February 1, 1880 -- Sunday
The weather was clear and cold all day. There has been quite a change in the atmosphere since Friday. I was at the Reformed Church in St. Thomas in the forenoon. There was Sunday-school. The Sunday school appears the same as when I used to be a scholar there, but that is almost half a score of years in the past. I stayed at Grandmother's till about four o'clock, then we started again for home -- the Old Dutch Settlement -- where we arrived a while after sun-down very much pleased with our visit, and with the fine Exhibition, which we beheld last evening. The Methodists are doing a great work at Revival in St. Thomas. Quite a number have obtained religion.

February 2, 1880 -- Monday
The weather was very cold, windy the greater part of the day. It snowed very heavily at night. I passed the day in my school. I walked up and found a very dirty school-house, which was made so on Friday evening when there was spelling school. I passed the evening reading and studying for Debate to-morrow evening on the question "Resolved, that departure from truth is never justifiable." I will have the Affirmative side, but I do not think I can do much with it. From to-day, nine weeks if I live and keep my health, I suppose I will start in to school at St. Thomas. I am very anxious to go, and gay old times are anticipated on my part. I think it will be a good school.

February 3, 1880 -- Tuesday
The weather was very cold. On waking in the morning I found that a snow had fallen during the night and that we could now try the new sleigh, which I did by going to school, at which place I passed the day. Luther Hipfer had the horse and sleigh to go to Tritle's. Albert Duffield and David Hassler were in my school a while in the afternoon. I paid Dr. Bachs my doctor bill, which amounted to $4.50. I was at the New Franklin Literary Society in the evening. I drove up in the sleigh. There was a dialogue by W.F. Lehman and J.N. Snively, also one between C.B. Dysert and myself, subject "The Rival Politicians". The debate was poor. I debated against "lies" and J.B. Hingert for them. The decision of the judges was in favor of the negative.

February 4, 1880 -- Wednesday
The weather was very rough and cold. I suppose, as the "ground-hog" saw his shadow on Monday (that being his day) he will keep dark for six weeks, and we will yet have a winter, even if it does come in the spring. Pap hitched up in the sleigh, and took me up to my school in the morning, where I passed the day. Pap was in town in the forenoon and about three o'clock he came to my school, and remained till school was out, and then brought me along home. I passed the evening playing dominoes with Pap. He beat me playing euchre & I beat him playing match-game. Jacob was at Lesher's school-house in the evening. There was spelling-school there by G.B. Dysert. I was not there. Jacob Lesher stood the floor.

February 5, 1880 -- Thursday
The weather was very pleasant, although the snow melted very little. Toward evening it got a little cloudy. I passed the day very pleasantly in my school. My school has not been so large during the past week as it was. It is owing to the roads. The snow on the ground makes walking a difficult task to perform, especially to walk a long distance although I walked to school in the morning. I rode part way home in the evening with Joe Sheets, in the sleigh. I was at Mike Diehl's in the evening, went over in the sleigh. There was a play-party there and a great many young persons present, about 22 ladies and 25 gentlemen. We only staid till a little after 11 o'clock, but I enjoyed it very much.

February 6, 1880 -- Friday
The weather was very mild, and the snow melted very fast, so much at least that the sleighing is about played out for this time. I passed the day very pleasantly in my school. Mr. Fred Pfoutz was at my school in the forenoon. He was very much pleased with my school, although he would not make an address. I stayed up at the school-house after school, for spelling-school that was held there in the evening, and the house was filled to its utmost capacity. There were 52 spelled. The order was none of the best, but was not so bad after all considering the crowd present. We spelled twelve columns before intermission and forty after intermission, making about fifty columns. Ellie Tritle stood the floor.

February 7, 1880 -- Saturday
The weather was quite cool, and somewhat cloudy in the forenoon, but got quite clear in the afternoon, and the evening was clear and cool. I was at home in the forenoon, reading cleaning stables, etc. I was at the New Franklin school-house in the afternoon, at which place the Democrats of Guillford Township held their annual nomination, and made the following ticket to be voted for at the election on the 17th of this month: Judge, J.C. Cable; Inspector, S.A. Zumbro; Constable, Saml Hockersmith; School Directors, Daniel Stobler and W. McFerren; Supervisors, W. Freize, Saml Funk, and S. Staly; Assesor, J.T. Pfoutz; Register, W.zm. Oliver; Auditor, J.W. Funk; Treasurer, David Overcash; and Township Clerk Saml McCleary. I was away in the evening.

February 8, 1880 -- Sunday
The weather was very clear and pleasant. I passed the forenoon in bed sleeping, and enjoyed myself there very much, as I lost part of my rest last night. I passed the afternoon reading and studying. Mr. A.L. Wirtz was at our house in the forenoon, came up to talk and pass the time. Jacob was at the Grindstone Hill church in the afternoon. There was Lutheran Sunday-school and preaching by Rev. A.H. Shertz. We were at Wertz's in the evening. We went in the sleigh, although the sleighing is about played out. It is played out entirely on the big road but through the woods a sleigh still goes. Mrs. and Mr. Smith were there also. We passed a very pleasant time there.

February 9, 1880 -- Monday
The weather was clear and pleasant all day, although right cold in the morning and evening. A few days like this will take all the snow. I passed the day in my school. As I came past the Hall in the morning, I went in and paid for three window-panes, which I bought some time ago. I also took up two letters, one for J.G. Goble and one for J.G. McCleary. Mother was at John Snyder's in the forenoon, and got three pounds of tallow with which to make for me some candles for my spelling-school. McLaughlin's barn, which is situated between Scotland and Fayetteville burned down, last night. We saw the blaze last night, when we were at Wertzs. I think it was incendiarism.

February 10, 1880 -- Tuesday
The weather was fine and clear early in the morning, about 9 o'clock it clouded up and remained cloudy until about 3 o'clock, then it again cleared off and remained so. I passed the day very pleasantly in my school. I was at the New Franklin school-house in the evening. The Society convened, and the exercises were very interesting and instructive. There were several pieces of Select Readings, C.B. Dysert read "Burdocks Goat", J.W. Funk "How Mr. Coville counted the shingles on his roof", D.G. Hoover, "A Yankee Farmer," and myself, "Stick a pin dere, Brudder Horace." There was a dialogue by J.F. Deardorff and J.T. Pfoutz, Messrs A.A. Bettner and C.A. Suesserott debated "Should a legislator act according to the voice of his constituents."

February 11, 1880 -- Wednesday
The weather was pleasant the greater part of the day, got somewhat cloudy toward evening. The roads which were frozen in the morning got very muddy, and will not freeze much to-night. I passed the day in my school, which was somewhat on the small order. I registered a letter to Dick and Fitzgerald, New York in the morning as I went by the Hall. I sent in it the sum of one dollar and eighty cents, belonging to the Society, to get books for the Society. I will get six books and I will get an answer by Monday's mail I suppose. We were playing dominoes in the evening. I was best. There was spelling-school at Lesher's school-house by C.B. Dysert and D.G. Hoover in the evening.

February 12, 1880 -- Thursday
The weather was somewhat cloudy all day, although the sun shone at intervals during the day, but not very brightly. The roads are terrible muddy, and the snow is almost all gone. I drove up to the "Retreat" school-house in the morning and spent the day very pleasantly there in my school. I have now taught four months and have one and a half months or thirty-three days yet to teach. I have earned for teaching the sum of $105.00, and can yet earn $39.375 yet. I passed the evening playing dominoes and studying Mental Arithmetic. I took my shoes along up to Geo. Desm and got them fixed. I brought Joe Pfoutz along from the Hall in the evening.

February 13, 1880 -- Friday
The weather was inclement. It was raining in the morning but partly cleared off, till about 4 o'clock, when it began to rain "for what was out," and continued raining till long after dark. I passed the day in my school. I was caught in the rain as I was going home in the evening, and my clothes were thoroughly soaked. I came along with Joe Pfoutz down from the Hall, was partly sheltered by his umbrella. I got the loan of his umbrella to come from New Franklin down, but it was almost unnecessary, as I was as wet as I could get. This was the regular night for spelling-school, but owing to the inclemency of the weather, it was postponed for 1 week.

February 14, 1880 -- Saturday
The weather was somewhat cloudy all day, although it did not rain or snow, the clouds were mostly wind-clouds. The roads are most awful bad, almost impassable at places. I was cleaning the stables &c in the forenoon. Pap was at Uncle Henry Snyder's in the forenoon helping to thresh. Mother and Jacob were in New Franklin in the afternoon. I was at home by myself in the afternoon. I worked out those problems on page 245 of Brook's Written Arithmetic. Those questions are, I think about the hardest in the book. Pap was in New Franklin in the afternoon, also, and brought home the frames for the mottos and fixed up the picture of the Easter Cross. I went away in the evening, where I spent part of the night.

February 15, 1880 -- Sunday
The weather was somewhat cloudy all day. In the morning it began to snow, but did not amount to much. Pap, Jake and I were at the Grindstone Hill church in the forenoon. There was Reformed Sabbath School and preaching by H.F. Comfort. Jake stayed up for Lutheran Sunday School. I passed the afternoon reading and ciphering. Sarah Senger was at our house a while in the afternoon. There was singing at Chicago School-house in the evening by J.A. Pfoutz, also at Falling Spring, by R.L. Barr. There was preaching at the White church by A.H. Shertz, also at the Brick-church in Marion in the evening.

February 16, 1880 -- Monday
The weather was very clear and pleasant and the roads are getting somewhat better. I passed the day in my school. I received a valentine in the evening, also got the books from Dick & Fitzgerald, the order for which I sent in a registered letter last Wednesday. Pap and Mother were in St. Thomas. They took the pigs up. I was at the New Franklin school-house in the evening. There was practice of several dialogues for the Society, among which was "Bungtown Lyceum", "Jimtown Lyceum", Arabella's poor relations" &c. The persons present were Misses Kate Snyder, Annie Wertz, Annie Snyder, Clara Snyder, Alba Small and Lizzie Desm. Messrs C.B. Dysert, J.F. Deardorff, D.G. Hoover, myself & others.

February 17, 1880 -- Tuesday
The weather was clear and pleasant all day and the roads are getting nice again. I passed the day very pleasantly in my school at Retreat.  From this day six weeks my school will end and my work for this winter done, and I think I have done my duty, at least I have tried to do so. There was no school at the New Franklin School-house, that house being used for election purposes. There was about three hundred and sixty-five votes polled. Will Jones had some cider on the ground and there were a great number of drunken men, among whom were Overcash, Dr. Bachs, &c. There was a play party at E. Burkholder's in the evening.

February 18, 1880 -- Wednesday
The weather was cloudy all day, and began to rain about dinner-time. I passed the day in my school. Pap came for me in the buggy in the evening, and we were caught in the heaviest rain and hail storm. I was at the New Franklin School-house in the evening. The Society convened, but the crowd was small, and the exercises not very interesting. Aunt Charlotte [Sarah Ann's sister] came to our house on a visit and will remain a few weeks. The returns of the election were as follows: Judge, J.G. Goble; Inspectors, W.Q. Lantz and S.A. Zumbro; Constable, J.H. Bush, S.; Directors, Danl. Stattler, and D.B. Greenawalt; Supervisors, Henry Frieze, Saml. Funk, and Stephen Staly; Auditor, J.W. Funk; Register, Milton Etter; Assessor, W.H. Hoffman; Treasurer, Amos Stouffer; Twp C, J.A. Miller.

February 19, 1880 -- Thursday
The weather was cold and the roads were rough and frozen. I passed the day in my school, rode along as far as Mark Grove's gate in the buggy with Pap. We took my buggy up to Jacob Hockensmith, who put in a part of a spring which I broke on the 30th of January. He also raised the body about two inches, which improves the looks and the wear. I went to the Hall after school, and took the horse and buggy which Pap had left there, and went to J.S. Deardorff's, and got my supper and horse-feed. I went along with a "party" from Deardorff's to Solomon Miller's. The party consisted of eleven couples, besides the Millers. I enjoyed it much, but almost stopped things short at a certain place.

February 20, 1880 -- Friday
The weather was very clear and pleasant. The evening was clear and moonlight. I passed the day in my school, have now one month and one week yet to teach. I felt very dull on account of losing sleep last night and felt troubled in a small degree about the way things went after the party, but I will fix it all right again. I stayed at the school-house after school, until evening, when there was spelling school. The crowd was small, only twenty-two spelled. The spelling, notwithstanding the small crowd, was good. There were spelled thirty-nine columns. Will Snyder was thrown from his horse, on his way home, and hurt, but not very bad. "Moll Senger" was here helping to quilt. I wish she would stay at home.

February 21, 1880 -- Saturday
The weather was changeable, snowed a while in the forenoon but the snow did not last any length of time. In the afternoon it partly cleared off and got windy. I was cutting wood, playing ball and dominoes in the forenoon. I was in town in the afternoon, went in the buggy, and did not get home till a good while after night, but I was not in town all the time. I can remember, I think, where I was, without writing it herein. Mary Senger was here again, helping Mother and Aunt Charlotte to quilt and stuffing them with nonsense enough to sicken all creation. Pap is very cross and tired of her, and makes her some short answers. D.G. Hoover was here about dinner-time.

February 22, 1880 -- Sunday
The weather was very pleasant and clear until toward evening, it began to cloud up. The roads are very muddy again, they had frozen up but are now thawed again. I was at Etter's School-house in the forenoon, the first time I have been there since they have a new house -- which is certainly a nice one -- There was "Dunkard", or, perhaps better "Tinker" meeting there. I got my dinner at Shetters and was there in the afternoon, went then to the white church in the evening. Rev. A.H. Shertz is starting a revival at that place, -- had no mourners out yet. There was singing at Chicago by J.A. Pfoutz, also at Falling Spring by R.L. Barr in the evening.

February 23, 1880 -- Monday
The weather was somewhat changeable, during the forenoon it clouded up at times and snowed -- snow storms -- again it would clear off, it got quite cool and windy toward evening. I passed the day in my school. I was at the New Franklin School-house in the evening, there was practice of several dialogues for to-morrow evening, among which were "Jimtown Lyceum" and "Arabella's poor relations" &c. The persons present were Annie Snyder, Annie Wertz, Clara Snyder, Abba Small, C.B. Dysert, J.T. Pfoutz, D.G. Hoover, E.A. and Fred Burkholder &c. Aunt Charlotte received a postal card from Annie stating that Uncle Cromer is sick and she must go home to-morrow. I hope to-morrow will be nice.

February 24, 1880 -- Tuesday
The weather was clear and pleasant all day, began to cloud up about sundown, and rained a shower before the Society at New Franklin school-house adjourned. The Society convened and I was in attendance. The exercises were very interesting. I participated in two dialogues, the subject of which were "The Jimtown Lyceum," and "Arabella's poor relations." The question "Resolved, that we should not obey a law, which we know to be morally wrong," was discussed on the aff. by F.F. Snyder and J.H. Deardorff, on the Neg. by J.B. Wingert and Dr. Bachs, decided in favor of the Aff. I was a judge. I passed the day very pleasantly in my school.

February 25, 1880 -- Wednesday
The weather was somewhat cloudy in the forenoon, and also very smoky. The sun shone almost all day, but disappeared behind a cloud. I expect rain before many days. The roads are getting nice, but I suppose they will not stay that way long. I passed the day in my school. Frank Hoover was there from morning to the forenoon recess. I was at home in the evening -- the first time I have been at home in the evening for a week. Almost I would have forgot to say that Aunt Charlotte went home yesterday. I passed the eve studying, writing and playing dominoes. Abba Small and Aunt Hannah were here helping Mother to quilt. She is quilting 4 quilts.

Detail of quilt attributed to Sarah Zumbro.

February 26, 1880 -- Thursday
The weather was very changeable, sometimes clear and pleasant, and at other times cloudy. It rained a very heavy shower in the afternoon. I passed the day in my school in "Retreat." D.G. Hoover and C.B. Dysert were here in the evening. We were talking about the Exhibition, which we will endeavor to have in a few weeks. We have set our evening for rehearsal and to make our arrangements on next Monday evening. I wrote a postal card to Chas. A. Martin in St. Thomas for the dialogue entitled "Pete and the peddler." which we will try and have at the exhibition, if we can raise it. There was spelling at Davison's school-house in the evening.

February 27, 1880 -- Friday
The weather was very pleasant, and clear, got very cloudy before sundown, but again got very clear, but I think is only fixing up for a fall. I was in my school, passed the day there. I had visitors in the afternoon, viz: George H. Smith, J.C. Zumbro, and D.G. Hoover. They stayed up at the school-house after the school was dismissed, and attended the spelling-school in the evening, which I closed on account of bad order on the outside by a number of fellows who have no sense. Mr. Harvey Clugson stood the floor. We began to spell the word "juicy," and stopped at the word "Mammiferous." I can now be in attendance at Stoufferstown Lyceum.

February 28, 1880 -- Saturday
The weather was very inclement, cloudy and rainy all day, at times it appeared as though it would clear off, and then it would rain very fast again. I was at the Sale of Jno Deardorff. The day was almost too bad to be out, but this was, I suppose, my last chance to attend any sales this spring, so I took the chance. Pap and Uncle John were going to go to Greencastle to attend the Odd Fellows Concert in the evening, but owing to the inclemency of the weather, they did not go. We were playing dominoes in the evening. In Euchre I was the best, but in playing match game, Jacob was the champion. I saw Charles McCleary, and he is going along to school.

February 29, 1880 -- Sunday
The weather was very pleasant during the greater part of the day, got somewhat stormy for a short time in the afternoon, also got very cloudy toward evening. Pap Jacob and I were at the Grindstone Hill church in the forenoon. There was sunday-school and preaching, by Rev. Comfort, who took his text from Zachariah, 6th chapter, and part of the 13th verse. I was at home in the afternoon, and evening. There was singing at the Chicago school-house by J.A. Pfoutz. I have not been there this long time, not this year. I have not the money to spare to attend, as a member, the singings. Preacher Shertz has a great revival started at the White Church, near Marion.

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