July 14, 1912 - Sunday

14 Saw Dan at breakfast. He has written lots in his diary. Muz has bought a new trunk for us (herself and me, not D. and me) Don is not home yet but it’s only 3 oclock so far and “Hope springs eternal in the human breast” you know. Muz and I house-cleaned to beat the band and sorted out a lot of junk we didn’t want from what we did. Dan showed Muz some of the illustrations in his diary. They were very good. Poor Dan! About everyone in the house has seen the spicy part of his diary but not all of it. My eyes ache pretty badly.

It is partly that that impels me to the following momentous step:

                To Whom It May Concern:- I, the undersigned, do hereby solemnly swear and affirm that, during the week, beginning this fourteenth day of August A.D. 1912, I will read or peruse no printed matter whatever , books, pamphlets, newspapers, magazines or reading material in any form, saving and excepting that contained in diaries or letters.

                Witness my hand and seal

                                Marjorie W. James

                Witnesses – Grace T. James

P.S. This is no joke. I’m going to try and keep the resolution. Bess, Helen and Lillian are here today. Bess seems to think I have a crush on Dan. 

If she changed the a in that to o she would have been “warmer”. The Dibbles have been loading her infant mind with all the horrible and revolting details of my wild career. I guess I shan’t ever let anyone except, possibly, Muzzy see this book till I’m so old and gray that I can speak of it as one of my “youthful follies” I showed May Ingraham my Weekly Seesaw and she was mean enough to describe it to Bessie and Lillian. I certainly am a double dinged, dyed-in-the-wool boob. Donald was not at supper so my faultless detective instinct prompts me to conclude that he is not back yet. Very simple, Watson! Dan and I sat on the front porch and Dan told me about the girl he was so fond of up at Indian Neck. She must have been very pretty, and she really was fond of Dan and he of her. I think she must have been an awfully interesting girl as well as a classy one. I went home early.  Dan seemed to have a three-in-one, two fold, double plated grouch over something Harriet said to him over the telephone. It was the time she was phoning to me and she told me to tell it to him but I can’t remember what it was. He won’t tell.

Mr. C. called and stayed till about ten. Muz has given me the loveliest pale pink evening scarf ($6.50). It’s a perfect beauty.