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.

 

 

January 16, 1859

Sunday Jan 16th 1859

I have come to the to the conclusion that I will comence and let nothing prevent my writing once a week. At least this year the first I wrote bears date Aug 8^th 1856 most (almost) thrice years ago. Many the changes since then. Monday night Allie and I went up to the temperance meeting. Jo R- was there. He said Mose had come back but I could hardly believe it. Decker came home with me. We walked down the road as far (as) Aunt Debbie’s and came back home I was very glad. Mose had come back for reason that I mentioned before. Wednesday the ---- Society met at our house. There was a good many here both Afternoon and evening, Among others Mose and Jo R-. The first time I had seen Mose to speak to him since he came back although in the morning Allie called to me to come and see if it was not Jo and him going by, so we stood in the window in rather dishabille [disheveled] looking with all there our  eyes when they happened to look up and see us we made ourselves scarce very suddenly. Mose went to Port Byron. He says Ellen? Clapp is dead and Late Quackenbush is married but he was very cross and was as mad at me as could be for which he assigned as reason that I thought more of Marshal Decker than anybody else in the world. But I can hardly believe that is the reason, it is so very silly. Thursday night we went up to the Academy to an oyster supper and danced till twelve, had a very nice time indeed. I expect Mose will be worse than ever, we went with Decker. Friday went over to Josie’s to an Oyster supper, had a pleasant time. In the evening called on Mr Chapin. Saturday call at Mrs Worthingtons, had a great deal to say about the dance at the Academy or as she styled it "the ball". She did not make much out of us. Today we have been to church all day.

January 9th 1859

Sunday Jan 9th 1859

I will pass over the time spent in putting things to rights, the singing schools, lectures calls – – as I cannot remember them all but will only say they were spent in the same way. Jo and Mose coming home with Allie and I then next thursday night after the fire I had another little niece little Allie Louise a week ago. Last Thursday night Mose and Jo Smith were both at singing school and both started to come and see me but Mose got the start so Jo went back. Mose was going to Saracuse the next Saturday but said said he would come and see me the next night if he possiably could but told me not to expect him as he might not be able to come. But I told him if he did not come I should think it because he did not wish to. He said "could you think, Mary, I did not wish to come as much as I love you" but he did not come. Although he did not bid me good bye. Jo Smith also was to start for Michagan the next Monday. I have seen nobody since to ask whether he went or not. I have a dim rememberance of writing some time back something about Dee. I will now say what I meant as Dee is passed and nothing has happened. I concluded by Harvey's manouvering that he has made up his mind that Charlie Lindsey should flirt with me when he came home. While I made up my mind if he tried that game he would find himself checkmated, though I dont know but what it is vain for me to think so, yet I never tried to make myself agreeable to anyone (particularly so I mean) that I did not succead. But Charlie is come and gone without coming to see me, but I have an idea that I was not mistaken after all but that his stay was so short and Harve being gone he could not make it work. Willie S-  said beware of a wolf in sheeps clothing and I have done so. Harve used to say and still says he can read me like a book. He knows me as well as he does himself ,though it was so once it is so no longer. I am as false as he is and he knows nothing of when? I think I had forgotten to mention he is married. I have a great many thoughts of what I will do in the future but I say nothing now to anyone so I will not even write them for fear I shall not make things come as I wish yet I will say I will never marry until I have found some one who I think will be as smart, of as good family and who will be able to give me as good a home as he took me from. And I will not live either with his folks or mine. I am not romantic and I have my two sisters example so I do not think I will take up with any less that there things.