking at me and not saying a word. Well, I thought to myself, “I’LL not speak either!” After the excitement of my first appearance had begun to pass away, Aunt Hannah shouted, “Well if there ain’t Clarance!” So you see the excitement was over and the kissing and hugging started again. Wouldn’t you have liked to be there with your Eastman, and got one??
Dot wanted me to stay all day with her but Aunt Dodie said “No” and that I must return to grandmas for the first day. Oh Gee! That old cold began to buzz around in my lungs until I was wheezing like a half chocked rooster!
The next thing I knew was that I was lying around like I was sleepy, as I hated to complain and thought I would get better soon. Alas, I was pouring cough medicine down with throat lozenges part of the time and down my wind pipe for the other. Oh gee I felt bad!
Later that afternoon, Aunt Belle aroused me enough to go up to Dena’s house. Yes, I finally saw her. She surely was good looking, too. Aunt Dodie had already told me that she was “nothing but a paint and powder box” but I soon saw that she was naturally attractive. She showed me the Coleman Annuals and Wallace’s Abilene Annual and tried to entertain me the best she could, but I know she had a hard time of it. I felt so badly that I was real grouchy!
The next day I felt some better. Dot came down for me and we went to the Dixie. I met a bunch of girls our “size” that were taller than all the girls put together in Menard. I had a good time, went home and stayed all night with her.
Still better though, we had 2 boy visitors. One was named Clyde and the other named Harrison.
Aunt Hannah had made some ice cream. No, not ice cream, but “sherbert.” Dot made some wafers. The boys brought a large watermelon. We ate to our hearty content, danced, played, talked, sang, and enjoyed ourselves any way we could. My, my! Those boys were so LARGE! They looked like Men next to the little old short-legged boys from Menard! We had a nice time and went to bed and slept the rests of the night after they left.
The next day was Sunday, and aunt Dodie, of course, wanted me to go to SS with her. They had Sunday School out under a tabernacle, because they had the old church torn down to build a new one. I met lots of people that I had known when I lived in Coleman before. At SS I saw Mrs. Pearson and Mrs. Crawford, my first school teacher.
After church was over we went home and I had company. Addie Prince was there and she stayed all day. Just about dinner time, Ray sent down a bucket of his nice cream. We ate that. Grandma had fried chicken and we had a wonderful meal. Aunt Dodie ate so many pieces of tomatoes that I decided that I would see if I couldn’t see if I could keep up with her. She would fork over a piece and then I would fork over a piece. I sure had a hard time trying to keep up with her, but got there just the same…
I surely was miserable after dinner was over and especially to start on a big ice cream freezer full! We started and I certainly ate me share. I had four saucers, then 2 more. Came back from church and had 2 more. I never ate so much ice cream in all my days. I thought if anyone could pop than I would that very night! Addie Prince had to go home that afternoon since her mother came after her.
We all sat up and talked awhile and then fought with the remaining ice cream for the rest of the night!
I’m out at Addies for the next day.

Alicia's NOTES:

1. The Mr. Litsey mentioned in this diary was L. T.? Litsey

2. The entry about a killing Clarance made on September 11, 1914, was a reference to the altercation between Sheriff Frank Hamby and County Attorney, Fred King.....which ended in King's death. Read more about this here.

NOTE:  While I strive for accuracy in all transcriptions, please be advised that typing errors may be present.  I would suggest you always verify my online information with a copy of the actual record.

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Saturday, November 22, 2008 4:36 PM

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