December 1828

Monday December 1, 1828. The weather stinging cold. I arose about 20 minutes past 7 o'clock, opened store and made a fire. Business not very good. We talk of having a bedroom built out at the corner of the counting [room] this coming Wednesday. George is going home tomorrow.

December 2, 1828. The weather very good for the time of year. Business very brisk. George started for home this morning. I arose about 1/2 past 7 o'clock. The Jacksonites are a going to have a grand cannonade tomorrow at 12 and at 6 o'clock. I hear nothing important from [the] Legislature only that all have abstained by vote from drinking ardent spirits at their boarding houses. A.W. Searle, organist at North Church, Portsmouth, is going to perform for a few evenings on the piano forte &c. News from Europe, important accounts, are the Russian army are on a retreat to their own dominions.

Wednesday December 3, 1828. The weather very pleasant. Mr.Sargent commenced our bedroom today. Business good. The Jacksonites began to fire today at 12 and fired about 75 pd. of powder away. The bells rang and they had a great "Hurrah" for Jackson. They began again about 6 o'clock and fired 125 pd. away in honour of their "Hero."

Thursday December 4, 1828. The weather pleasant. I have slept at Mrs. Evans since George went away. Business not very good today. We have got the frame of our room up today. It is some windy today. There is hardly an hour passes but what we hear some reports of guns fired by the Jacksonites in the neighboring towns.

Friday December 5, 1828. The weather is most remarkable for pleasantness and warmth this fall and winter that has been known for some years. Business not very good. We have got our room boarded and shingled and it will be clapboarded tomorrow. George has not come yet and of course he will not be here untill next week. I arise now mornings about 7 or a little after and go to bed at 9 o'clock. Old Col. Kent had a party at his house this eve and it was very large and respectable, composed chiefly of the members of Legislature and others. They went home about 10.

Saturday December 6, 1828. The weather remarkably pleasant. Business some better than it was. I have to stay very close to the store now George is gone. Nothing remarkable in the Legislature, only there is some debate upon the subject of a new town to be taken from "Salisbury and Northfield" and some others. I did not go to singing school tonight.

Sunday December 7, 1828. The weather remarkably pleasant. arose at 1/2 past 7 o'clock and dressed myself for meeting before breakfast. I went to meeting without a great coat and was plenty warm. Mr. Williams preached. I went to the Courthouse to meeting in the evening, Mr. Bouton, and it was a very full meeting.

Monday December 8, 1828. The weather remarkably pleasant and warm, almost as much so as summer. The workman comes again to work on our room and they will finish the woodwork tomorrow. George arrived tonight from Dover and his folks are all well. We are a going to have a new girl tomorrow and the old one is going away.

Tuesday December 9, 1828. The weather very pleasant but looks some like snow. Business pretty good. Our room is all finished but plastering. I expect Father over this week. A war is begun between Colombia and Peru, S.A Mrs. Evans has gone to Dover to spend the winter.

Wednesday December 10, 1828. The weather very good and business good likewise. Father, Mother and Aunt Sarah was over today to purchase some household furniture for Aunt. I expect she is going to get married soon. Father bought me a fur cap, a very nice one, cost $4.25. I expect to go home about the 25th. Father started for home about sunset. Mr. Pearson is going to plaster our room, he began about 8 o'clock.

Thursday December 11, 1828. The weather looks much like rain and the wind very high this afternoon. Business not very good. The subject of a new town to be called "Franklin" causes much debate in Legislature. The wind was so high this evening that Mr. Brad's bark mill, driven by the wind, fell to the ground and broke into pieces and came very nigh killing three men standing near!

Friday December 12, 1828. The weather good. Business not very good. Mr. Pearson sit up untill 1 o'clock last [night] at work on our room and finished it. I received news lately that the Russians had taken Varna, a Turkish city, which they had been beseiging a long time.

Saturday December 13, 1828. The weather delightful[l] for the time of year. I went to singing school tonight and had a very good sing. Been clearing up the shavings into a heap behind the store today and banked up our bedroom.

Sunday December 14, 1828. The weather very good and it rained some last night. I arose this morning about 8, dressed myself for meeting before breakfast. Went to meeting without a great coat, not cold. Mr. Williams preached.

Monday December 15, 1828. The weather quite pleasant but some colder that it has been. We arose about 6 o'clock, went to the store and built a fire. Business pretty good. I heard today that Bricket of Loudon had failed, but it is not true. I hear likewise that J. B. March of Dover had failed &c.

Tuesday December 16, 1828. The weather pleasant but some colder than it has been. Business not very good. We keep a furnace in our room to dry the plastering.

Wednesday December 17, 1828. The weather very good and business likewise. We expect to sleep in our room soon, it [is] most dry enough now. The theatre is in town yet. The Legislature will probably be in town 2 weeks.

Thursday December 18, 1828. The weather the reverse from what it has been, it being exceedingly cold. The ground will frees[z]e very hard tonight. We have moved our bed down from the house and we are going to sleep to the store tonight.

Friday December 19, 1828. The weather very cold and the river froze almost across last night. Business good. George has had a most violent teethache for 3 or 4 days. The Jackson Representi[a]tives have voted to celebrate the" 8th of January" and to have a Grand Ball on the eve at the Eagle Coffee House.

Saturday December 20, 1828. It is very cold and windy but business is good. It is good skating on the river owing to the cold which we have had a day or two past. The air feels some like snow but I don't know that we shall have any soon. George's face continues to grow worse and I think it is the ague. Mr. Kent is going to Boston Tuesday.

Sunday December 21, 1828. Rather chilly this morning. Arose about 8 and George at 9 o'clock. Mr. W. preached at the Baptist [Church], he is some out of health. I went to the Unitarians in the evening, Mr. Emerson. George did not attend meeting on account of his face.

Monday December 22, 1828. Cold and chilly this morning and business not very good. George's face grows worse and I think he will have to have his tooth drawed out.

Tuesday December 23, 1828. The weather cold. George's face aches "prodigiously" today. Mr. Kent has gone to Boston this morning. I have to do the business alone. I received a letter from home that Aunt Sarah was to be married Wednesday night and requesting me to attend it but I shall not be able to on account of George's face. I should liked to have gone much.

Wednesday December 24, 1828. It is very cold. We had some loading from Boston this morning on Foster's team. Business not very good. This is the most extraordinary weather that we have had for some time because we do not have any snow.

Thursday December 25, 1828. It is some chilly yet, especially in mornings. We go to bed about 10, arise at 7 1/2. We like our room much. George has had a tooth pulled and his face is some better.

Friday December 26, 1828. Business pretty good. It is more pleasant than it has been.

Saturday December 27, 1828. The weather rather more moderate. Business not good. The Jackson folks are circulating tickets for their Ball at a great rate. Mr. Brud has got his mill a going again.

Sunday December 28, 1828. The weather fine but some cold. I arose about 8 o'clock and was to breakfast. Mr. Chamberlain of Bow preached on account of ill health of Mr. Williams. I went to the Courthouse in the eve and it was very full. Mr. Bouton preached. Mr.Kent did not come last [night] as was expected but on what account I don't know.

Monday December 29, 1828. The weather pretty cold. Business not very good .. Mr. Kent did not arrive tonight, which appears strange.

Tuesday, December 30, 1828. The weather is the coldest today that we have had this year. We had 2 loads of salt tonight and I thought I should have frozen, it was so cold. Mr. Kent arrived tonight. There are a great many failures now in Dover, Portsmouth and Boston. Odionne & Serile & March and others have failed, merchants of Dover, and the factory girls revolted from their new agent on account of some new regulation which was made by him.

Wednesday December 31, 1828. The weather very cold and stinging. Business not very good. Not much business in the Legislature that is very interesting now. This is the last day of another year, going never to be recalled. What a solemn thought ought to arise from this, that we are one year nearer the end of our lives than we was when it began. Look back on the days which old "1828" has numbered and see the millions that ascended to the Bar of their God. It becomes us then to look forward on the approaching year as our last and to be prepared accordingly and with this I say to the closing year, "Farewell, 1828."