June 19
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
June 19, 1997
Up at 9:00. Ate french toast for breakfast. Went to the beach and boogy-boarded myself to death! Fun! Came home and showered. Ate lunch. Took a quick nap. Went into town to see shops, and eat ice cream. Came home and ate spaghetti dinner, and salad. Went on a walk on the beach at 9:00. Talked to Katy.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
June 19, 1960
Picked Carrie up as usual. She stayed to church. We to the cemetery — home to do various things. Lo mowed back yard before church, and the front in P.M. After taking Carrie home went to cabin and cleaned the porch. Lo washed screens wainskoting [sic] and tile and waxed tile. Really looks fine. I turned hose on rug and chairs and wiped chairs dry. Worked until after [?]. Brot lots of things for Lo to wash.
Marcy S., age 19, Missouri
June 19, 1944
Another hot day. To work at 8:30. Mr. Harris calls me “Miss Pattie.” He gave me last week’s check for $9. I thought I’d have to buy a lot of new clothes for the summer but I found I had oodles. I read in the afternoon and ran around to Tarwater’s a couple of times about a key. Mr. H. let me off about 4:45. I could have left at 4 but misunderstood. Went to Dr. Adcock’s and joined waiting-room full of people. Old “Sour Puss” Sadler was there and he was actually pleasant! I read awhile and then just sat. It was hot and getting late. Mrs. Harmon came in and we talked. Elma stays at Oak Ridge during the week. Arthur is in Italy. A Mrs. Stanifer was there and she talked a blue streak. About 7:45 the Dr. took me. I have 3 cavities and 2 wisdom teeth that will either have to be filled or pulled. And I can’t have an appointment till Aug 5! He’s full up, the poor man! I staggered home about 8 and met Pop on the hill. Mum was sitting outside. Had supper and then washed my hair, took a bath and sat out on the porch in my gown. Washed dishes and to bed.
Aloys F., age 16, County Cork, Ireland
June 19, 1926
Got up at 7, made my own breakfast, and was in school at 8.30. The handball tournament, however, I found was continued without me as I was not there last evening. Waited for History class, then dashed home, put on my white trousers and new jacket, and was up at Honan Home for 11. The car, a fine new Ford sedan came after, and Mrs. Sullivan, Fr. Gay Redmond, Betty and myself were off. A glorious sunny day, and we had a beautiful ride, passing by the round tower of Cloyne, still in wonderful condition. At 1 reached Ballycotton. The place is far more beautiful than I expected, as there are fine cliffs, strands and a jagged rock coast with two islands outside. Leaving car, we walked to Ballytrasna, and had a good swim there, though it was rough. After a fine lunch we had games of catchers and after another swim, more enjoyable than the first, we had tea at the hotel, and left for Cork. Stayed at Honan Home for supper (my 4th meal!) and then Fr. Gay played Chopin’s Ballade II, a waltz by Beethoven and some Liszt. It was very charming because I know them all, hearing Mám play them of old. Then he and Mrs. Sullivan went through a whole book of Gilbert & Sullivan, while Betty and I played chess. It was a really enjoyable day.
*(Original Archive Copyright © Estate of Aloys Fleischmann. The Fleischmann Diaries Online Archive by Róisín O’Brien is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Used with permission.)
Henry S., age 25, Michigan
June 19, 1887
I arose at 5:30 this morning and did the chores and picked strawberries enough for breakfast. We didn’t, any of us, get to church today. We all went over to Neill’s this afternoon, and Fred, Dor, and I took a ride out into the town of Homestead. We hitched little Jimmie up beside of Fred’s big Frank horse, and our team looked comical enough. It has been a nice pleasant day. Dor has been packing up this evening as we have to start very early in the morning so he can take the boat at Frankfort.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Cornelia H., age 25, North Carolina
June 19, 1862
I took some pills last night, my head not well yet. I cut two linen shirt bosoms this morning but did but little at them. Fannie has set in to work for her board. She could not work for her food and clothes at first and now she works for her food alone, is to spin five yds. a week and wash one day. She is picking wool now and will be nearly all the week. Rose is helping but she is so trifling I can’t get anything out of her. Oh! ’Tis so sad to think we are subjugated, help us Oh! Lord to bear Thy chasting rod.
*(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 34, London
June 19, 1667
Up, and to the office, where all the morning busy with Fist again, beginning early to overtake my business in my letters, which for a post or two have by the late and present troubles been interrupted. At noon comes Sir W. Batten and [Sir] W. Pen, and we to [Sir] W. Pen’s house, and there discoursed of business an hour, and by and by comes an order from Sir R. Browne, commanding me this afternoon to attend the Council-board, with all my books and papers touching the Medway. I was ready [to fear] some mischief to myself, though it appears most reasonable that it is to inform them about Commissioner Pett. I eat a little bit in haste at Sir W. Batten’s, without much comfort, being fearful, though I shew it not, and to my office and get up some papers, and found out the most material letters and orders in our books, and so took coach and to the Council-chamber lobby, where I met Mr. Evelyn, who do miserably decry our follies that bring all this misery upon us. While we were discoursing over our publique misfortunes, I am called in to a large Committee of the Council: present the Duke of Albemarle, Anglesey, Arlington, Ashly, Carteret, Duncomb, Coventry, Ingram, Clifford, Lauderdale, Morrice, Manchester, Craven, Carlisle, Bridgewater. And after Sir W. Coventry’s telling them what orders His Royal Highness had made for the safety of the Medway, I told them to their full content what we had done, and showed them our letters. Then was Peter Pett called in, with the Lieutenant of the Tower. He is in his old clothes, and looked most sillily. His charge was chiefly the not carrying up of the great ships, and the using of the boats in carrying away his goods; to which he answered very sillily, though his faults to me seem only great omissions. Lord Arlington and Coventry very severe against him; the former saying that, if he was not guilty, the world would think them all guilty. The latter urged, that there must be some faults, and that the Admiral must be found to have done his part. I did say an unhappy word, which I was sorry for, when he complained of want of oares for the boats: and there was, it seems, enough, and good enough, to carry away all the boats with from the King’s occasions. He said he used never a boat till they were all gone but one; and that was to carry away things of great value, and these were his models of ships; which, when the Council, some of them, had said they wished that the Dutch had had them instead of the King’s ships, he answered, he did believe the Dutch would have made more advantage of the models than of the ships, and that the King had had greater loss thereby; this they all laughed at. After having heard him for an hour or more, they bid him withdraw. I all this while showing him no respect, but rather against him, for which God forgive me! for I mean no hurt to him, but only find that these Lords are upon their own purgation, and it is necessary I should be so in behalf of the office. He being gone, they caused Sir Richard Browne to read over his minutes; and then my Lord Arlington moved that they might be put into my hands to put into form, I being more acquainted with such business; and they were so. So I away back with my books and papers; and when I got into the Court it was pretty to see how people gazed upon me, that I thought myself obliged to salute people and to smile, lest they should think I was a prisoner too; but afterwards I found that most did take me to be there to bear evidence against P. Pett; but my fear was such, at my going in, of the success of the day, that at my going in I did think fit to give T. Hater, whom I took with me, to wait the event, my closet-key and directions where to find 500l. and more in silver and gold, and my tallys, to remove, in case of any misfortune to me. Thence to Sir G. Carteret’s to take my leave of my Lady Jem, who is going into the country tomorrow; but she being now at prayers with my Lady and family, and hearing here by Yorke, the carrier, that my wife is coming to towne, I did make haste home to see her, that she might not find me abroad, it being the first minute I have been abroad since yesterday was se’ennight. It is pretty to see how strange it is to be abroad to see people, as it used to be after a month or two’s absence, and I have brought myself so to it, that I have no great mind to be abroad, which I could not have believed of myself. I got home, and after being there a little, she come, and two of her fellow-travellers with her, with whom we drunk: a couple of merchant-like men, I think, but have friends in our country. They being gone, I and my wife to talk, who did give me so bad an account of her and my father’s method in burying of our gold, that made me mad: and she herself is not pleased with it, she believing that my sister knows of it. My father and she did it on Sunday, when they were gone to church, in open daylight, in the midst of the garden; where, for aught they knew, many eyes might see them: which put me into such trouble, that I was almost mad about it, and presently cast about, how to have it back again to secure it here, the times being a little better now; at least at White Hall they seem as if they were, but one way or other I am resolved to free them from the place if I can get them. Such was my trouble at this, that I fell out with my wife, that though new come to towne, I did not sup with her, nor speak to her tonight, but to bed and sleep.
*(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.)