The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-07-15
Family Diaries.

day OF her death, some thirty years
after, there had been literally no
twenty-four hours without a line.
The memorable morning when little
Mary cut her first tooth, when Charles
donned trousers, the excitement of the
first school days !; later, the debuts
into society, the entering of college,
the graduation, the weddings, the first
g%randchild, were all faithfully and con-
cisely recorded. And now that she
has passed over into the great silence,
what an inestimable value this family
record has for both the present and
coming generations.
In a very interesting conversation
some time ago with John Bryant,
brother Of William Cullen Bryant, be
told me that his mother had also kept
just such a diary, and that it was
regarded as their chieffamily treasure.
[ know Of another very interesting
case, where in a certain farm house
some one Of the family made an en-
try every night in a great blank book
called the home journal. This was
kept by the whole family, and now that
the children are men and women doing
their work out in the great world,
nothing interests them so much when
they 60 back to the old homestead as
to get out the we'll worn book and read
about the sleighing party, the debate
at the school house, the ingathering of
nuts, the first trial of a new qua, etc.
1t is childhood come back in a visible
shape.
Nothing could serve better to bind
boys and girls together in a strong
family union than the keeping Of such
a journal. And it would seem to be
of special Importance in America
where the young so constantly break
away from the old homestead and
strike out for themselves, and where
whole families often make q complete
transfer from East to West. Without
some such record, it needs only three
or four generations to lose complete
trace Of. the family pedigree. Some of
US hardly know that we had great.
grandfathers, and are equally ignorant
of our grandmother's maiden name;
and to know something Of ones an
| cestry is Of absorbing interest from both
the historical and scientific points Of
view. We can at least aid coming
generations in picking up the threads
Of family history, though I confess it
is chiefly for the interest and benefit
to ones own generation that I recon-
mend the family diary.
Perhaps all are ready enough to admit
the advantages Of such a record and
most people have at various times
made a fair start in this direction, only
to break down after a few weeks trial.
The chief reason for this faulty per.
severance is that one usually attempts
too much.
Most people live quiet lives and mix
but little with the great ones of the
world, and have therefore, little of
general Importance to record. Yet
every man life is Of Importance to
him and his, and everyone should keep
a record of the days as they pass. Only
one must not attempt too much, and
one must begin in the right way.
1t is a mistake in ths first place to
purchase a diary regularly laid out
with the dates for each day, as the
events vary so much in Importance.
1t is far better to buy a blank book
and write ones own date at the begin
ming of each days record, which
should be but the briefest possible
mention of events, and one should
never try to write when there is
nothing to say. The first entry Of
the day should be a brief note on the
weather. 1t takes but a moment, and
in a few years one has a complete
record of weather that is both curious
and useful, and is of local as well as
of family interest. Then should
follow the visits paid and received, also
the letters written and received, the
payment of money or business trans
actions. Above all things one should
make note Of the books read. Not
the least advantage of this is being
able to respond intelligently and
promptly to the oft repeated request
from old and young: "Tell me some
thing to read" A rapid glance over
the journal will usually supply one
with just the proper advice to give.
I have frequently known of the
critical point in important lawsuits
being decided upon entries of this
kind.
One well-known litterateur has
solved the problem of keeping a diary
in a very simple way. She always
gets a good sized calendar to begin
the year with, and opposite each date
records briefly the leading events Of
the day.
The present day interest in "hu-
man documents of itself suggests an
other important addition to family re-
cords. Every family should have sub
stantial book, aquarto volume of stout
paper, solidly bound, in which should
be mounted small photographs of
different members Of the family.
Upon each photograph should be a
note giving the age and the most i'm
portant fact of the life, at the time
the picture was taken. A sufficient
number could be mounted on a page
to reveal at one opening Of the book
from ten to twenty years of life's his
tory.
The keeping of a journal of what
ever kind helps to cultivate order,
regularity and selection. 1t is also a
gread aid to the memory and obser-
v%ation, as one inevitably observes
more accurately and makes greater
demands upon the memory when he
expects to commit what he sees to
paper, while the writing still further
txer his experiences in mind.
Considering all the advantages it is
not to be wondered at that Charles
James Matthews exclaimed: ooh, that
l had had time and patience to keep
a diary + What a world of trouble it
would have saved me, and what endless
odd details and incidents now forgot
ten 1 should have been able to record"
Keeping the State Rum Mill.
COLUMBIA, July 3.-The State board of
control issued an order to-day in which
| fheu instruct the COUNTY dispensers to