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HARRIET ? : 1929 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A YOUNG LOS ANGELES GIRL AND THEN AS A WOMAN NOTING THE TRAGEDIES OF HER LATER LIFE

16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. On offer is an original, rather charming, at first glance, 1929 manuscript diary handwritten by a young Los Angeles County California girl named Harriet. The diary begins in January 1929 and her writings are for the most part during 8th Grade. Typical of the time and the place Harriet and friends enjoy sports, trips to Redondo Beach with Grandma and Grandpa and life is near idyllic. However Harriet writes in spurts of several weeks and then is quiet and then starts again so 1929 has about 200 entries but it is the later entries that bring the reality of life's vagaries. Coming back to the diary at key, terrible moments in 1930s, 1940s and 1950s that stand out: "October 16th, 1949. Daddy died Sunday morning 7 A.M. at Rochester Minnesota at the St. Mary's Hospital. It was a beautiful sunny morning. They killed him (at least they did hurry his death but for the best) before his time by giving him too much anaesthetics. For 4 nights and 4 days he did not sleep. His poor heart was going like a trip hammer and he was constantly moving and working with anything he could touch on the bed. It was terrible. But not till it was too late did I know what they were doing. When he was dying I read the chart and then I knew. But 3 day before he told me they were doing him "dirt"…..(Then under this she writes). "Now it is December of 1952. I know that Joe had to go. He couldn't have lived very long and perhaps he didn't know how ill he was. They did what they could to help him. However he did know me when I spoke to him on that terrible morning. His eyes were drawn and half closed. He put his free arm around my neck and kissed my cheek and the last words he spoke were for a priest, he said, "Monkski" I said, "you want a priest" and he faintly said yes. A priest is available at that place at any time. They even have a good sized church in that enormous building. Two nights before I had called a priest for him so this time I didn't call the priest. I should have done so. I regret I didn't. But God loves Joe. God loves us all." And then comes 1951: "April 9th, 1951. This morning I find a lump, walnut size, on the right side of my neck. I'm worried. Dr's say operate. I can't……April 9th, 1952. I have many lumps now and some on the left side. I ask God to help me. I can be made well if God wills it." Those are her last entries and one cannot help but wonder what happened to this woman. Here are some snippets of the Grade 8 year and a 1933 trip her family took to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon in 1933: 1929 "January 1st, Stella and I are starting our diary. Grandpa took Junior, Hazel, and I to the Rose Parade. I spent the evening at Hazel's. Had a good time. Betty was there too. School starts tomorrow." "January 11th, Well I expected mama but she didn't come so tomorrow we are going to climb Alpine Hill and take our lunch. Hazel, Alta and I are going and Betty." "February 25th, Today is Sunday. We went to Pomona to the dump. Had a lot of fun." "March 4th, Today we heard Herbert Hoover talk over the radio at school. We missed some sewing." "March 9th, Today is Saturday we went out to the Glendale playhouse and saw Pollyanna. I got a typewriter…" "April 13th, Got acquainted with 2 girls at Grandma's. Went down to the beach at Redondo with grandpa and grandma. We left grandpa at the beach and walked home. Trouble. I have a very heavy cold." "April 24th, Played with Hazel again this eve. An army airplane fell over on Ave. 50. Drove over to see it. Took Mr. and Mrs. Lawson. Fell on an auto. Pilot of plane had broken shoulder." "July 14th, Today I am at Stella's. Stella and I went to the Golden Gate show. The name of it was "The Squall." "July 21st, Phyllis and Jean and myself went to the show in the afternoon and saw Mae West in "She Done Him Wrong." "March 10th, 1933. 5155. A severe earthquake lasting all night with recurring shocks for 6 months." "September 4th & 5th, 1933. We left this morning for the World's fair at 7:00. We drove 400 some miles. The heat was awful. Stopped at the 7-V Ranch….Today we saw red rocks and Indians with their Angora goats. We could see the Painted Desert in the distance. It was still hot but not as hot as yesterday. Stayed at Gallup N. Mexico." "September 9th, 1933. Today we came through Missouri. We came through St. Louis. It is a dirty town. We crossed the Miss. River. It was hot. Stayed at Green Gables in Illinois. Mama telephoned her friend at St. Louis, a girl named Rosina Frantz." "September 16th, 1933. Today Charles Starr came and stayed with us. Grandma and mama and Charles went to the restaurant to eat. (Fair in eve.)" "September 18th, 1933. Today we left Chicago and got in Charleston in eve. We are staying in the Charleston Hotel. Not so good." "September 24th, 1933. Sunday stayed in a wormey cabin out of Louisville Kentucky. Bad Night. Hot. Worms hanging from the trees and even in our cabins hanging." "September 26th, 1933. Tuesday night we stayed in Montgomery Alabama. Had a terrible time. Drunk people next door. Talked loud all night. Had a terrible fight in morning. One woman broke the man's windshield on his car." "August 6th, 1934. Today we started to Yellowstone. We drove 502 miles. We are going with the Searless's. It sure was hot. We are staying in Cedar City Utah." "August 9th & 10th, 1934. We rode around and looked at some of the geysers and came home at noon. In evening we watched them dance at hotel….Today we rode around the loop. I got a ring in West thumb. We saw bear, deer, elk, antelope, buffalo, moose, coyote, crane. We saw beautiful falls and grand canyons." "August 15th, 1934. We left Yellowstone at 10:00 o'clock this morning. We stayed in Logan Utah. Not so hot." "August 30th, 1934. Went to North rim of canyon and got caught on desert. Stayed in Hogan, Indian house." "April 15th, 1937. Grandpa died this morning about 3:40. He had been struck by a car at night two weeks before. Grandma will be alone now. She must come with us. Mama wants her and so does daddy and I." "May 7th, 1949. Our dear little girl was born today at 8:55 A.M. I wanted a little girl. Frank said he wanted me to have what I wanted. I was very happy. I cried. Frank is very good to us. God bless each of us and our dear ones we love so much." November and December have no entries. The 5" x 6" book's cover is scuffed around the edges and the flap that once held it closed is torn up. Overall G+.. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good+

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