Viewing page 267 of 607

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

254

for her and try to soothe and reassure her. The little girl seems an attractive child and I hope they will become reconciled. Nannie and Robbie called this afternoon. Tom came up this afternoon having returned from his wedding trip. He said he was glad to get back and would not like to live in New York. Tom is a faithful fellow and I notion to keep him if I possibly can. There was a most striking account in today's Tribune of Ferdinand Nards being taken to Sing Sing prison. I do not know when I have read anything so saddening.

Monday Nov. 2" 1885. A furious North East rain storm was raging this morning, and the rain was leaking in the wing. I took the lamp after breakfast and went in under the roof and marked all the leaks and then putting on old clothes and my rubber coat got a lot of shingles and climbed about on the rotten, slippery roof and nailed the bad spots. It seems absolutely necessary that the wing should be shingled this fall and little money as I have I determined to do it. I went down to Turcks lumber yard and arranged for the shingles and then went up to Terrys new house and engaged Manterstuck to send men Wednesday to put them on.  The water ran into the kitchen and cellars but my timely unplug the drain a while ago carried it off so that when the rain ceased about noon I had the satisfaction of seeing that the water ran off as fast as it came in. But of the worries on every hand. Every where I turn something to be attended to and I wished in my heart we could sell the poor old house and have some immunity from all these cares. Sara drove out after dinner to Miles and to Kingston taking Nannie with her. The funeral of poor little Charley Mayer who was drowned Thursday night occurred from the Baptist Church this afternoon. I pictured him in my mind struggling and crying in the storm and darkness with no one to hear him and it gave me a feeling of intense sadness. I went down and spent an hour or two with John & Nannie after tea.

Two years ago tonight our dear Mother lay dead in her room and a new blight of loneliness and sorrow fell upon this saddened household. I have thought of her all through the day in my perplexties and how she used to assume all these troubles and anxieties. Beyond them all now. If we could only know where and how, the ever recurring questioning with no answer but our longings and our hopes.

Tuesday 3". Went down town directly after breakfast and ordered the shingles and bought the nails &c to shingle the wing of the house and they have been delivered today and the Carpenter has promised to send his men tomorrow. Then after I got back we got my father ready and I took him down in the buck-board to the booths to vote. It was cold and windy but we were not gone long and both voted the Republican ticket. The rest of the day has been short as usual doing a little of everything and being troubled and worried over every thing. Sara went to Kingston and bought a piece of Linoleum for the hall and we put that down and also the carpet in the upper kitchens so they can put up the stove. My father retired early. John McEntee and Fred. Norton came up and spent the evening. John said the weather will permit of going on with the Shingling. It is late to do work but I have to what I can - not what I should. 

Wednesday 4". Three carpenters came this morning and went at the Shingling of the North wing of the house and mostly completed the North side

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-05 16:46:05