Mary's Journal Entry - Bored Bored Bored

April 8, 1876

Dear Stupid Journal which Mother and Father insist I write into.

I am bored bored bored.  There is little to do here.  Here is my schedule.

6 a.m. arise and make our beds, wash and dress.
6:15 help lazy America who is ALWAYS up before we are and snorts "'bout TIME you lazy girls gits up" as if getting up before there is any SUN is normal and who should be doing it herself because she is a servant prepare breakfast
7:00 have breakfast
8:00 help lazy America who should be doing it herself because she is the servant not ME clean up after breakfast
8:00 - 9:00 Read a book Father has suggested and discuss with others. (BORING) Because it is the Centennial, he is making us read Uncle John's story of his first visit to the Centennial.  

 (If we MUST read something, I would much rather it were a cookbook or a fashion book or a story of a courting followed by a wedding.  But of course Father does not see the merit in that.)

9:00 - 10:00 help lazy America who should be doing it herself with whatever she cannot seem to do herself, and listen to her telling us her view of our future which does not bode well.  (the other day she told me I would marry a PIG FARMER! and then called me out to introduce me to an ANCIENT celestial who raises pigs.  She snickered and winked at me and nudged Marrant, who tried not to giggle but did.  I am NOT marrying a PIG FARMER unless he owns 100 pig farms and is young and handsome and is NOT a CELESTIAL!

10:00 - 11:00 Most often needlepoint for mother, who insists on trying. Helping her means wiping the blood from her fingers and telling her she is doing well even though her design looks RIDICULOUS.  She has designs that are done for the blind with little holes that tell her where to stitch.  They do not work so well.

 11:00 - 11:30  Study the dictionary. Father's assignment is for us to find a NEW word a day and use it in a sentence at least once.  Today I have found the word INSOLENT. 

11:30 - 12:00 help lazy America prepare mid day meal.  Really, she thinks she is the boss of everyone, including Mother who is TOO NICE!  When I have my own house, I shall NOT put up with such INSOLENCE, and I did so tell her she was being INSOLENT!

And so on and so on.  After helping lazy America clean up, we must then do afternoon math work, which shall be helpful Mother says, in running a household so fine.  We are allowed a breath of fresh air and a short walk with an ADULT not alone before supper which of COURSE we must help lazy America prepare.

I do NOT understand why we bothered to bring her if she is to always need our help.  Can she not serve four people three meals, do laundry and housekeeping and simple chores without requiring the assistance of two?  There are, after all, twenty four hours in each day, and it is not as if she needs beauty sleep. Four hours should suffice.  Perhaps six on Sunday.








Deadwood - located in Phoenix Pass, Second Life (not really in South Dakota)