The Journals of Martha E. McMillan

February 1 Feb. Thursday…. I wrote to all the children that are away today. [...] 6 Feb. Tuesday… I have been putting my time in these days on a feather mattress. [...] 7 Feb. Wed. … This afternoon Clara and I at the Congregational prayer meeting. The meeting was prayer for the new church building. [...] 8 Feb. Thursday. … I have put in another day on the feather mattress. [...] The smallpox in Ced. is on the increase. I do not forget that this is Fannie’s birthday although she is far away tonight. A peddler stopping in the barn tonight with his team. 9 Feb. Friday. ...I finished my feather mattress today. This is the second one I have made. [..] 12 Feb. [...] I began the third feather mattress today. [...] I have been on the sick list today. 14 Feb. Wed. A chilly day. The ground damp - Mr. Mc. at Mr. Amos Creswell’s sale - They came home past Ced. Will Mc. rode out with him. The Faith Cure folks are taking the town. They were baptizing some of their converts this afternoon. They stopped at the creek as they came home. There were a great many at the sale. Mr. Mc. there to dinner. Uncle Joe at C, this P.m. - home in time to dinner. [...] I have been at the mattress today again. 15 Feb. Thurs. [...] This afternoon I attended the W.C.T.U meeting at Mrs. Morton’s. We had a pretty full meeting - it will be two years Saturday since Miss Frances E. Willard died. [...] This eve Robert and Albert and Charlie N. at the Opera House at “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” 17 Feb. Sat. [...] This is quite a winter night; too “cool” for me to venture out. [...] 18 Feb. Sabbath. [...] Clara and Leon and Paul and I started to Sabbath School, only Paul and I reached there - the girls at church - and so were we - “Paul and I.” [...] Charlie and Paul and I there [at Sabbath School]. We had five scholars - only. [...] 21 Feb. Wed. [...] Robert has been on the sick list all day - I have been taking his place. 23 Feb. Friday. [...] This afternoon Mr. Mc. and I at a congregational meeting to talk action on a new church building. [...] 24 Feb. Sabbath. [...] At noon David McPrath? an Irishman late of Chicago stopped in and was nearly froze - he stayed with us for dinner - and with us tonight. This evening Albert Harris like 170