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Saturday March 31st. The weather still pleasant but threatens rain at no very distant period. This has been one of the days not to be forgotten. Everything was topsy-turvy and in the midst of the confusion who should come by my dear friend Mattie D. Jones with her brother and sister. I had a nice time with Mattie, was so glad to see her, but sorry they came at such an unfavorable time. They started away about 3 P.M. were going to Jonathan Roberts’. I got in the wagon and rode up as far as the Corner with them, then went over to see my old friend and school-mate Mary J. Detwiler but she was not at home; however, I spent the afternoon very pleasantly with Agnes. Will Sullivan escorted me home in the evening, found Isaac Dickinson at our house when we arrived. Jake Clemens and Carrie came over in the evening and took Manda to an exhibition up at Union Hall Sunday April 1st. The weather quite pleasant until towards evening when it commenced raining. Samuel went to Salem this morning; Judson, Jonathan, and Isaac Dickinson went to Willistown; Mr. D. Cornog came and took Mother and Rachel to the Valley; and Manda went to Presbyterian; so that I was the only one left at home, had a very nice time all alone. But after dinner it did not seem at all like Sunday. Dave Clemens was the first stranger that came, then Sophia Cornog, then Robinson Beaver, then Harry Rennard, and lastly Mordecai Cornog. Harry took Manda to meeting in the evening. I had made an engagement to go with David to Willistown, but did not go on account of the rain. Monday April 2nd. Arose much earlier than usual as Manda and I had to clean the bed-steads before breakfast. The neighbors began to collect pretty soon after breakfast to assist us in moving from our dear old Valley Farm. There were quite a number of men present but the most important one of all was our near, and kind neighbor Robison Beaver; he is really the most useful man in time of a hurry that I ever knew, don’t know what the people in this neighborhood would do without his assistance on all extra occasions. We had a splendid dinner prepared by 11 A.M., by which time everything except the dishes in use were packed so that the men were obliged to eat in a standing posture except those who were so fortunate as to find some old wooden benches which were to be left on the premises; don’t know how we should have done if Mr. Acker had not purchased our lunch-table at the sale and left it for our accommodation. After dinner the teams started for Valley Forge with the goods, while the wagons containing the “live stock” started for Phoenixville. Abe Cobourn took Amanda, Jonathan, and myself over to Aunt Mary Sloan’s; we made but a short stay. Aunt Mary put on her bonnet and shawl and went with us to Coz. Annie Dunlap’s, from there Annie & Jannie went with us to the Office of an Ambrotypist where Amanda and I had our likenesses taken to send back with “Abraham” to Cornog’s girls, they were very good pictures indeed, were pronounced excellent by all who saw them. Clear and quite cold all day. Tuesday April 3rd. Cloudy with a cold damp air. We, that is Mother, Rachel, Amanda, Judson, Jonathan, and I took the morning train for the great city of Reading, met several of my acquaintances at the Phoenixville depot — Mr. Hay, “Randy”, Dave Adams, Mary Louisa Epler, and “little Mary Sloan.” We had a very pleasant trip. Uncle Thomas met us at the depot and took us home with him. |
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