January 23rd 1859

Sunday Jan 23^rd 1859
 

This week Allie and I have had something to fret about all the week. Monday morning Pa discovered that he had lost a hive of bees** and suspicion pointed very strongly to the Acadamy boys but after trying all day nothing could be found out, although no one doubted but what they could have told where the honey went to in the evening. Decker and Green called on us, came about five o clock and stayed till nine. Em Hocomb sent over after them. It seems that Miss Emily had a party and Ell Calvin would give her no peace until she sent for Decker. We spend a very pleasent evening. Tuesday evening Trenchard and Carney? spent the evening. They invited us to go to West Henrietta with them Thursday night. We told them we were partly engaged. Just after we went to bed we heard a great noise as If somebody ran across the walk and the next morning Ann? said that three fellows came up the walk and looked into the windows and then ran and that they looked very much like Jo , Mose, and M--- Neely. I hope they felt paid for their trouble. Wednesday evening Jo R- and Mose came to see us, was very curious that we should go over to West Henrietta and gave us an invitation to go down to Calvin’s  Friday. Allie gave them something of a talking to and told them we were very accommodating and we would go [to] Jack at a pinch. They stayed until eleven. Thursday we teased Ma, all to no purpose, to let us go to dancing school. So we finally went to singing school. Dora was over but Josie was not there. Wonder if she did not go over to the dance. Friday night there was a party over to Otis’s so the party down to Calvin’s was postponed. Joseph came in the afternoon to tell us of the change so we stayed at home for one evening but we felt very lonesome. Saturday evening we went over to the Methodise prayer meeting. No on there hardly to day. We went to quarterly meeting and listened to Rev Mr George. There was a good many there, had a very good sermon to night. We are going to hear him again and this ends another week and I ask myself as the gathering gloom of night draws around me have I done any good this past week. I am afraid not. God grant that I may in the coming one.

**Editor's Note: According to Mary's daughter, Bertha, he became an expert on the subject of bees and contributed much on the subject.