August 25
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
August 25, 1997
Saw Chris after 1st period and he said he got busted with weed. Saw him 6th period and he was high. He’s so stupid! Went 2 Ms. Dunn’s class. Pointless for me 2 go 2 Chemistry. It was fun. Chris, me and Renee went home with Ashley. Sean gave us a ride. Kathy picked me up ’cause Mom’s working late. Had dinner, watched story, did homework. Talked some with Karen. I should have my new schedule tomorrow. Dear God…
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
August 25, 1960
Did more washing and cleaning up stairs. Feel some better so must keep after things until I get straightened out.
Marcy S., age 20, Tennessee
August 25, 1944
Very cool in morn. Up at 6:30 to iron. Didn’t wake Mum. Got breakfast and accomplished quite a lot. Sun beautiful coming up behind the Waterhouses’ green trees. Nearly froze all morn. Cool breeze. No papers but helped Mr. H. figure up rate payments. Read So Little Time and felt sad. Good dinner. Spent a good part of the afternoon on those darn payments. Finally got them correct and I copied all the figures. Clouds disappeared and it was all blue and beautiful out my window. Felt good in afternoon. As we were leaving I broke the news to Mr. H. that I might be leaving next week. He said, “You mean permanently?” He expressed regrets and said he’d see that I got the extra money for those depositions. Went to library to renew book. Warmer and nice. To P.O. to find letter for Mum from Mary Jane and one from Helen telling me how to get the right bus Sunday morn. But, of course, her daddy will tell her of the change in plans. On home to find Mum just returned from a shopping spree at the new super-market — the White Store has opened. She got lots of things. Ironed some clothes and then took a bath. Dressed and left about 7:40. Pop got home just as I was departing. Kimmie and Pan were dressing so I sat on porch and talked to Mrs. Young. Betsy came and looked so pretty. She and Pan left and finally Kimmie appeared, having taken the better part of 2 hours to get ready! Her mother cannot fathom it. We caught up with P. and B. and walked over to McCluens’. Marcia greeted us and Merlene Hickman was there. We sat around and talked. Pan and Betsy kidded me about hearing me way up at the tennis court, singing at my house!! Early in the morn, at that! Ella was due but we decided not to wait since it was getting late. Went out in the back yard — nice view of railroad, highway, mountains and river. We served ourselves to spaghetti, sauce, crackers, pickles and iced tea. Yummy!! Ella arrived soon, looking very pretty and Mrs. Thelma McCluen joined us. Betsy and Pan were in hysterics most of the time. The moon shone brighter through the trees above as it got darker. Seemed so fallish and lovely. Topped off with watermelon. It was dark and quite cool by then so we went in and up to bathroom to rinse our hands. We all weighed and I hate to admit it but the scales revealed my poundage to be 140!! Of course, that included 3 helpings of spaghetti and accessories and a goodly slice of watermelon, so I took heart. Then we all went down to the living room and Betsy played boogly-woogly. Pan and I tried to do a rhumba to the music but it didn’t work so hot. Then she and Merlene jitterbugged. Mrs. McCluen suggested a card game — Liverpool Rummy. So we all gathered around a card table and went to it. I caught on after the first game — which is quick for me. It was fun but just about every time I was ready to lay down Ella and someone near me would go out and I’d be left with a score up in the 80s or 90s. Jimmie Giles, soldier, came during the first game and Merlene left. I had the highest score — which is bad — when we finished. Played another game. The telephone rang and it was Mum — and the time was after 11!! My goodness, I never guessed it was that late. The other Mrs. McCluen told Mum they’d drive us all home. I remarked that she was probably standing on her left ear and everyone thought it was a great joke. So we finished that round and if I remember correctly, I came in last again, having had a repetition of the foul luck of the first game!! We all wrote down our addresses for Marcia and then piled into the car. Fun driving home. It was unpleasantly cool. Mrs. Thelma drove me home first and I said ’bye to Marcia, glad we’d met, sorry she was leaving, etc. and she promised to write. Must have been around midnight. All quiet at 722 Cumberland and I was in bed in a jiff. Stars all out — beautiful night. Wonder if Ashley is still here.
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
August 25, 1887
Practiced penmanship again this forenoon until 9 o’clock and then drew wood until noon. It was cold this morning, only 39o above. I was afraid we were going to have a frost. Worked upstairs a little this afternoon. Went out to Fred Neill’s farm with him and helped him get a load of peas. Kate is engaged in making crab apple jelly tonight.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
August 25, 1862
Jinnie & I began to scour the house. Cleaned all down stairs, very nice. The mail brought no news. A good many letters went on this evening. Willie seems a little better. How I wish he was well. He is very cross. Jim’s mother & sister came here Saturday morning, will leave tomorrow. Sam & the other men putting up the dry house. Tena put in the cloth for Jim’s & the other’s pants at Mrs. Fanning’s. Only 12 yds. She will get it out this week.
*(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 35, London
August 25, 1668
Up, and by water to St. James’s, and there, with Mr. Wren, did discourse about my great letter, which the Duke of York hath given him: and he hath set it to be transcribed by Billings, his man, whom, as he tells me, he can most confide in for secresy, and is much pleased with it, and earnest to have it be; and he and I are like to be much together in the considering how to reform the Office, and that by the Duke of York’s command. Thence I, mightily pleased with this success, away to the Office, where all the morning, my head full of this business. And it is pretty how Lord Brouncker this day did tell me how he hears that a design is on foot to remove us out of the Office: and proposes that we two do agree to draw up a form of a new constitution of the Office, there to provide remedies for the evils we are now under, so that we may be beforehand with the world, which I agreed to, saying nothing of my design; and, the truth is, he is the best man of them all, and I would be glad, next myself, to save him; for, as he deserves best, so I doubt he needs his place most. So home to dinner at noon, and all the afternoon busy at the office till night, and then with my mind full of business now in my head, I 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.)