Irene Dixon Bamford

Saturday 2nd June V up at 4 October going to Kingston to day. Joe going to drive to factory with Volties milk. V phoned to John OBrien asking him if he was going to Kingston to this morning in motor, said yes & Voltie can go with him. After breakfast Voltie walked across the island to Johny OBriens. Oh the rooms a horror to look at; the dining room, pantry, my bedroom, front veranda, and wee sitting room. Emma washing and hanging out more clothes this morning.

Sunday 3rd June 1917 A very fine day no church service. Emma & Miss Langley met at church and went from there to Abyina McDonalds visiting where they staid all day. Eddie brought them back after dark. Emma says they had a most enjoyable time went to woods to gather flowers and away up the island. Eddie took them for drive out We had visitors also. Madaline & Myrabelle Morgan here all p.m. Sent them home very happy at sundown with a basket of several little articles honey, pie plant, old magazines, sun flower plants &c Voltie doing all chores alone milked 13 cows.

Monday 4 May 1917 A very fine day. V shearing sheep. Samy and Joe here digging trench for the new barn. Received the seeds from Buckbee. Rachel came over staid all night. Harold Dignum here in evening. He planting for R and she received a letter from Johndrow saying Ethel very sick with pneumonia. Sam and Joe here to dinner, diging trench for barn. Sent G a letter

Thursday 14 No one went to town from here to day. In pm V & Maurice planted in garden

Friday 15 Will Gillespie came up this morning to frame the barn so now there are two men here beside V to cook for. Maurice & Will Gillespie.

Saturday 16 Wm Gillespie here again to day. Same work going on as yesterday. After supper Maurice dresses up very fine & shares powders, brushes and shines his boots, and goes over to Hallidays courting, Edith Bates. Samy and Miss Langley go to Kingston. I guess they are courting too. Louise's girl here. Laura Babcock. Emma papers the dining room

Sunday 17 June 1917 Sunday a very fine day. I write and send a letter to Belle. No one here except Madaline and Myrabelle pm when Emma, Edith, Madaline, Myrabelle go down to Annie Kehoes to see the baby; they return to supper then go home. Emma. V found the old sick cow dead so he had to draw her out and bury her. Another new milker and the last for this year. The holstein a big bull calf wich [sic] V is raising from a fine cow.

Have to fight hogs and hens to keep them out of potatoes and strawberries. After R goes home we are alone for a few hours. I out in veranda reading or writing when I hear the busy clatter of foot steps and the greeting of merry young voices out they come to greet me. Myrabelle and Madaline Morgan looking so elegantly neat and fresh and pretty and smiling presenting me with a boquet of different assortment of flowers. Next came Mr Ogle taking Emma for a drive. Waited long - it seemed long for Voltie's return from State Park and was much surprised & pleased and disapointed at same time. Surprised and pleased to see Bert, Maud & Hubert who came across river with V, but so very disapointed at the non apearance of Will who did not come as agreed. tho he was there, together with Lena, Willie, Lottie, Louise, Charlie and Ada. Some of the Hart relatives also Charlies young kid Jerald. They brought a sumptius [sic] lay out for dinner. Well we all had supper after they came including Mr Ogle. Then came Wm Niles and his sweetheart Miss Jones. At ten pm they all went home except Bert, Maud and Hubert who staid all night and Voltie has to row them across in morning. Poor dear Voltie alone with no one to help him while John is wasting his life in Watertown. Will couldnt come he has to work at home doing their own hay. Of course "charity begins at home"

Monday 17 July 1917 A fine day. Wind South. Voltie rowed B, M & H across this morning. R came over for her margarine and to see Will, but no Will was to be seen. Took her Oleomargarine and went home. V started in to mow with mowing machine this pm done a good job. Emma not very well got

Sunday 26 August 1917 This is the last page of this diary. Will staid with R last night; he came this morning after breakfast said R is sick and was sick all night chotery morbus [cholera morbus] ate to much cabbage & green corn for Saturday dinner. V gave Will cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, sulphur, etc

Then Edith went over and staid till two Oclock pm. Madeline and Myrabelle came and we had a fine visit with them, then after dinner and dishes washed Emma made a trip to Hiram Joslins to see Maggie and her kid. Accompanied by Madaline & Myrabelle as far as Rachels which soon brought Edith back with them. Edith prepared the supper, which didn't amount to much, then came Ogle to be sure! Madaline & Myrabelle went to J Murphy's. I gave them all the comic papers they could carry home with them. Ogle, Will, Emma & Edith, went to Niles to hear the Victrola. They came back by way of Rachels where Will stoped all night and so ends Sunday 26 Aug 1917. Forgot to say river rough all day are therefore no yankee visitors. Now I like visitors all right if we could only stuff them all right, but some times the stuffing fails as it this time no butter.

Monday 27 August 1917 Never saw such sure sign of rain that amounted to nothing. The whole south and West were piled with dark black rain clouds which soon faded away. The sun came out in glorious spendor. Wind South and breezy. V shot a rooster for dinner. V & W drawing and stacking.

confused on first page of this book.

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