[Another possible job comes up for a Mrs. Miller who just delivered a baby girl. Elinor actually tries to get out of it but can’t find a substitute and feels compelled. There are 5 children in this household and despite the fact that there was also a nurse working, Elinor describes working 12 hour days, very hard but only for 6 days. Later she sometimes helps for one or two days at a time, more for baby sitting perhaps, but she is critical of Mrs. Miller’s stated suffering (with 6 children all younger than 9). “she thinks its just horric but I know many women with more chileren who get on in the world happier than she & all because she makes life a burdon, not only for herself, and family but for all who become well acquainted with her, she’s a great, talker.” Elinor describes her mother as quite ill (justifying not working outside the home) and comes home resuming her duties there including washing windows, painting window screens, helping her father “block up a launch & get it ready to go in the water”, She continues to host extended family at the Black River Homestead, including baking 10 loaves of bread twice a week, she finishes her month’s entries by saying “there is no end to work.”
She dedicates several entries to a story from her cousin Lucy Scott and their adopted daughter Bell who befriends someone beneath her station in life. “she {Mrs. Lucy Scott, Elinor’s cousin} came out & visited….& told me all about her adopted daughter’s love affair it was great” The mother and father of Bell interfere frequently, sometimes to eject him from Bell’s life, then to assist and care for him when he is sick in hospital for heart disease, and then to get him a bookkeeping job, and finally, much like the Jane Cable story ending with a marriage of Bell & “Shay” . Elinor clearly loves the story and she loves to add drama to the story]
[Thurs. May. 1. 1913] Page 65 thurs.May 1.[1913] Pa is making garden & straighening up things around home here. The ange-ier on the Str. Wolvrine bought the No.28 steel row boat & paid 25 dollars for it.
[Fri. May. 2. 1913] Fri.2. Man called for me today wanting me to work for his wife, Oh dee. I am going to make a dress for Anna McDonlnel this week or next.am finishing the lace for Gertie’s birthday apron. have it most done.
[Sat. May. 3. 1913] Sat.3. Martha [Martha Carlisle, daughter of Audrey Lelia Bonney, Elinor’s neice] is 11 months old today. I did all Sat morn I could this morn. Aunt Edith Wyn & Grant & Virginia [Aunt Edith Grant, Elinor’s maternal aunt, mother of Wyn & Virginia] were her for dinner. I worked all after noon on Wyn’s dress They were all here but grant for supper, Audrey & Geo & Martha were there for supper
[Sun. May. 4. 1913] Page 66. Sun.4.Well I am all in today my stomach & head feel so bad I haven’t done only what had to be done. Oh. ho.
[Mon. May. 5. 1913] Mon.5 Well, I couldn’t work today, that is to do the work
[Tue. May. 6. 1913] Tue.6. I did the wash today
[Wed. May. 7. 1913] Wed. 7. I work all morn & went over to wyn’s to helped her with her dress. Nellie stoped there & we stayed for supper. I. called on Miss Baum-gart & Mrs. Duddan & the Dr. medicine coset 50 cents.
[Thurs. May. 8. 1913] Thurs.8. Alice Faragare called up & telling me Mrs. Miller has a 10 1/4 baby girl & wants me to come to work until she can get some one else, I’ve been trying for a week to get a hired girl for her. Ma isn’t very well & I ought not go. but
[Thurs. May. 8. 1913] Page 67 Thurs.May.8. I will have to go, for I told her I would if she couldn’t get any one else. & I have put in a great day with 5 children ages from 2yrs. to 9 yrs. a nurse & Mr Miller. I worked from 6-30 untill 1-20 before I set me done to rest & eating dinner & again untill 6-30 done up the supper work & came home 8-45. tired. couldn’t eat hardly any thing today my stomach hurt so & my head ached worse I baked a four layer cake & washed dishes untill I began to believe there was no end to them milk pans, pails & crocks butter bowl & churn & sweeping dusting
cleaning, picking up after the children washing & dressing them up & down seller untill I’m stiff & my muscles ache and then walk home 1/4 mile,
[Fri. May. 9. 1913] Fri.9. Well this has been another long day with all the daily routine & I baked
[Fri. May. 9. 1913] Page 68. seven loaves of bread from 1/4 year cake Mrs. M & the nurse could unstand how I could make such good bread out of that amount of yeast. they said they couldn’t. home at 8-55 tonight
[Sat. May. 10. 1913] Sat.10. Another long day. Ma has been ill all day I have just got to find some one to take my place over there,
[Sun. May. 11. 1913] Sun.11. Ma looks dreadful ill & hasn’t done o bite. of work to day, poor ma.
[Mon. May. 12. 1913] Mon.12. Well I found a girl, but she can’t go to work untill Wed.
[Tue. May. 13. 1913] Tue.13. Well I have had along hard week & to morrow I am in hopes of being to home again. Oh, dee.dee.dee.
[Wed. May. 14. 1913] Wed.14. I went over & got break-fast & the other girl came & I showed her about her work & then came, home & washed the windows planted some flower seed
[Thurs. May. 15. 1913] Thurs.15. helped pa between showers block up a launch & get it ready to go in the water & painted window screens
[Fri. May. 16. 1913] Fri.16. general & done out door work did my sweeping & dusting & scrubing
[Sat. May. 17. 1913] Sat.17. did bits of odds & ends today & pa & the boys launched the Not-So-Bad
Not-So-Bad docked at Bonney’s Lorain Ohio
[Sun. May. 18. 1913] Sun.18. Frank & Ruby & Evelyn have been here all day & Audrey & Geo. & Martha were here & Fred took a party out for ride in the launch Oh.dee. dee.dee.
[Mon. May. 19. 1913] Mon.19. I did all the wash today & I’m ever so tired & so is ma.
[Tue. May. 20. 1913] Tue.20. Well I thought I would rest doday, but after doing up the morn-ings work & preparing for an early dinner, in walked cousin Lucy Scott of Toledo, well I din’t get any rest
Gertie had the head ache & ma visited well she came out & visited in the kitchen with me while I worked she told me all about her adopted daughter’s love affair it was great, Bell has been fitted for society & she taught school for
[Tue. May. 20. 1913] Page 70. 3 years & about 2 yrs. ago she met a young man 4 yrs. her senior at that time he was cashier in a Theatere Cousin Lucy wanted Bell to forget him and only be courted by wealthty men but Bell would alowed that poor boy to call too see her & always invited him to there socials & parties, Now said Cousin Lucy I was afraid Bell might learn to like him & all though his parents had been quite well to do. he was now poor and I didn’t want him coming to see Bell, So he came to see Bell one evening and I told him I did-n’t want him to come any more & told him why as I had already told Bell, well he said he would try for a better position & then the subject ended for that time.
[Tue. May. 20. 1913] Page 71. But he still continued to eat then he took suddenly ill & after two days Bell told her mother that Shay had been ill for 2 days & he was al a lone in his batchlor apartments & she aske me to go & see him, I told her I couldn’t but she insisted so I consoled her with(I will talk it over with father & Geo (that’s Mr Scott) said I ought to go, for Shay is a nice clean boy & alone in the world, the next morning I drove over in my car & met the Dr. & went up to see Shay, he was sick & no one to car for him, so I told him to let the Dr. make any all arange-ment & take him to the hospital that night Bell seemed more at ease We call each day for three week to see Shay to take flowers & only things that might cheer him at length
[Tue. May. 20. 1913] Page 72. when he was abt to be moved Mr. Scott said to bring him home until he was able to work, well we brought him home & when. he was able to work I told him he sould go to his boarding place & find some work (as he had lost his job through his long illness (heart trouble so he went out to find a loging & work, but was so week no one would hire him & he went the the yacht club house, where he was member & owned an anzziliery yacht there he roomed for some time an looked for work in vaine. He called twice a week to see Bell & I told him once more that I didn’t know how hard he had looked for work, but he mustn’t come to see Bell any more as it didn’t look well for her to be teaching school & him come to see her
[Tue. May. 20. 1913] Page 73. when he was loaffing, Well Shay took offence & didn’t call for two week, and at the end of that time. Bell came to me feeling rather down cast & said, Mama Shay has tried in vain for work, but no one will take him he looks so ill, well I repented & said I would see what I could do for him. Next day I chanced to meet a buisness man & old acquaintance of ours & ask him if he could give a good clean young man a job, book-keeping or something better maybe he said send him over I do, the best I can for him so I told Bell & she told Shay & the next day found Shay book keeping & he ask to come to see Bell & I let him come, after his second raise in wages, he ask to marry Bell & we gave our consent & after
[Tue. May. 20. 1913] Page 74. his third raise We had a wedding for them & Now he’s a lovely young man & has saved $100. in the four months they have been married, Cousin Lucy was once a servant girl & married a man as poor, as they tell Jobes turkey was, he joined the Macka Bees & is now United States Secntary of that Lodge Cousin Lucy is as common as we although she trys to be stylish & can’t, as she acknow-ledge’s after supper she went to her brother’s & the next day she went to Cleveland to meet Mr Seoth
[Wed. May. 21. 1913] Wed.21. I have been sewing to day making a dress for one of the neighbor girls Miseblane silk, salmon color trimmed in, cream inserting edging & bead and I feel so tired sitting all day
[Thurs. May. 22. 1913] Thurs.22. another long day of
[Thurs. May. 22. 1913] Page 75. sewing & the dress is half done
[Fri. May. 23. 1913] Fri.23. Well I don’t beleive I could make a living by sewing it tir me so & make me nervous.
[Sat. May. 24. 1913] Sat.24. Sat. work alday & Aunt Edie of Oberlin came for dinner & supper & stayed over night
[Sun. May. 25. 1913] Sun.25. She & ma & Uncle Will went to the Cemetery after dinner looked for relatives burired there & then they went to Franks & Rubys for supper & pa met them there & took supper with them. Audrey Geo. & Martha were here for din ner & Oh how my head achs Pa gave me an inter duction to Mr. Merbalgh & Mr Jones of Elyria today. M has bought the yacht Solace of Harry A & He & Jones are repairing her they scraped her hull & put new canvas on her deck & paint
[Sun. May. 25. 1913] Page 76. -ed the deck blue. sky blue. 6 oclock every one gone but me Nellie came a few minutes after seven then Audrey Geo & Martha came & stayed untill Ma & Pa came then Gertie come & Fred & Elbert
[Mon. May. 26. 1913] Mon.26. I did white wash & it has rained al day steady, so they are not dry. Pa went to the bridge to meet Nellie with the launch & she slipped & threw her left shoulder out of joint. pa pull it back in place but she is just about sick to night, poor girl this is the second time that shoulder has been out of joint. Oh, Dee.
[Tue. May. 27. 1913] Tue.27. Ma has 17 little chicks out today. Sewed all day, I have to rub bath & bandage Nellies arm & shoulder twice a day She doesn’t feel very well
[Wed. May. 28. 1913] Wed.28. I did Audrey’s wash & our colered wash today am tired & scrubed
[Wed. May. 28. 1913] Page 77. the kitchen & helped get supper
[Thurs. May. 29. 1913] Thurs.29. My but I have had a day ironing & house work ma doesn’t feel as well as useral & I finished Easter dress it is truly beautiful & she will wear it to night to the part her class (the Juniors A’s) are giving in honor to the Senior A’s in the high school boys
[Fri. May. 30. 1913] Fri.30. Scrubing sweeping & dusting
[Sat. May. 31. 1913] Sat.31. All Sat. work today.