Went to office as usual {p. 51}

Got 9 car and went to Temple saw several of our family, Br. Winder presided 3 Apostles Hyrum Smith George A. Smith C. W. Penrose, George A. spoke on charity and afterwards went to office and to Belle’s and my house, went over my books and papers and packed up some things in my trunk & telescope {p. 152}

Reaper’s Club but I left and went down to Belle’s took linen for my garments then to the house again my dear home collecting more things etc. back to office to duty etc. No good letters only a few prosy ones, I do enjoy going to the house but get very weary when I do not find what I need. I have many reflections in going away not knowing what may transpire in my absence, I do wish I could give my own immediate family presents of value– however I must submit and give them love and good cheer and prayers for peace and happiness. I have nothing to bestow so much is required nowadays for daily use in rent & for printing {p. 153}

Had my trunk & telescope packed ready to go to the office the day is very cold and at last I had more and more callers but finally secured a man and had my things come to the office drew money from bank and paid some bills and decided on two or three things This is the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith² and there is to be a celebration in his honor all over the land wherever the saints are gathered and have places to do honor to his memory. Sister Smith has been to see me today and we had a pleasant time went down to Belle’s {p. 154}

This is my Annie’s birthday and I had expected to go North but was disappointed my only regret is that I cannot give her what I would like to Went down to Belle’s & over to my own house and bade them all good bye Next to Sister B. W. Smith’s to see her and tell her I was going, signed some orders to leave ready. She was very gracious & willing I should have leave of absence, went home in time for dinner there were 12 at table Annie Louise Margaret Daniel Emmeline Cavendish <Katherine> Abram David John Q. Theodore & myself We had a pleasant evening and I slept with Louise as usual, this is a fine house the best any of my family <has ever had> {p. 156}

³G. T. Sears #2833-Z {p. 53}

Went on 9. car to the office no special mail or news– felt very anxious commenced to sort papers and to pack my trunk, went out and had lunch, Mrs. Kelly came and we talked. finished letter to Sister Udall sent note to Don Spencer got message back, had many callers, messenger came to tell me to go to O.S.L.⁴ office got my transportation etc. went down home etc. Left Salt Lake 11.45. Annie & Daniel came to station with me had to take 3 cars. baby croupy when I left, sad heart children just in from operatta Annie’s Conference of Pioneer Stake held today was successful, Sister Lambert Stevenson & Romney <from Mexico> were visitors (Car Sophia) Berth 10 also C. S. Williams & (went to bed soon after Annie left me {p. 157}

This morning made stop at Shoshone,⁵ passed American Falls, lovely sight with ice flow came to Mi<na>doka [Minidoka] four ladies on the car besides myself breakfast alone fried mush & French toast– dinner with Fred Keisel [Kiesel] of Ogden, moved into No. 7 <Berth> car Snowden evidently a sheep country young woman on train Mrs. McNeal of Spokane [Washington] looks as if a heavy storm were coming on. Changed cars at 3. p.m. Nampa at 4 p.m. passed Caldwell. Payette 5. p.m. very tired. aching with fatigue & the idea of changing in the night Weiser 5.20. Huntington [Oregon] 6. p.m. stop 15 minutes, suffered much with anxiety and because conductor had my ticket {p. 158}

At 4. p.m. came in to Pendleton [Oregon] got off train went into depot– station and took Hotel Bus, went to Golden Rule Hotel took a room and went to bed, train will leave at Nine– A.M. Slept rather cold but had my bath robe on and socks, and woke early had breakfast and took Bus went on train got a Pullman, two women from Walla Walla [Washington] were going home from the east one Miss Haan and the other Mrs. Schetz– mother’s name Wells– from Virginia, a tedious Sabbath though I had plenty of reading came into Tekoa [Washington] about six had supper– had dined at C [blank space] rather a decent dinner– sent telegram to Will [William W. Woods] and Mell slept comfortably and rose in good time {p. 159}

Monday breakfast went on train for Wallace [Idaho] at 9.35– and slowly traveled to Wallace past the Coeur d’alene [Coeur d’Alene, Idaho] lake and reached station on time, Will and Mell were there drove to the home in sleigh and had lunch first of all– then Will went to the office and Mell and myself were left alone to visit. evening Mell sung a few old songs for me and hymns and we talked and talked and so did Will after dinner this is my first night, fire in stove in my chamber, the one reserved for guests, and is very pleasant, felt very comfortable and would be happy if I knew all were well at home especially {p. 160}

Today reading visiting talking and so forth, Will coming home to dinner and to lunch and staying home in the evening reading and conversing. Mell got out the letters⁶ she had spoken of in her letter to me and we looked over and picked out those we thought best to read– they are very much faded and creased and scarcely legible in many pages but nevertheless give one a good insight into the life and circumstances of the family of my husband some things we learned that none of us knew had a pleasant evening with Will. Mell sung some of the old songs of long ago {p. 161}

Today Mell has the minister coming and wants me to meet him⁷ and so I have put on my dress and blue waist and white silk shawl and she did my hair her way, and the minister Dr. Nilan came with his supercilious smile and affected manner heightened or emphasized by eye-glasses, I disliked him from the moment I saw him– during his call Mrs. Johnson & Mrs. Beale came and it was not very agreeable with that combination. I do not care to meet these people but Mell wants me to, reading more letters today about Mrs. Eliza R. [Robison] Wells is very interesting and seems strange after his death.⁸ {p. 162}

Mell had the sleigh on wheels and we went to the Hospital then she went to the Post Office Milliners etc. and I came home– afterwards she went to the Relief Corps and so on and I begun letters and finished one to Sister Smith and we had an intellectual evening. Will is superior in attainments and in his intelligence good-natured kind affectionate loves the girls Belle and Annie and also Kate [Catherine Y. Wells] particularly and Rulon– rather proud of Hebe [Heber M. Wells] and speaks kindly of Nett and of the Auntie’s. At evening Mell & Will went for a few minutes to the Jewish Charity ball for aiding Russian Jews came home early, Mell was dressed up very elaborately– Will in dress suit {p. 163}

All day after a few hours with Mell I go to the letters again, so many of them, and to know that Mrs. Wells ever thought of marrying again seems so strange, I do not believe the Esquire⁹ knew about it, he always spoke as if she could not do such a thing, so now I see her character differently than before. His sister¹⁰ adored him to the last, they all thought him deluded. Dolly told <Will. & Mell> them that Albert [E. Wells] would like to come to Salt Lake and see his brothers and sisters, Dolly & Paul [King] are in Gardenia [Gardena, California] with her father¹¹ these letters belong to Will, they were his mother’s¹² possessions {p. 164}

We expected Verona very certain but she came not, Will went to the train to meet her as he has every day this week since I came. Still reading old letters written from Rochester,¹³ Holland Patent and Wisconsin and Iowa– Today Mr. [Charles W.] Betts came and spent the evening– he is from Long Island very shy but a good conversationalist {p. 165}

Mell went to Church and I began letter to George Q. in Canada– read some and tried to rest Daisie [Dunford Allen] was to come on noonday train also expected Verona as we had every day this week since I came– Daisie came Will went to train and met her and came with her. to the house {p. 166}

Today we talked incessantly Daisie and her mother went out and I wrote a little on George Q’s letter and Daisie came home and went over my horoscope and told me many things or what they meant¹⁴ {p. 167}

Finished George Q.’s letter and sent it away and wrote a Xmas letter to the children at home Expected Verona, <Will> sent a telegram received an answer– she will come as soon as possible may be Wednesday if not Thursday– {p. 168}

I wrote to Louise & Margaret and to Sister B. W. Smith and have the letter to Sister Smith ready. {p. 169}

My mother’s birthday anniversary¹⁵ she would have been one hundred & eleven or ten we had a very peaceful day and talked a great deal about Daisie’s difficulty with her husband which was terrible indeed, how she has borne it and forgiven one can scarcely imagine, and yet she feels he has really repented and is the father of her children. I finished the Holy Grail today and read in other books {p. 170}

In a book called the Church of St. Bunco by Gordon Clark we find the saying of Dr. Phinehas [Phineas] Parkhurst Quinby of Maine, “that matter was a phase of mind”. My opinion is that Dr. Quinby and Dr. Simons were of the same mind or views that is in reference to healing, natural gift Verona & boys came from Spokane today and we had lunch, Will & Mell Daisie & Verona, Robert [C. Hillard] & Barry [Hillard] and myself we had a good lunch & then Daisie went off on the train for Spokane, and Verona and I visited she is much changed in every way very thin {p. 171}

Today is the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Sharon Vermont and the monument erected to him is to be dedicated today in that town. Junius has been the founder or the originator and has superintended the whole work.¹⁶ A party from Salt Lake have gone on there to be present at the services to be held Christmas eve and we had a pleasant evening together, Mell has given me a book and we had one or two letters in the evening we had the driftwood blaze and some music and brilliant talk {p. 172}

Christmas morning and I am so troubled I can scarcely be myself about home & the Xmas tree slept very little, Bob & Barry went hunting with Mr. C. W. Betts had a lot of fun, Mell gave me my new bonnet and a blue waist nun’s veiling Verona gave me handsome handsome handkerchief from little boys– nun’s veiling waist and an expensive <Mell> bonnet from Will and herself. Daisie gave me nine handkerchiefs Mr. Betts came to dinner there were seven at dinner at 5. p.m. turkey plum pudding cake etc. all the dainties imaginable in the evening after Mr. Betts went away Verona sung Josephine and one or two other songs, Mell the boys and I had a fine sleigh ride yesterday {p. 174}

Today is the farewell from the dear ones here, all is ready Verona goes with me to Spokane, bade all Good Bye, the boys did not seem to care they do not know me, Mell is much overcome I think. Went to train with me, we had a lovely ride and took steamer Spokane at Harrison [Idaho] for Spokane pleasant trip and reached [blank] Electric cars to the City cars late went to Holliday Hotel, then to restaurant, Daisie Martin [Allen] & Tom [S. Thompson Allen] came spent the evening. Verona working every minute on my waist, in a pitch of excitement, she is so very nervous on a strain all the time. I am in hopes to have some influence over her for good {p. 175}

Have been reading in a story in Appleton’s Book Saver July number, 1905 The Rechoning [Reckoning] by Robert W. Chambers. Story of the Revolution– slept miserably, very disagreeable day Dr. Turnbull¹⁷ came early while I was dressing and soon after reporter from the Chronicle called up by telephone,– Dr. Turnbull came back later and we had a talk then went to Davenports to lunch Dr. Turnbull and Verona & myself, the Dr. showed me thro the café all except the elegant wine rooms, I read aloud to Verona while she sewed A German Story called Memories, a very beautiful thing containing many truths went to Mrs. Vincents to dinner at 6. p.m. finished reading aloud to V. last night {p. 176}

This morning Verona and myself had tea in the room and left in carriage at Seven for train, she came to station with me parted there as I had at the Hotel Holliday with Daisie last night, it was very sad. I wrote to Mell today I think it was mailed by the Porter at Walla Walla a dismal gloomy day and no diner on the train, so felt hungry and faint, stopped at Starbuck [Washington] about 1.30– miserable dinner tea poor, no meat or vegetable I could eat but after changing at Pendleton we put on diner and had supper, very good {p. 177}

This is Dot’s wedding anniversary, nine years ago, I hope they are well and happy, Sarah M. Kimballs birthday she would be 87 today. A very independent spirit and also intelligent. just three weeks tonight since I left home, and I shall reach home now very soon. I have written Dasie & Verona on the way also Mell first– of all– how strange one feels not to know of one’s own how they are. {p. 178}

¹⁸Returned to Salt Lake

{p. 54}

Went to office on ten o’clock car and looked over mail then tried again and again to telephone Belle, found at last she was sick, Louise went with me to lunch at Franklin’s, in the afternoon made a call on Sister B. W. Smith and stayed about two or three hours. read from the record of the first Relief Society organized by the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, Illinois. Alice came in with the paper of Dec. 30 in which was the Annual Address written by her for her Grandma,¹⁹ and after she was gone I read it aloud to Sister Smith, and we talked over many things past present and future, then wrote a letter to Mell and sent message to Belle I would see her tomorrow, and left for home, arrived cold and found all well and cheerful {p. 179}

Rose late children all at Sunday School, Annie & baby only ones at home, did a few little things and made ready to go to Belle’s on the way went to the new Post Office Building for the first time mailed two letters to George Q. at Raymond one for his mother and one for Louise & Emmeline Reached Belle’s at 5.25 and found her in bed very sick had pain in back and side could hardly talk at all, barely responding when telling her anything; had supper there and came home on 8.30 car, the girls had been to evening meeting, after awhile Annie Louise and Margaret filled children’s stockings everything done for them much as if their papa had been at home, sat the old year out & new year in Annie Louise Margaret Daniel baby Theodore & myself bell rang whistles blew guns fired {p. 180}