The Portland daily press., 1880-03-20
Bob's Diary.

The other day Mrs. Cummings brought ou
of the clothes press, for poor woman who
had seven small children and stood at the back
door, an old coat of Bob's. Before giving it
away she sought the usual assurance that there
was nothing in the pockets, and in the search
she felt something between the coat and the
lining just under the pocket. After some diff.
Guilty she succeeded in recovering it through
hole in the aforesaid pocket, by which doubt
less, it had found its way to its hiding-place.
1t proved to be a little black covered book,
fastened together by tongue and loop, having
on the back, in gilt letters, "Diary, $780,"
Opening in she saw, Oh the upper right-hand
corner of the title page, the words, "Robert
Cummings, Jr., from Uncle Joe," and then
she remembered to have seen the book before,
about the first of January. Below is an exact
copy of its contents:
January 1. This is New Years Day Uncle
Joe gave me this diary to-day. 1 am going to
write in it every night just before going to
bed. Every boy and girl ought to keep a diary
SO when he gets man he can see what he did
so when he was boy This is New Years
Day. and there amt no school to-day, and 1
have played with Billy all day. Billy is my
goat. 1 got up and ate breakfast, then har-
messed Billy and saw Uncle Joe and he gave
me this diary. He says it is the best thing
boy can do to keep diary, but he says it is
the hardest thing a boy can do. don't see
where the hard comes in. L like to keep
diary. l let Jimmy Green drive my goat
while Uncle Joe told me how to keep my diary
and he let all the boys drive him, and they
broke my sed ] amt a-going to lend Billy
any more. | ate dinner and then played with
Billy some more. 1 showed all the boys my
diary and they are going to ask their fathers
for one, too 1 ate supper and played dominoes
with Uncle Joe till eight o'clock. l am going
to begin to write in my diary every night at
eight o'clock so won't get sleepy. 1t is nine
o'clock and am sleepy.
January 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 schoolin the morning and didn't have
my geography lesson, but the class is so big l
only had one question to answer, and Jimmie
Green told me that. Showed my diary TO JIM
mie Green and he showed it to Johnnie Bar
low, and he showed it to George Steiner and
teacher came near seeing George reading it,
Ate supper and played with Billy. Then
wrote in my diary. l am going to bed.
January 3. Concluded not to say got up
this morning, because get up every morning
Jimmie Green and George Steiner have got
diaries. johnnie Barlow had one, but the
teacher took it from him and threw it into the
stove. He was awful mad and says his father
will make the teacher pay for it. Ate dinner
and went to school in the afternoon. The
teacher said we must all write compositions to-
morrow. Am going to write about diaries.
Must stop now and write my composition. For
got to say ate my supper. Now for compost
ton.
January 4. Concluded not to say ate my
breakfast, dinner and supper, because do
that every day. Went to school this morning
Johnnie Barlow has got another diary, but he
don't let the teacher see it. Went to school
in the afternoon. Read my composition on
diaries. The teacher said he hoped other lit
tie boys would keep their diaries at home like
| do. l am glad tomorrow is Saturday.
January s. Played so hard Pm too sleepy to
write what did to-day. Perhaps 1 will to-
morrow.
January6 6. Went to church this morning
The minister's text was Matthew, 2S0th chap
ter, first verse. Am going to put down the
text every Sunday. Went to Sunday school.
In the afternoon read my Sunday-school book,
which is named "The Boy who Saved the Life
of an Angle Worm" Am going to try to be
like him. Went to church in the evening.
Can't remember the text. Neither can father
and mother.
january After this when say went to
school mean all day. Went to school. Wrote
in my diary last night till was too sleepy to
learn my lessons, and had to stay after school.
Too sleepy now to write any more.
January 8. This is written in school on JAN
uary 9th. Concluded to go to bed early and
write in my diary next day. Went TO school,
Didn't do anything much.
JAM y. GueSS L llWrlte every Otner day.
| This is Jan. II. Didn't do anything much.
Jan. 10. Went to school. Didn't do much.
JAN IL.
JAN II.
Jan. 13. Forget what l did yesterday and
day before. Will finish this tonight.
Jan. IA.
Jan. 10.
Jan. 16.
| Jan. II.
Jan. Is. Going to wait till I'm sick and
| then catch up.
Jan. 10.
Jan 20.
Jan 81.
Jan. %. Sick to-day. But what good is a
diary, anyhow?
Skipping three white pages in the little black
| covered book from which we copy the above
entries, we find two pencil sketches which af-
ter long and close examination, we conclude
to have been intended for portraits of Bob's
school-master and the goat, respectively; and
that is all that we can find IN Bob's diary for
| 1880. Probably Bob will not resume his task
until next year.-American Rural Home.