Miles Franklin pocket diary, 1911, Part 1

ENGAGEMENTS DECEMBER 1911

SUN. 3 Morning Got up in time for Breakfast & wrote on Net of Circumstance

Afternoon Wrote & slept during afternoon Took laundry.

Evening Visited in Editha's room & wrote.

MON. 4 36° - 20° Morning Got to office at nine. Mrs Robins came in and talked on McNamara case. She took me to lunch at

Afternoon Congress hotel Mrs Robins & Miss Phelps came in again

Evening Had dinner & went down & spoke to Boot & Shoe Workers on Law Enforcement Committee.

TUE. 5 42° - 29° Morning Got to office at nine Worked on Proceedings Lunched alone at Randolph

Afternoon Mrs Robins, Mrs Lee, Mrs Rastall, Miss Walker, Miss Belle Squire called. I took Mrs Lee home to Mrs Robins at six.

Evening Mrs Lee, Editha & I had dinner, Zelie & Mrs Robins came home after.

WED. 6 46° - 33° Morning Got to office at nine. went to other office at 12 & thence to Grand Pacific Hotel to meet Mrs Robins Miss Peck Miss Phelps & Mrs Potter for lunch.

Afternoon Went to Mrs Ward's conference of 4 at 14 W. Washington St. Thence to Agnes Nestor to see her mother. Mrs Kapp went with me & then home

Evening Wrote a little & went to bed Warm night

THU. 7 Morning Very warm grey morning Got down to office at nine then went to Mrs Robins to help her write pars on McNamaras & Kansas

Afternoon City Child Welfare Exhibit. Returned to office at 3. Called on Dr Young & went to Suffrage Bazaar for a few minutes

Evening Very tired went to bed without doing anything.

FRI. 8 54° - 44° Morning Went to Mrs Nestor's funeral and thence to office. Went to Lunch with Zelie at "Eat Shop" at 1.15 and returned

Afternoon via Hugo Oldenborg's where I paid bill. Worked hard on proceedings till five o'clock

Evening Very exhausted. Went to bed without doing anything

SAT. 9 49 - 53° Morning Very warm grey morning. Worked on Proceedings. Had lunch at Randolph Inn

Afternoon Worked on my own affairs till 4 o'clock went home & had a sleep. Miss Henry came to dinner

Evening & then went to Suffrage Bazaar. I read a little in Editha's room and went to bed

ENGAGEMENTS DECEMBER 1911

SUN. 10 Morning Got up at 11. o'clock and wrote on "Net of Circumstance" till dinner at 1.15

Afternoon Went to League meeting. And got home to tea late with Editha

Evening Fooled round and went to bed depressed

MON. 11 Morning Went to Stevens for stockings for Mrs Robins & then went to her house because she was blue. Did odds and ends

Afternoon Came down town to Saul's & 331 S. La Salle at 4 o'clock & thence straight home

Evening Tired & depressed Did nothing. Went to bed immediately after dinner

TUE. 12 32° - 37° Morning Worked on Dummy for Feby. Demerast [Demarest] Lloyd came in at 12 o'clock &

Afternoon took me to lunch at De Jonghe's. Very pleasant. Went home at five

Evening Went to bed immediately after dinner

WED. 13 Morning Pleasant crisp morning. Worked in morning and went to Saul's to make up ̶d̶u̶m̶m̶y̶ January

Afternoon At Saul's till five. Went straight home

Evening Went to bed tired.

THU. 14 Morning Got to Sauls' at 8. Went to Kohlsaat's for lunch

Afternoon Went home at 4.30 & took a rest.

Evening Fooled about and went to bed very depressed.

FRI. 15 Morning Worked on Proceedings Miss Ryan came in and took me to dinner at Pure Food Restaurant.

Afternoon Miss Smith came in to consult Mrs Robins. Mrs Robins took me & Miss H. home to dinner at 5. I went straight

Evening home afterwards and grizzled a little with Editha, and went to bed.

SAT. 16 Morning Got down at nine, and worked on odds and went to lunch at College Club with Editha

Afternoon Afterwards went ̶h̶o̶m̶e̶ to Hear Dr Favill talk before the Political Equality Union. Walked home behind him & saw him spit.

Evening Went home to Mrs Robins and stayed all night.

ENGAGEMENTS DECEMBER 1911

SUN. 17 Morning Breakfasted at ̶a̶t̶ til nine & worked on A.F. of L. report of Mrs Robins till 2 o'clock. Had dinner . Zelie

Afternoon was there. Wrote during afternoon. Miss Carr came for tea. at Mrs Robins

Evening We came home together. I dropped into Editha's room for a little while.

MON. 18 Morning Got to office at nine. Lunched at Union Café. Mrs Robins, Miss Peck, Mrs Potter Miss H, Mr Mullen-

Afternoon -bach & me to discuss Mr M. being "Life & Labor" business mgr. Went to Bank & back to office. Lulu Holley called at five.

Evening Went to bed early tired.

TUE. 19 Morning Got to office at 9.15. Found 331 S. La Salle burned down. Went via there to Mrs Robins. Returned to 127 N. Dearborn. Had lunch at Randolph

Afternoon Inn. Went to say goodbye to Mrs R. at 2 on 20th Century. Back to 127 N. Dearborn went home at five.

Evening Wrote a little on "Net of Circumstance" and went to bed at 10.

WED. 20 Morning Got to office at 9.15 lunched with Mary Anderson & Agnes Johnson at Randolph Inn.

Afternoon Worked all afternoon walked home & rested half an hour before dinner.

Evening Tried to write but too tired.

THU. 21 Morning Got down at nine Lunched at Randolph Inn with Mary Anderson Agnes Johnson, Bessie & Miss Steghagen

Afternoon Mr. [Hoxie?] came in for data for City Club exhibit. Went home at five.

Evening Wrote a little but went to bed tired and depressed

FRI. 22 41° - 31° Morning Did odds and ends and lunched with the girls at Randolph Inn.

Afternoon Got so tired - couldn't stand any more and went home at 2 o'clock & went to bed till 5.

Evening Wrote on "Net of Circumstance" till 10 o'clock

SAT. 23 Morning Working in office Sort of Christmas ['waste time' written across into Afternoon space] trotting around

Afternoon Lunched at Randolph

Evening Called on Dr Young and went home

ENGAGEMENTS DECEMBER 1911

SUN. 24 Morning Arose at 10. Editha and I went out and had breakfast at Chi. Lake Shore Catering Club and then I started

Afternoon for Madison on 1.15 p.m. Train. Reached there at 5.50 and was met by Arnold

Evening Had dinner and a pleasant reunion

MON. 25 Morning Played with the baby and talked

Afternoon Had dinner - went for a walk and called at Mrs Commons

Evening Mr & Mrs Miller called & we had tea in front room

TUE. 26 Morning Played with the baby and wrote a little Great snow storm

Afternoon Had ̶a̶n̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ lunch and then Louise & I callled on Edwards, Miss Simmons & Mrs Ring & Van Hise - had tea there I called on Miss Hill

Evening While Louise ̶c̶a̶l̶l̶e̶d̶ went on home then Arnold came & called for me. Wrote a little on Net of Circumstance

WED. 27 27° - 7° Morning Wrote a little & had lunch. Arnold & I started for Chicago on 1.35 and arrived very cold

Afternoon at N.W. depot on time. Went to Capitol Tea Room for dinner and then went on home.

Evening Talked a little in Editha's room & went to bed.

THU. 28 25° - 5° Morning Got down to office at 9. Mr Dresden came in and we did some typing. Miss H. Arnold and I went to Miss Phelps's

Afternoon lunch for Mr Dresden & Mrs & Miss Cameron at the College Club. Came back to office & went home at six.

Evening Wrote a little & told Editha new idea of having a flat for young girls who want to come & help the league.

FRI. 29 Morning Arrived in office at nine. Worked - very cross and tired

Afternoon Worked - very tired. Office in a turmoil

Evening Went to Mrs Kapp's for dinner & got home at 9.

SAT. 30 Morning Got to office at nine. Went to Service Engraving & several other erands. Had lunch at Randolph.

Afternoon Went to Service Engraving and Burke & Atwell & Mrs Post. Mr Dresden looked in. Went home at 3.

Evening [blank]

ENGAGEMENTS DECEMBER 1911

SUN. 31 Morning Rose at 11 and went to Newshams for dinner. Very cold and I nearly fainted en route.

Afternoon Mrs Newsham was too ill to see me I went home early & went to bed

Evening Felt cold in my joints. Was sickening for measles subsequently discovered.

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