8 “The baby does not seem well. Fannie staid at home from school to help me attend to things.... I sat up today a few minutes for the first--the baby not well.” October 22, 1878 Tuesday “...The baby seems some better.” October 23, 1878 Wednesday “...The baby seems better.” October 24, 1878 Thursday “...Have not been feeling well with headache.” October 26, 1878 Saturday “ The baby sick last night. She had a very sore finger. She was very restless most of the night.... Our poor little baby struggling all night with inward spasms.... At fifteen minutes after eight the baby died. She has been with us first fifteen days--for fourteen nights she slept in my arms. All I could think of to day when I felt that she must die was that Jesus the tender Shepherd gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in his bosom.” October 28, 1878 Monday “...The funeral for our little baby daughter at ten this A.M. Quite a little company assembled in our sitting room & front bed room. Mr Morton and [ ] Torrance and Mr French, OS conducted the exercises. Mr Morton began the exercise by reading those Scriptures where Christ gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in his bosom. In his remarks he said that God had commissioned this little babe to do an important work for Him. He had sent her with a message to us. He had a lesson for her to teach us which could not be done so well any other way. O that He may give us strength and wisdom to learn the lesson he would teach and receive the blessings which Almighty love can bring out of the affliction. All of this family went to the cemetery but me. Sister Jane, Miss [ ] and Jane Rizer with me....” 1879 No notes by Rankin MacMillan 1880 A good account of daily life on the farm of James and Martha McMillan. The 3 older children, Fannie, Fred, and Harlan are in school, however it seemed a custom to keep one or all out of school whenever certain chores in the house or on the farm needed to be done. Winter. The winter of 1880 was very mild and very little snow. An early Spring–corn planted by May 20th. Early wheat harvest, started cutting wheat on June 20th. March 20. On March 20th a new baby arrived, named Clayton (this baby will be my father, who at the time I am reading and making these notes has been deceased since 1947) I might add that this year as I am reading these diaries of my grandmother Martha, I am 58 years old. I was only 2 3/4 years old when grandmother died, so I don’t really remember her. Grandfather James died before grandmother so I did not know him at all. As I read these diaries I learn that he (James) seemed to spend most of his time with the sheep, or in buying wool and
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