February 29
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
February 29, 1960
Did a big wash. Brot Lo’s jeans and parky in frozen stiff — dried them for nite work. Carrie called in P.M. Cold worse not planning on Service Class so couldn’t get her check to Lo. After shopping went down with bread, coffee, lemons, money, etc. Had to park at Wood Residence. Didn’t stay long, home to watch Perry and Bing on Bing’s show. Took clothes down some frozen.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
February 29, 1944
Bright and cold. Mr. Carson is poppa again - another girl! Good lunch. Sat at Mary Jo’s table. Practiced from 2-3:30. Signed letters Miss Good Smith wrote about advising conference. At 3:45 had facial at Ledo. Thelma sick so another operator did the job - and a more energetic woman I never had dealings with! She practically massaged me away!! Powdered me and everything! Bought ice cream cup at Cupboard. Card from mum. Studied Eng. Lit. at 5. Betty came back from visiting a Leg. meeting and we had another long discussion about how they waste time on trivialities and are afraid to speak their minds! Disgraceful!! Betty broke down and consented to go to show tonight. Good dinner with Mary Jo and Jane again. At 7 we went down to Missouri and saw Tallulah Bankhead in “Lifeboat.” Wonderful! “Jane Eyre” is coming Sunday! Back about 9:30 and studied more for test. Bed late.
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
February 29, 1888
It has been a sunny pleasant day, thawing considerable. Fred Waters called here this morning and talked about Bookkeeping a little, he had some trouble with his studying. I did some practicing of writing this forenoon and this evening. I received a letter from ma tonight saying that Effie has a little boy, which makes me an uncle and Kate an aunt. I had another chance to sell Jimmie today, so I guess I will have a chance to dispose of some things.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
February 29, 1862
I began fixing an old calico dress today. Did not finish it. Very pleasant. Mr. Henry started the ploughs today sowing oats. Nothing new going on. I hope my dear husband will stay at home a while. Atheline & Matt are doing the cooking, dinner & supper. The mail brought no news tonight.
*(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
February 29, 1668
Up, and walked to Captain Cocke’s, where Sir G. Carteret promised to meet me and did come to discourse about the prize-business of my Lord Sandwich’s, which I perceive is likely to be of great ill consequence to my Lord, the House being mighty vehement in it. We could say little but advise that his friends should labour to get it put off, till he comes. We did here talk many things over, in lamentation of the present posture of affairs, and the ill condition of all people that have had anything to do under the King, wishing ourselves a great way off: Here they tell me how Sir Thomas Allen hath taken the Englishmen out of “La Roche,” and taken from him an Ostend prize which La Roche had fetched out of our harbours; and at this day La Roche keeps upon our coasts; and had the boldness to land some men and go a mile up into the country, and there took some goods belonging to this prize out of a house there; which our King resents, and, they say, hath wrote to the King of France about; and everybody do think a war will follow; and then in what a case we shall be for want of money, nobody knows. Thence to the office, where we sat all the morning, and at noon home to dinner, and to the office again in the afternoon, where we met to consider of an answer to the Parliament about the not paying of tickets according to our own orders, to which I hope we shall be able to give a satisfactory answer, but that the design of the House being apparently to remove us, I do question whether the best answer will prevail with them. This done I by coach with my wife to Martin, my bookseller’s, expecting to have had my Kercher’s Musurgia, but to my trouble and loss of trouble it was not done. So home again, my head full of thoughts about our troubles in the office, and so to the office. Wrote to my father this post, and sent him now Colvill’s —[The Goldsmith.]— note for 600l. for my sister’s portion, being glad that I shall, I hope, have that business over before I am out of place, and I trust I shall be able to save a little of what I have got, and so shall not be troubled to be at ease; for I am weary of this life. So ends this month, with a great deal of care and trouble in my head about the answerings of the Parliament, and particularly in our payment of seamen by tickets.
*(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.)