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Diary of Abigail Hackett
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March 1866
Thursday 1st. Pleasant. Went up to see Narcess. Took tea with her. Went
to Frank's. Stayed all night to John Benom's.
Friday 2nd. Went to Frank's funeral-Sermon by Elder Richardson-text was
Samuel's "there is but a step between me and death."
Saturday 3rd. This is the anniversary of our wedding day—22 years
ago I was married. It has been very pleasant. The thermometer has stood
at summer heat. I went up to Mrs. White's sale. Stayed to tea.
Sunday 4th. Cold today-froze up hard last night. Have been very lonesome
today. Read some and have hardly known what to do today.
Monday 5th. A very cold day. Mended old clothes today. Called on Mary
Creasey. Came home with a bad headache.
Tuesday 6th. Another cold day. Stayed at home and sewed.
Wednesday 7th. Very cold and blustery. Charles and Eddy went to Bennetsville
to mill. I went over to Sim's and visited with Smith Drake and wife. Lucina
had company, Mary, Fran, Libby, Erastus. Mrs. White moved.
Thursday 8th. A very cold day. Stayed indoors and patched.
Friday 9th. More moderate. Charles and I went to Smith Drake's avisiting.
Had a good time.
Saturday 10th. Pleasant. The girls done the baking and cleaning. I patched
old clothes all day. Feel quite tired.
Sunday 11th. A very stormy day. Doc. Chitendon came here and took dinner.
It has rained and snowed all day.
Monday 12th. Warm. Washed and so forth. Commenced piecing a "log cabin"
quilt. Called to Sim's a few minutes.
Tuesday 13th. Very warm. Charles started to Elmira. I went to Charlie
Brown's. Charley and Lina stayed with us all night.
Wednesday 14th. Charles and brother Elijah Howley came tonight. They
came very wet.
Thursday 15th. I went over to Thurston with Elijah. Eddy and Tallie went
along. Rained all the time. I took a very hard cold.
Friday 16th. Attalia and Elijah took the cars for Big Flats today. Eddy
and I went over to Aunt Elisa's. Pleasant.
Saturday 17th. Aunt Eliza and I went to Merchantsville to see Albert.
Sunday 18th. I stayed with Albert last night. Went to meeting today.
Heard two sermons. Went home visited Aunt Elisa again.
Monday 19th. Stayed to Aunt Elisa's last night. Started for home this
morning. Called to Uncle E's. and saw their new daughter. Got home before
dark.
Tuesday 20th. Felt most sick with my cold. Doc. Chitendon was here to
dinner.
Wednesday 21st. Warmer today. Charles and Eddy worked for ----?----.
Thursday 22nd. I washed, went up to Miles Powell's in the afternoon.
Charles and I went down to M. Jones' in the evening.
Friday 23th. Had company all day. C. Chilson and Henry Stephens came
into dinner, Narcess, Lina and Charley.
Saturday 24th. I stayed at home all day. Our folks all went to Diamond's
vendue. Charles traded horses.
Sunday 25th. A very cold day. I have been very lonesome today. I have
read everything I could find.
Monday 26th. Still colder. I finished Mrs. T's stocking today.
Tuesday 27th. A very cold morning-our pump froze up this morning. I had
to stop washing till Charles took it up, thawed and mended it. Charley
and wife and Lucina went to Bennetsville for furniture.
Wednesday 28th. Levi Creasey and wife and children was here avisiting.
Awful cold day. Lucina sent up to Powell's to learn to card.
Thursday 29th. Cold. Amos Kent visited us today.
Friday 30th. I visited Mrs. Powell today. Received a letter from Elijah
and one from Tallie. Charles and Lina stayed here.
Saturday 31st. Warmer today. Mark Jones and family was here avisiting
today. Our horse was cut in the foot.
April 1866
Sunday 1st. Cold. Lucina went to Baldens to work today. I called to Mrs.
Brown and to Sims.
Monday 2nd. I sewed on curtains for bedrooms and filled Charley's bed.
Worked out an enigma today.
Tuesday 3rd. Warm and pleasant. Matilda Brown and Lib Stone visited me-had
a good visit. Called up to M. P.'s after tea.
Wednesday 4th. Warm, summer heat. Called to Charley B's. Got two ledgers
read tonight.
Thursday 5th. Eddy and Willie and myself went up to Diamond's today.
Charley moved.
Friday 6th. Went over to Burlingame's to eat warm sugar.
Saturday 7th. Done up Saturdays work and called on Mrs. Turner. Took
dinner there. Charles went to Adrian-sold his ties.
Sunday 8th. Stayed at home and read most all day in ledgers. I most fear
that this is not hardly right.
Monday 9th. I washed today. Mrs. Frisbee called.
Tuesday 10th. Charles had help today splitting rails. Mrs. Smith was
here avisiting today.
Wednesday 11th. I went over to see Charles E. and his wife. Enjoyed myself
much. Charles took shingles to Adrian.
Thursday 12th. Scrubbed my floors, ironed, baked pies and went up to
Mrs. Frisbee's and eat warm sugar. Levi's folks there. Chas., Eddy and
Willie.
Friday 13th. Have run all day. Went to Post Office and to Drakes, Jones',
took dinner to L. Creasey's. Went to Mat C's. this afternoon and eat warm
sugar with Mrs. Kent, Mrs. Frisbee, Mrs. Loper. Pleasant day.
Saturday 14th. The men all sent off to Bennnetsville. I had a house full
of company-Mrs. Diamond, Mrs. Hatch, Mrs. Kent, Mrs. Brown. Aunt Sally
Lance and brother John came here tonight.
Sunday 15th. John, Aunt Sally and I went over to Charley's. Eat warm
sugar. Stayed to tea. John and I called to Mr. Hatch's this evening.
Monday 16th. My company left me. I guess I am sick-awful lonesome. Read
ledgers and knit.
Tuesday 17th. Charles went to Hornellsville. I called to M. Powell's.
Wednesday 18th. This is little Willie's birthday. I stayed at home.
Thursday 19th. Very warm today. Elisa's cow brought a calf. Mrs. J. Benom
had a daughter.
Friday 20th. Made soap and so forth. Felt very tired tonight.
Saturday 21st. Warmer. Charley Brown's wife brought a daughter this morning.
Sunday 22nd. Warm, Mr. Pratt stayed here last night. Elisa came today.
Lambs today.
Monday 23rd. Rained hard all day. Our company stayed storm bound.
Tuesday 24th. Snowed and blowed. Mr. Pratt left here. Plenty of chores
tending lambs.
Wednesday 25th. I went to John Benom's to see baby.
Thursday 26th. Froze up hard and snowed. I washed. Elisa was here tonight.
Friday 27th. Very cold morning. I cleaned house. Mrs. White called.
Saturday 28th. Warm. I done house work in the forenoon-went to Cameron.
Lucina came home.
Sunday 29th. A cold raw wind. Stayed indoors most all day. Lost 3 lambs.
Charles worked in sugar bush.
Monday 30th. Cold. I washed. Lucina was to home. Charles went to Adrian.
May 1866
Tuesday 1st. Cold and rainy. Most miserable weather. Elisa was here tonight.
Wednesday 2nd. Cold, snow and wind. Lucina went back to her work.
Thursday 3rd. Colder, froze up very hard-and cold weather-kills pigs
and lambs.
Friday 4th. Cold and high winds. Froze hard tonight. Awful lonesome times.
Saturday 5th. Cold winds. Charles and I went to Adrian-took dinner to
Alley's.
Sunday 6th. Warmer. Went to Sabbath School and took walk down in the
woods.
Monday 7th. Warm, baked, mopt and so forth. Nursed lambs.
Tuesday 8th. Very warm. Elisa helpt me cut out clothes for sewing bee.
Our colt made its appearance. Mrs. Turner called, Lina also.
Wednesday 9th. Warm, had a sewing bee today. My neighbors were all here
with but few exceptions. We had a lively time and a bunch of work done.
Our colt died.
Thursday 10th. Warm and pleasant. I finished up my garments, worked in
posies some. Charles sowed his barley today. Elisa stayed here.
Friday 11th. Very warm. Charles sowed oats. I washed, ironed and so forth.
Saturday 12th. Pleasant sprinkling of rain in the afternoon. I called
to Miles; tonight. Charles sowed peas and planted sweet corn in the garden.
Sunday 13th. Colder-commenced raining about 11, had a hail storm and
very heavy rain all the afternoon. Lucina came home.
Monday 14th. A hard frost this morning. Cold raw wind all day. Lonesome.
Tuesday 15th. Frost. Grew warmer at noon. I washed and helped Eddy draw
stone.
Wednesday 16th. A rainy day. I finished C's pants. Charles worked in
the shop.
Thursday 17th. A hard frost this morning. I went over to Charley's. Pa
came over, sowed peas.
Friday 18th. Warm, I have just ----?----- today. Rode over to Charley's
tonight.
Saturday 19th. Warmer-been very busy all day. Baking, cleaning. Lucina
sent up to M. P.'s and got onion sets and climbing rose. Mrs. Rice came
here today. Charles plowed. Eddy fished. C. was chased by a bull.
Sunday 20th. A very warm day. Showers tonight. Went to S. S. had a good
school. Mrs. Rice went home. C. E. H. and wife was here. I went over to
Sim's at night. Read the letters.
Monday 21st. Quite cool-had a thunder shower and hail storm this morning.
I washed, churned, mopped, scalded brine. Went up to M. P.
Tuesday 22nd. Very cold and windy. Snowed last night some.
Wednesday 23rd. Froze hard this morning. I sent over to J. Benom's-got
seeds and flower roots. Came home and found a dead cow in our field, from
drinking brine. Charles went to Canisteo to mill and after coal.
Thursday 24th. Froze in last night-awful cold morning-most discouraged
about raising anything. I went over to Charley's tonight.
Friday 25th. Some warmer. Charles fitted corn ground today. Showery.
Saturday 26th. Pleasant. Charles planted corn. I sowed seeds in garden.
Sunday 27th. A rainy Sabbath. I went to Sunday School. Took a walk to
the woods.
Monday 28th. A cold, rainy, lowry day-high wind. I washed. Elisa stayed
here.
Tuesday 29th. Still cold and rain. I went over to Turner's to quilting.
Wednesday 30th. Cold and some rain. Charles had help logging. Mrs. Turner
was here.
Thursday 31st. Cloudy and cold morning. I went down to Elisa's party.
Had a call from Mary Creasy. Charles work in shop.
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