The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-03-25
Bob Cummings's Diary.

The other day Mrs. Cummings brought
out of the clOthes-press, for poor wom-
an who had seven small children and
stood at the back door, an old coat of
BOb's. Before giving il away she sought
the usual assurance that there was Meth
ing in the pockets, and in the search she
felt something between the coat and the
lining, Just under the inside pocket. Al
ter some difficulty she succeeded IN re-
covering it through hole in the atore-
said pocket, by which doubtless 1t had
found its way to its hiding-place. 1t
proved to be little black covered book,
fastened together by a tongue and loop,
having on the back, in gilt letters,
g Dairy, $780," Opening it, she saw,
on the upper right-hand corner of the
title-page the words. Z" Robert Cum
mings, Jr., from Uncle Joe," and then
she remembered to have seen the book
before, about the first of january. Be
low is an exact copy of its contents:
Jan. l. This is New Years Day.
Uncle Joe gave me this diary to-day.
am going to write in it every night just
before going to bed. Every boy and
girl ought to keep diary, so when he
gets a man he can see what he did when
he was a boy This is New Years Day,
and there amt no school to-day, and
have played with Billy all day:
Billy is my goat. got up and
ate breakfast, then harnessed
Billy and went around and saw
Uncle Joe and he gave me this diary
He says it is the best thing boy can do
to keep a diary, but he says it is the
hardest thing a boy can do. ike to
keep a diary. let Jimmie Green drive
nv goat while Uncle Joe told me how
to keen my diary, and he let all the boys
drive him, and they broke my sled. l
amt agoing to lend Billy any more. L
ate dinner and then played with Billy
some more. I showed all the boys my
diary, and they are going to ask their
fathers for one, too. ate supper ana
played deminoes with Uncle Joe TILL
O'Clock. am going to begin to write
in nv diary every night at 8 O'Clock SO
I won't get sleepy. 1t IS 8 O'Clock and
am going to bed.
Jan. 2 Got up this morning and ate
breakfast Come to the conclusion TO
leave off the "I - in my diary. Don't
see any use of it. Went to school IN
the morning and didn't have my geog--
raphy lesson, but the class IS so Dlg
had only one question to answer ana
Jimmy Green told me that. Showed
nv diary to Jimmy Green, and he
showed it to Johnnie Barlow, and he
showed it to George Steiner, and teacher
came near seeing George reading 1t.
Ate supper and played with Billy. Then
wrote in my diary. 1 am going to bed
Ian. 3. Concluded not to say l got up
this morning, because l get up every
morning. Jimmy Green and George
Steiner have got diaries. Johnnie Bar
low hSd one, but the teacher took II
from him and threw it into the stove. he
was awfuI mad. and says his father viii
make the teacher pay for it. Ate dinner
and went to school in the afternoon
teacher said we must all write composi-
tions for tomorrow. Am going 20 write
about diaries. Must stop now and Wrlte
nv composition. Forgot to say ate
nv supper. Now for composition
Jan. 4. Concluded not 70 say L 5sLe
my breakfast, dinner and supper Ue-
cause I do that every day. went 10 20
school this morning. Jonnnle l,. DtliG% ~.
/ hos orot another diary but he don I ieO
/ 4Lo +eocber see II. Went to school IN
- ~ ofternoon Read my composition
- 5;arias The teacher said he hoPeG
/ o4I,o-. IiftIe bows wonld keep their dla-
S;es at home, like do. 1 am glad 10
iiiJt Ton PLAYED so hard I'm too sleepy
70 write what did to-day. Perhaps /
will tomorrow
Ian s. Went to church this morning
| The minister's text was Mathew ZSUth
| cbenter- first verse. Am going to put
down the text every Sunday. Went "a
/ Sunday-school. In the afternoon read
nv Sunday-school book, which IS named
g ffhe Boy who Saved the Lie OF an
4 Angle Worm" Am going to try to be
like him. Went to church In the even
ing. Can't remember the text. Nelthei
can father and mother.
Ian. 7. After this, when 1 say went
to school. I mean all day. Went TO
. school. Wrote in my diary last night
tin I was too sleepy to learn my lessons
and had to stay after school. Toe
sleepy now to write any more.
Jan. S. This is written in school or
Jan. 9. Concluded TO 90 to bed early
and write in my diary next day. Wen
: to school. Didn't do any thing much.
Jan. 9. Guess III write every othel
, dav. This is Jan. IL. Didn't do an
4 thing much.
much.
e Jan. II.
B Jan. II.
? Jan. 19. Forgot what I did yesterda,
e and day before. Nlu HLIsh o4iLo ~
: night.
j. Jan. Il.
o Jan. 15.
Jan. 16.
= and then catch up
e Jan. Is.
e Jan. 10.
= Jan. 20.
Jan. 21.
Jan. p. Sick to-day. But what good
a a diary anyhow?
Skipping three white pages IN tn
T little biack-covered book from which v
ul copv the above entries, we find two pei
n eli sketches which, after long and clos
examination, we conclude to have bee
Intended for portraits OF Bob's schOo
sy master and the goat, respectively; al
ID that is all we can find in Bob's diary f
" 1880. Probably Bob viii not resuH
m his task until next spring.-Amertel