Open Writing

Friday, March 25th. Arose 9.30 a.m. It is a very dismal morning. It is raining. The wind is howling round the house. Of course we cannot expect every day to be so beautiful as those we have been having. If it never rained we should soon have a famine. The beautiful days we have been having were like summer. It must be cold and wretched sitting on a nest in an exposed part of the hedge. Poor faithful mother thrush, how I pity her. But I envy the wonderful faith and hope Mr. and Mrs. Thrush must have. In the afternoon I sewed at my handkerchief and mended my pinafore, and I sewed at night. Retired 9 p.m.

Saturday, March 26th. Arose 9 a.m. It is a dull cold morning. Yesterday was Lady Day. One quarter of the year has elapsed and we have started on another quarter. As I look back I do not see much done and I mean to start to do a little more and just see what I can do. In the afternoon I sewed on my handkerchief case. I finished my hankie yesterday. I thought I could do all my reading tomorrow. Today there was a very good Shakespeare text. I have forgotten the exact wording but it was something like this

"God did not give us such immense knowledge and godly reason to fast in us unused."

I do not wish to praise myself in any way. But I know myself to be intelligent with remarkable understanding. I love beautiful literature and poetry. I love all works of art in any shape or form. I love all beautiful old things. I love old people. I can truly say I have no friends of my own age. I love little children. I always tell at first sight whether I shall like anyone. Though I can agree with anyone, some people I could die for.

I can do fine handwork. I can do almost anything and now for three years I have been partially deaf and always may be, though I may improve a little. My ambition was to be a nurse. Though I could have done anything, now there is very little I may be able to do. Yet I am content. God will take care of me. I abhor all mean actions and cruelty. But I love Nature in all its forms more than anything else. This will be a brief outline of me. But there is something in this wide world waiting for me to do. I am fitted for something. Or God wouldn't have brought me into the world. In His good time he will show it me. Retired 9 p.m.

Sunday, March 27th. Arose 8.15 a.m., which was early for a Sunday. After breakfast I went out. I thought I would leave Sunday's violets for someone else so I did not pick any. I have found two nests in construction. The clever birds had got them all mudded underneath. Mrs. Thrush lays four or five eggs, the bluest of blue with brown spots on. In the afternoon I was going to Sunday School but it was wet. I read and played. Mrs. Scott came to tea. She stayed till nine when Mr. Scott came to escort her home.

I will begin now and say a little each day about my past life till I get to the present time. My father's parents I never knew but their home was at Alne, a beautiful village which I love very much. His mother was a Welsh woman. They say she was a grand woman with a beautiful character. There were seven children, Fred, who was born soon after marriage, John my father, and Willie were the boys. Frances, lovable Auntie Fanny, Cissie -- otherwise Mary Elizabeth -- Agnes and Annie, who died when a little girl, were the girls. Retired 9.30 p.m.

Monday, March 28th. Arose 7.20 a.m. It is Mother's birthday. Today I gave her a walnut cream, Alice an O'Cedar mop . I have got a postcard letter from Aunty Aggie. Miss Clarke has got home. Alice went to see Dr. Mitchell. I went to meet her. But she could not walk back with me. For she wanted to prevent Mother going to Thirsk because Dr. Mitchell was coming to see me. However Mother went and Dr. Mitchell never came. It started to rain and I made a dash for home. Alice was soaked. I sewed in the afternoon but was very sleepy. At night I read.

Thomas Huddleston, my Mother's father, I never knew, though I am told he was a grand old man. He worked in the ironstone mines. Elizabeth Huddlestone, my grandmother. Oh! How much I knew of her, which I will tell later. Their children were Mary, my mother, Jack, who is in Canada, Annie and Arthur. I never knew my uncle George. He died the day he was to be married.

Tuesday, March 29th. Arose 8.30 a.m. This morning I washed up. It is a dull morning. Mother washed. I just went up the hedge a little way for a walk in the morning. After dinner I went for violets round the corner. I got quite a lot. At night I sewed at my handkerchief case. Retired 9 p.m. Mr. Bendelow and Tom brought the groceries.

Both my mother and father worked in situations until they were married. My mother was working at Mintofts of Low Hall, Alne, when she first met my father. Alne is his native village. My mother's native village is Rosedale. After they were married they lived at Harrogate for two or three years. Annie, my eldest sister, was born at Harrogate. After that they went near Poppleton. Then to Copt Hewick . Harold and Alice were born there. Later then went to Hessay. Here Nellie was born, and we made friends with Mr. and Mrs. Clayden, who now live at Park's Farm a few fields away.

Wednesday, March 30th. Arose 9 a.m. I made up a nice bunch of violets and wrote a letter and sent them to Nurse Proctor for her birthday. Mother bought a pinafore to send to Mary in Canada for her birthday. I worked two chickens on. I sewed at night. Retired 9 p.m.

After they left Hessay they went to a farmhouse called White House where I was born. Then they went to Woolmoor on the Hills. Then they came here. They have been here eight years this spring.

Annie married Alfred Nesbit on Feb 3rd, 1923. then they went to Canada. Annie has two little girls. Mary who is three in April, Margaret who is two in May. My parents were married in 1900.