By: Victoria L
United Kingdom, Grade: 5

Today Mama and Papa gave me this beautiful diary. Really, I cried when they slipped it into my thin and fragile hands. Catherine, too cried when she saw its cream colored pages. I think she was depressed as everybody is at this harsh time. Catherine is not yet two, so she was too young to give me anything. I am glad she did not, because I would hate for my family to spend anymore money. There are five of us, not including me. My brothers, Jem and William, are 12 and they are twins. Boys are supposed to be strong and healthy, but my brothers are so thin and sickly, they don't look like boys. Catherine and Hannah are my sisters. Hannnah is much older than me, by 6 years. She is 17, and used to court Edward McCarhty. She left him when Papa lost his job in the general store. It was just as well, Mama had said. She had no intention of her daughter running off with some tenant farmer's son.I wish I could write more, but Mama is shouting at me to blow out the candle. She tells me to save all the candles we have. We already don't have enough soap to go around. Oh, I forgot, My name is Dovie Jonhson.