The Journals of Martha E. McMillan

18” Dec. Sabbath: (Martha writes notes on the 23” Psalm from a selection of notes that Aunt Mary sent her.) 19” Dec. Monday. “This is Homer’s birth day. How quickly the years have gone by- He counts a man now - a boy no longer. I wrote to him to day_ he is at the Seminary at New Brunswick.” 21” Dec. Wed- “Mr. Clemens called. He sent me his “Mother’s Book” to read to day-- Like other lovely bright souls she has passed long since into the beyond. She too could have said “How beautiful to be with God.” 25” Dec. Sabb. “Philip off duty to day and Clayton on _ Jason came out with his (men? nice?) suit_ “long pants” and he and Jason at Sabbath School and church. Mr. Mc and Clara there. I was at home to day. A matter of necessity I never like to be away from church- especially the last Sabbath of the year or the first Sabbath. (Claser ?) brought Mr. Morton’s text home to me “And thou shalt remember all the ways which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness” The text it-self is a sermon - for many of us have been in the way all of forty years __ and we have much to remember. Clayton and Frank Perkins started the fire for me in the School house _ Harlan at church and came home with the folks - I had dinner waiting for them. Paul and I at the School house at three - A nice warm room a pleasant hour - it being Christmas day - the Scholars were absent - Paul and I went over the lesson and spent the hour as though there were a number there. These are the difficult things that confront every Christian mother -- but the exhortation is “Be ye not weary in well doing for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not” To become discouraged is natural To keep from being discouraged we must look away from our selves and from the gloomy surroundings. We have had a pleasant evening here at home. We missed all the absent ones - We read the 1:2 chapter of the Gospel of John this eve - Paul gets along nicely reading. Frank P- not very well this evening. None of us at the young folks meeting this evening. Snowed - beautiful (snow? sun?) to day.” 26” December. Monday: “We certainly had a long pleasant day - We stayed until Harlan started back to his place in Springfield - Some way I felt sad to have him leave us for we have had an unusually pleasant time with him. So glad he and Clara were both here and Sorry all the rest could not be here.” 27” Dec. Tuesday- “After an early dinner Clayton and Charlie P- left for Xenia on a Stove expedition. They took our little coal oil stove down and brought out a fancy coal stove. They did not get home until near six O clock.” “Paul went down to stay with her to night and tomorrow - We have missed him here this evening for no matter who comes or who goes we always have Paul with us.” 146