Sunday, May 31, 1868

A very pleasant day, and I expect that I [shall?] stay in Milford till next fall. I just finished packing my trunk to go to Saginaw this morning.

Maria and Rob and I have been down to see Mr. Palmer this afternoon. Maria and Melia went down to Church this morning. Melia and Rob have gone down this evening.

Saturday, May 30, 1868

This has been a very pleasant day. Pa and Ma went to the village this forenoon. Mother got some things for Clara. She got her a new hat (it was 75¢) and she got her a new pair of shoes (they was 22 shillings) and she got some buff calico to make her a new dress. She got 8 yards, and it was 16¢ per yard, and then she got some dark calico for her. Maria bought her a hat.

Today we got a peddler here. I got me a purse for 65¢.

***

Neice Notes: Peddlers and traveling musicians were pretty common in the 1860s and brought all sorts of goodies. This is their second appearance in the diary--the first mention of them in the first entry suggests that Celia got the diary itself from some peddlers!

Thursday, May 28; and Friday, May 29, 1868

Thursday, May 28, 1868

Well, it has cleared of very pleasant. I am with Nellie, yet she wanted me to stay with her. Mrs. Shepherd has just removed into her new shop. I went over to her shop a little while this morning, and I got me a new pair of fine shoes and a brown silk parasol. The shoes was 3 dollars and the parasol was 50¢.

Mr. Rang [?] brought me home to night in his carriage. Nellie came home with me.

Friday, May 29, 1868

Well, this has been another wet day. It commenced to rain this morning about 7, and then rained until about 2 o’clock, and then cleared of.

I have only 2 days to spend at home before I start for Saginaw! It don’t seem hardly possible. I dread to Go, but I must try and bear up, hoping it is for the best.

I have been trimming an under waist to day.

***

Neice Notes: Celia's oldest sister, Elizabeth Adeline ("Add"), lived in Saginaw with her husband Henry and their children. I've been in contact with their descendants who still live there and were also researching the family at the same time--it was pretty neat! A one-way trip from Milford to Saginaw took about a day in 1868.

Wednesday, May 27, 1868

Well, this has been almost a rainy day. Melia and I started to the village about 10 o’clock and we just escaped getting wet. I went down to make Nellie Shepherd a visit.

I have been sewing over my hat this afternoon.

Melia staid all day with us, for it kept raining, so she could not go home. She bought her a new hat. It was 50¢, I think. It is pretty.

***

Neice Notes: Hats or hoods? Both were popular in the 1860s, hoods even more than hats. But fashion designers had gotten so carried away with outrageously large and embellished hoods that they weren't wearable and were only for decoration!

Tuesday, May 26, 1868

Another nice day, but windy. Melia and Maria have been cleaning the House to day. They cleaned the Front chamber this afternoon.

Melia iorned in the forenoon.

I have been repairing an old brown skirt and mending cotton stockings.

The men folks have been planting corn in the hop yard between the rows of the hops.

I wrote a letter to Add to day, and Rob is going to mail it.

Monday, May 25, 1868

This [has been] another very pleasant day. I took quite a walk to night after tea. I went over to Mrs. Harper to get some milk [?].

Maria came home last night! Her and Melia have washed to day and cleaned the back chamber.

Rob has been cultivating his hops and Billy has been down town. Pa has been trimming the apple trees.

***

Neice Notes: Tea was an actual meal for the Weavers. It took place in the late afternoon, just before sunset in most cases.