October 28
Laura M., age 15, North Carolina
October 28, 1997
Zach got mad at me 4 giving Tim lunch $ yesterday. But he got over it. He’s so jealous. Found out Cara broke up with Chris. Went 2 Juice Shop after school with Zach, Justin and Ashley. Mom came at 3:00. Had dentist at 3:45. Tom was there! Funny. Came home and did homework. Talked 2 Brittany. Talked 2 Karen. Had guitar lesson. Dinner.
Anna L., age 75, Illinois
October 28, 1960
Raked so much in back yard. Did some cleaning in hall and other parts of house no end to anything. Took papers over to Carrie. Mrs. B. over. She is going with Mertie later today.
Marcy S., age 14, Tennessee
October 28, 1938
Up about 8:30. Cool. Practiced. After breakfast I did some cleaning. Elma ’phoned. Then I went up to Helen’s and we sat on Marney’s lower stone wall and talked a little. When she left I went home and sat on the porch and read. About 12:00 we ate dinner. Daddy not there. After dinner while Mother dressed I washed the dishes after going outside a while. George and Allan and their parents went for a drive and Helen went to a birthday party. About 3:00 Mother and I drove to town. M. left me at the library while she went on to other places. I took back the “Witness” and got “Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come” by John Fox Jr. When I got home I read and sewed. About 5:00 M. got home. Allan came down to tell Dady (who wasn’t home) about a bad fire at Oakdale. Mother called Miss Staples (D.’s stenographer). After sewing awhile we ate supper. We then went over to Mrs. McClure’s and she helped me about a button hole. Then I went over to Johnstone’s and got the black paper to cut out Halloween things for Mon. night’s party. Got ready for bed. Left the dishes. From 8:30 till 9:00 I listened to Death Valley. [In upper margin: “Gertrude and Mrs. Dye ’phoned.”]
Henry S., age 26, Michigan
October 28, 1887
Worked up some wood this morning and drew it up to the house. Made some steps to the cellar and threw a lot of dirt on its roof. Taught my classes at the College this afternoon. It rained some this evening when I was coming home. I am becoming dissatisfied with my place here and want to go out somewhere else in the world. I wish I could sell the farm and go to some Penman’s school.
*(R. Henry Scadin Collection, D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNC Asheville)
Abbie B., age 22, Kansas
October 28, 1871
Quite forgot my journal yesterday. Baked and sewed. Philip shot a young turkey. Had a fry for breakfast, pot pie for dinner, and enough for dinner tomorrow.
*(kansasmemory.org, Kansas State Historical Society, copy and reuse restrictions apply
Cornelia H., age 26, North Carolina
October 28, 1862
Sewed some on one shirt today. Fannie & Jinnie at work at the wool. Mr. Henry staid at the mill nearly all day. Much warmer today than yesterday, the snow will nearly all melt today except on the North hill sides. My little ones are barefooted this cold weather. Pinck has boots but has a sore toe & can’t wear them. His toe looks very bad. Willie has some old shoes for he has worn shoes all summer but little Zona is perfectly barefooted. We have some nice goat skins to make them shoes but don’t know when I can get them made as old Presley is making for the negroes. Peter went to the machine today after the soles. He tells us that Sister Jane stays in Asheville tonight & will leave in the morning for Ten. I think she might have given us a call. Mr. Henry has been out all day riding. Steph. Jones starts Thursday to sell Mr. Henry’s hogs for him or buy corn to feed on.
*(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
October 28, 1667
Up, and by water to White Hall (calling at Michell’s and drank a dram of strong water, but it being early I did not see his wife), and thence walked to Sir W. Coventry’s lodging, but he was gone out, and so going towards St. James’s I find him at his house which is fitting for him; and there I to him, and was with him above an hour alone, discoursing of the matters of the nation, and our Office, and himself. He owns that he is, at this day, the chief person aymed at by the Parliament — that is, by the friends of my Lord Chancellor, and also by the Duke of Albemarle, by reason of his unhappy shewing of the Duke of Albemarle’s letter, the other day, in the House; but that he thinks that he is not liable to any hurt they can fasten on him for anything, he is so well armed to justify himself in every thing, unless in the old business of selling places, when he says every body did; and he will now not be forward to tell his own story, as he hath been; but tells me he is grown wiser, and will put them to prove any thing, and he will defend himself: besides that, he will dispute the statute, thinking that it will not be found to reach him. We did talk many things, which, as they come into my mind now, I shall set down without order: that he is weary of public employment; and neither ever designed, nor will ever, if his commission were brought to him wrapt in gold, would he accept of any single place in the State, as particularly Secretary of State; which, he says, the world discourses Morrice is willing to resign, and he thinks the King might have thought of him, but he would not, by any means, now take it, if given him, nor anything, but in commission with others, who may bear part of the blame; for now he observes well, that whoever did do anything singly are now in danger, however honest and painful they were, saying that he himself was the only man, he thinks, at the council-board that spoke his mind clearly, as he thought, to the good of the King; and the rest, who sat silent, have nothing said to them, nor are taken notice of. That the first time the King did take him so closely into his confidence and ministry of affairs was upon the business of Chatham, when all the disturbances were there, and in the kingdom; and then, while everybody was fancying for himself, the King did find him to persuade him to call for the Parliament, declaring that it was against his own proper interest, forasmuch as [it was] likely they would find faults with him, as well as with others, but that he would prefer the service of the King before his own: and, thereupon, the King did take him into his special notice, and, from that time to this, hath received him so; and that then he did see the folly and mistakes of the Chancellor in the management of things, and saw that matters were never likely to be done well in that sort of conduct, and did persuade the King to think fit of the taking away the seals from the Chancellor, which, when it was done, he told me that he himself, in his own particular, was sorry for it; for, while he stood, there was he and my Lord Arlington to stand between him and harm: whereas now there is only my Lord Arlington, and he is now down, so that all their fury is placed upon him but that he did tell the King, when he first moved it, that, if he thought the laying of him, W. Coventry, aside, would at all facilitate the removing of the Chancellor, he would most willingly submit to it, whereupon the King did command him to try the Duke of York about it, and persuade him to it, which he did, by the King’s command, undertake, and compass, and the Duke of York did own his consent to the King, but afterwards was brought to be of another mind for the Chancellor, and now is displeased with him, and [so is] the Duchesse, so that she will not see him; but he tells me the Duke of York seems pretty kind, and hath said that he do believe that W. Coventry did mean well, and do it only out of judgment. He tells me that he never was an intriguer in his life, nor will be, nor of any combination of persons to set up this, or fling down that, nor hath, in his own business, this Parliament, spoke to three members to say any thing for him, but will stand upon his own defence, and will stay by it, and thinks that he is armed against all they can [say], but the old business of selling places, and in that thinks they cannot hurt him. However, I do find him mighty willing to have his name used as little as he can, and he was glad when I did deliver him up a letter of his to me, which did give countenance to the discharging of men by ticket at Chatham, which is now coming in question; and wherein, I confess, I am sorry to find him so tender of appearing, it being a thing not only good and fit, all that was done in it, but promoted and advised by him. But he thinks the House is set upon wresting anything to his prejudice that they can pick up. He tells me he did never, as a great many have, call the Chancellor rogue and knave, and I know not what; but all that he hath said, and will stand by, is, that his counsels were not good, nor the manner of his managing of things. I suppose he means suffering the King to run in debt; for by and by the King walking in the parke, with a great crowd of his idle people about him, I took occasion to say that it was a sorry thing to be a poor King, and to have others to come to correct the faults of his own servants, and that this was it that brought us all into this condition. He answered that he would never be a poor King, and then the other would mend of itself. “No,” says he, “I would eat bread and drink water first, and this day discharge all the idle company about me, and walk only with two footmen; and this I have told the King, and this must do it at last.” I asked him how long the King would suffer this. He told me the King must suffer it yet longer, that he would not advise the King to do otherwise; for it would break out again worse, if he should break them up before the core be come up.
*(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.)