Journal, 1922

File — Box: 5, Volume: 11

Identifier: III

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

February 19
"I was so exhausted that I had to go to bed for awhile. It is the nervous strain of trying to take care of the children and work at the same time that wears me out. Charles really does most of the work himself and yet I find myself growing weaker and more nervous everyday."
Mary gets up at 5:30 every morning and works all day. Charles is a salesman of sorts canvassing the neighborhood and sometimes Mary helps out delivering things and Charles helps with the children and household chores a great deal.
March 23
"Reading Main Street by Sinclain Lewis."
May 13
"Up about half the night dividing my attention between the three sick youngsters. How much longer can I stand it, I wonder."
Charles and Mary moved to Pine Cliff Ranch at the end of May.
May 17
"Bid a difficult farewell to Father, Mother and Helen and set out for our future home. Mrs. Mears next door gave us three cats and some geranium slips, Mr. Olsen ran up the street after us with a thermometer & cough medicine. He works in a drug store."
They arrived on the twentieth of May with the children quite sick with whooping cough.
May 21
"Woke up this morning for the first time in a permanent, honest to goodness home."
May 22
"Not much sleep last night. We all have to sleep in the kitchen as the children have to be where it is warm and we have to be with them to keep them covered and to hold the wash dish when they vomit. We keep a fire and a light burning all night & C. sleeps in his bathrobe on the foot of the bed so he can get up & get the wash dish in time to whichever child coughs. If parents aren't slaves, love is the only things that prevents them from being it. Of course I don't mean rich parents who can afford help."
The rest of the journal are notes on Primary Methods for teaching children in the primary grades. There is a collection of songs and poems for children too.

Dates

1922

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.