[NOTE ABOUT THIS PAGE]
Sat. 4th Sept. [1852]
Roby had made us a vis. [4? 3?] days. I took her down to the station. A.E. Rhodes - Atkinson lost her child. Father was so much care and confined me so to the house that I begun to keep two girls.
Oct --
About this time Laura Ellen babe & Anna & Rev’d. made us a vis. a week or two. I devoted myself to them in the way of sewing & fixing up for winter. Laura very unwell nursing the great baby --- Dr. advised her to feed her. The weather for the most part very fine. Thru Nov. and not much cold in Dec. E.J.C. & wife spent Christmas in Fram. & brought me good account from the family. Laura well & Ellen well over her erysipelas. I went up to see Ell — watched one night, and Roby went with me. Miss Cushing came here to board in Oct. G.A. Woods mother died - Dec. 20th, 1852. Mrs. Rachel Cushing died 29 Dec.1852 at the hospital Somerville.
A serious investigation into the state of our society — [feni?] disaffected ones, but at last settled comfortably, and the ladies mustered a present. Mrs. Walkers mother died very suddenly, her name was Thayer, in Dec.
Mary Cushing spent one night here on her way home from Laura and took home her ivy. The above items I endeavored to rem. after neglecting to keep a regular journal. But I am resolved to begin 1853 and jot down important & other things — to help out my poor mem.
Mrs. Pierce sent E.A. a present of Dr. P.’s likeness handsomely framed.
A letter from Susan dated Emma Woods birthday. She was 5 years old 5th Dec. 1852.
L.E.E. Greene[?] was in Fayal in 1843.
Tues 18 Jan 1853 —
Stan[?] paid up his interest . I gave a rec’t. 60$.
Brother Charles W. Rhodes died Oct. 1840
Mary Ann Rhodes married to Barrett Cushing Jan. 10th 1844
Jan. 28th, 1853.
For Dr. E.A. Wild — I took fr. pocketbook 10$ to go to N. York.
Begun to take milk 15th March 2 qts. per day until 12th April. Begun 14th to take 1 qt. per day
Anna Eliza Rhodes, (1831-1861), the daughter of Mary's brother Edward, had married John Atkinson in January 1851.
After the departure of the servant Bridget, Mary hired two servants, Margaret Curley and Ann (last name unknown).
This is the Wilds' daughter Laura, her husband, and daughters Anna and Emily. It is not clear who Ellen is.
One of several entries in the diary written after a long gap. This one, which Mary apologizes for, sums up several months of events in the last three months of 1852.
This presumably refers to the size of baby Emily, then four months old.
A common skin infection producing a red rash.
Elizabeth (Smith) Wood, (1780-1852) died in Newburyport.
Rachel (Andrew) Cushing, (1766-1852), mother of the younger Rachel Cushing. See p4 for more on her daughter.
Elizabeth H. Thayer, (1776-1852)
Identity unknown. Fayal, or Faial, is an island in the Azores.
Mary's youngest brother, Charles Wild Rhodes, (1820-1840), drowned at sea in December 1840. His widow, Mary Ann (Olney) Rhodes, married Barrett Cushing in 1844. Charles Rhodes was born six months after his sister's marriage to Charles Wild and was given Wild as his middle name.
The lines shown in italics in the transcription -- they are not in italics in the diary -- appear to be written at different times than the rest of the page.
- The two lines between the entries for January 18th and January 28th -- outlined in red in the image below -- appear to be written in pencil, unlike the rest of the page. They also refer to events in the 1840s. It is unclear why they are here.
- The lines about milk -- outlined in blue -- are written sideways at the bottom left of the page and also appear to be out of context.
