in the lower part of my left leg-the right one's torture was short-luckily also I had kept Pk McBride without whom my misery must have been complete. 20. Rev Mr Cousin administer'd unto me the rites of the Church ind. plen. absol, in hora mortis. Sent Pk McBride to Milltown for Doctor Quimby-not at home. Rev Mr C. set out after breakfast for his home-a Summer's day. Doctor Quimby called about 3 P. M-bled me copiously-wrote to Rev Mr Barth by Fs. Connel. 21. Slept well all last night & am as well this day as if miraculously relievd. 25. Marie Charlot came from Phila on hearing of my sickness to attend me but I am so far recovered that her attendance is not wanting-she brought me a most friendly letter from Rev Mr Debarth. MARCH 16. A Poor English boy from Liverpool almost frozen took shelter & welcome-he found a half neckchain & neck strap (old) which he left here. I gave him 25c & put up an advertisement on my gate if any waggoner should have lost such & describe it he might have it refunding to me the 25c 20. I got to Wt Chester about 4 in the afternoon thro as bad roads as could be-obliged to shun snow drifts 5 or 6 feet deep in some places, 2 or 3 in others thro fields 28. Sunday. Mass Concord. legacy of Margaret Doherty to me of $26,67 received from Judge Willcox-received also from same $5,33 a legacy from M. D. T. to Berk Alexandergave it presence of Andrew Noel APRIL 17. I am on the watch for a clear hour to start for West Chester-reached Dilworth's Town about 7 pm almost drown'd with rain. 18. Sunday. Wt Chester. Thos Fitzpatrick had the keys of the church-did not attend. We could not get to celebrate Mass-the people made up 2,62 10. Passage on board the stem Yat $1-carriage of my things to Willing's Alley 25-Maria Carty very ill. Memorandums of my stay in the city on a loose piece of paper 27. Reached Wilmington about half past 4 p m-home that evening. 29. Start for Concord. JUNE. 6. Coffee Run. Mass for the people. 16. A letter from the Vicar Apostolic of New Holland Rev Jerem F Flynn from Port au Prince St Domingo 20. Sunday. West Chester. 26. Started early in Concord between 10 & II a. m. JULY. 7. Call'd off at 3 p. m. to visit Mr. Walsh-New Castlealmost killed by negroes between Havre de Grace a N Castleall this work nil-almost dead with heat, dust, &c. 18. Sunday. Mass at home in old wid Donlevy's cabin to afford her an opportunity of complying with duty before my intended absence in Phila. 24. Started at 7,15 a m-arrived in Phil before 12-amazing warm-cloudy. 25. Sunday. Mass St Mary's. R McGirr preachd & was call'd to the Jerseys 38 miles. 29. Mr McGirr out of town. AUGUST. 1. Sunday. Mass. Preached at St Mary's-done in 5 minutes. Married Mr Duval & Mary McAllister. Witnesses Anne McAllister & Hugh Bradley. Enter'd. 5. Rev Mr Babade. 7. A fresh landed priest from Poland Rev Mr Thos Pranewitz-Rev Mr Babade. I start this morning for Wilmington. 8. Sunday. Mass at Wilmington. FURTHER SELECTIONS FROM THE DIARY OF THE SAME MISSIONARY. From March 18, 1826, to March 13, 1828. BY JOSEPH WILLCOX. [NOTE.-In Vol. vii of these RECORDS, (for 1896,) a biographical sketch of Rev. Patrick Kenny was published; and also a few pages selected from his Diary from 1806 to 1813. The latter volume is very voluminous and is chiefly devoted to records of the daily work on his farm and in his garden, a portion of which labor was performed by himself. The phraseology of the Diary was such as he might write in familiar letters to an intimate friend interested in the details of his farm and missionary work. Its conversational style illustrates, in a remarkable degree, his character. His piety and his devotion to his duties, and his laborious work in connection with the performance of them, under many adverse circumstances, are forcibly portrayed in this Diary. In its perusal is noticeable the simplicity of Father Kenny's character; also his store of humor and satire, in addition to his habits of the most rigid economy. Only a small portion of this Diary has been selected for publication. Living six miles from the nearest town of Wilmington, and having few associates near his home except his poor and unlettered neighbors, in an isolated and uneventful locality, there was little to record in it except his selections from daily occurrences. Father Kenny lived in an unpretending style, and was accustomed to eat at the same table with his housekeeper and hired men. It will be observed that Father Kenny was obliged to make frequent changes among his housekeepers on account of poor cooking, sour bread, bad butter and wilful waste. If he had lived sixty years longer he would have found that he and his contemporaries were not the last to suffer in that respect.] 1826 March 18th Set out for W' Chester between 9 & 10 a. m. the day looks gloomy, when I had got within 2 miles of the Borough it began to snow, and I was not 15 minutes in Matlack's & Osborne's Tavern when a complete snow storm came on. I had taken a chill last night in bed, felt worse this whole forenoon, but it threatened to be fatal this evening-my big coat, overalls, storm neck Kerchief, night cap &c. from 2 p. m. until bed time, & a starved fire could not infuse heat-at bed time the snow was 4 or 5 inches on a level. With much bed cloths & my body cloths in addition, with 2 pillows to my sides created heat & I got some sleep-I bespoke on my passage a horse collar at 1.50-to open at top with strap, buckle & loop, full, and of best leather-my present collar being more than 20 years in use. Sunday 19th The storm was so great, last night, & this morning's fog so dense, with all appearance of more snow or rain that no people could travel to church-nor church be opened, or anything requisite for church service to be procured-Thus I have had a blank & dismal journey, out & home, of near 40 miles, & what pains me much more could not celebrate Mass on a Palm Sunday. Left Osborne's tavern, where my expenses amounted to 1.50-set out in fog, & mist & rain-& was at Mich' Jeffries's before sun setting time-& ill in body & sick in mind— 20th Rain in the night-light rain & heavy fog all forenoonI faced for home about 9 oclock a. m.-sat down at last, chez moi, at 1. p. m-I might as well have travelled thro' the bog of Allen, as to have waded thro' our roads until I feel terram firmam the turnpike road-within a few gunshots of my own place 22d M. int of Mrs. Marg' McGee, Scrabble Town.* A most delightful day. I worked a little in the garden, but the pain along my back soon knock'd me over 24th I start for Concord. Shortly after such a storm of wind & rain pelted at such rate & in such torrents that the Dearborn might almost be as well without cover, & myself without cloths-I reached Wilmington keeping the turnpike, about 5 p. m. stopp'd at Mrs Noel's-put my horse & Dborn up at Bailey's tavern-dried my drench'd cloths at Mrs Noel's two stoves all night-linnens & woollens 25th I left Mrs Noels a little after sun up, & in damp spiritsAndw N. had purchased for me I doz. of herrings, presented to Mrs. M. B. Willcox-I was near being cast away in the mud after leaving Thos Smith's,† on the Concord turnpike, but Bully behaved nobly. I stepp'd out to hook the short rein, unfortunately my foot slipp'd off the iron step of the dearborn, the edge of it tore me from the instep, 2 inches up the shin of the sore leg & I fell prostrate on the road before the small wheel, but not otherwise injured but in the legI was in Judge Willcox's at noon Easter 26th Sunday M. [Mass] in Concord-5-[$5.00 received] 27th Oblig'd to set out for W' Chester shortly after sun up-Jas Willcox gave me almost a bushel of mercer, or early seed potatoes I take home J" Willcox's Grey horse to do my work-Patrick rides Grey horse, my Bully to the DearbornIt froze so hard last night that the roads, God knows already too bad, are infinitely worse than on Saturday, I wonder that * Scrabble Town is now called Centreville. It is about 4 miles south west of Chadd's Ford. + Thomas Smith's tavern was 8 miles from Wilmington, on the road to Concord. It is now called Elam. |