In
school. Out engineering with [Capt.] Syberg. Feel sick. I cannot get a
place at the Post Office. Saw Major Tyler & he does not want any more
clerks. I am sorry but I will be compelled to go on with my school, such as it
is. Oh God, grant that I may be successful in my school.
November
2, 1866
In
school. Warm & pleasant. Went out engineering with Syberg. Reading &
writing. Nothing new.
November
3, 1866
Saturday.
At Syberg's. Surveying a little in afternoon with him. Let me have $28.00 to pay
rent. Paid Hughs. At auction with Cole. Gave me two pieces of soap. Rather warm
today. Judge Watkins told Syberg he did not want anything to do with me as he
considered me an abolitionist because I kept the negroes in my house with me.
Watkins need not throw stones when he lives in a glass house.
November
4, 1866
Sunday.
At home. [Ed] Sauter here, Cole also. Read & wrote, &c.
November
5, 1866
In
school. Another boy. Warm & pleasant. Dr. Hartt called on me. Reading &
writing. Nothing new. Saw Major Tyler. said probably in three weeks could give
me a place as watchman with same salary as before. I wish he could give me a
better one.
November
6, 1866
In
school. Nothing new. Mrs. Crouse's girl buried.
November
7, 1866
In
school. Philip Bernays is obliged to go to school to the .....
November
8, 1866
Rainy.
In school. Col. Ruff here. Syberg says he has nothing to do with the Bernays
affair. He calls Bernays a rascal.
November
9, 1866
In
school. Drizzly a little.
November
10, 1866
At
home.
November
11, 1866
Sunday.
November
12 through November 14, 1866
At
school.
November
15, 1866
In
school. Slept with [Ed] Sauter.
November
16 through November 17, 1866
At
school.
November
18, 1866
Sunday.
At home.
November
19, 1866
In
school. Nothing new. Helping Dr. Hartt translating French.
November
20, 1866
In
school. Fred Syberg got mad. Said he would not come to me anymore. Writing. Down
to Whitler's teaching girl. My school will be nothing. I do not know what to do.
Did not see Cole today. Read the other day, The Knight of Groynne by [C.
J.] Lever. Good. Got letter from [my sister] Augusta the other day. [1]
Wants me to put in some money to get Ma gold spectacles but when she heard I was
doing so badly, she said she would put in for me, & let it go as if it was
for me. I am much obliged to her for doing it. I am so much in debt that I do
not know when I shall be able to get out. Oh God, grant that I may be able to do
something more prosperous. Give me more prosperity. Help me to get into something
to get out of debt & save myself from being completely dishonored. Forsake
me not now. Sink me no lower, it if be thy will. Grant that more prosperous
times may come & that I will not be completely deserted, that I may be able
to earn enough to get out of debt & earn my daily bread. Forsake me not now
-- sinner that I am. If my degradation is sufficient, O help me to rise out of
the mire & pollution in which I am sunk. Give me power to rise. Assist me.
Give me strength.
[Editor's
Note: Goodrich did not make an entry in his diary again until December 11,
1866.]
[1]
Augusta Goodrich's letter, written from Lincoln, Kansas, appears below:
October
29, 1866
Lincoln
[Seneca
County, Kansas]
My
dear brother Ralph. Our folks have not heard from you in some time when they
wrote last. I hope you are well and doing well. I was glad to hear you had
as good a place as you wrote about. I should think it would be easy if not
as profitable as some other employment. Are you still there and how do you
get along? Have you been well and does your head still trouble you? You had
a very narrow escape. Did you ever get any clue as to who did it? That
affair of Dr. Webb was awful. Did they prove it on anyone?
We
all keep usually well. The boys are at home yet as school has not commenced.
Willie went the summer term for the first [time] and will probably go this
winter as it is but a short distance. We are having for us quite a treat –
that is apples. [My husband] James went some over fifty miles last week to Atchison
on the Missouri River
and brought us twelve bushels. He had to pay $1.00 and $1.20 a basket for
them. We never have had any since we came to Kansas
[over ten years ago], but if we have good success will have on the farm
[near Topeka] after awhile. Some of the [apple] trees [we planted in 1856] blossomed
some this year and one apple staid on but somebody picked it before [it was]
ripe. There were no peaches on our place this year [either]. Do you have
apples and peaches plenty there? I’ll bet you have one thing that I love
and which grows better there than here, and that is sweet potatoes. They do
very well here some years.
We
were visited the 1st of September by a great swarm of grasshoppers – or as
some call them, locusts. They filled the air and covered the ground for over
two weeks and ate all the garden and considerable corn. And some think they
will destroy everything next year as the ground is full of eggs. They are a
great nuisance. I heard from [our brother] James Goodrich a few weeks ago.
He was at Junction City
[Kansas] and was still teaming [and] had been across the plains this summer. That
Mr. Storms you spoke of used to live at Topeka. I never saw him but my husband and James Goodrich were acquainted with
him. I think James Goodrich either worked for him or boarded with him some
time. Is he married? I suppose Aunt Mary is either on her way or already at Cincinnati. They have had the cholera there lately. Have there been any cases at
Little Rock? None with us and none for anywhere in Kansas.
Sarah,
Mary, Steve & myself talk of getting Ma a pair of gold spectacles and
don’t let her know anything about it until they are presented to her. They
will probably cost about 15 dollars. I have written to see if James Goodrich
will help toward them and will also ask, as I am writing, [and] give you the
same privilege. If not convenient, do not do so as I know your losses have
been great. But if you would put in a couple of dollars – or a dollar, no
matter which, you can send it to [our sister] Mary so as not to have Ma know
anything about it. She opens [our sister] Sarah’s letters… Winter
weather is almost here. We have a fire some days now, although we have had
no frost to kill the rines until last week.
Your
affectionate sister, -- Augusta [Goodrich] Griffing
