April 13-19
A rainy Sunday. There are sad hearts indoors today. I take my last look at my dear brother. Oh, how calm and
peaceful he looks even in death. On Monday as I've already said he was given back to his Mother Earth. Oh,
what a lonely desolate feeling filled my heart on returning to the house; its light and joy was gone. Truly there
is a desolate hearth stone now. Sister Mary's friends think it best for her to go back with cousin Sue for a few
weeks so it is decided that she is to go tomorrow and take the baby and Lizzie with her. Sally and I will go to
Uncle Bob's until we can go up on the cars. Mary Lewis comes down on Sunday to see me ....Tuesday all is stir
and bustle until they all get off. I'm sorry to see sister Mary go for it will be so hard when she comes back. It
will be almost going over the whole thing again. Poor thing, she seems almost broken hearted; often wondering
over the house. Oh, how sad it looks and feels. We too take our departure. It is locked up. Cousin Sarah Lewis
and Miss Pidy will clean up before sister Mary returns ....Wednesday, Sally, Jimmy, Willie [Jimmy and Willie
Minor are brother Jim's two oldest sons] and I go over to the dear old house and go in. Oh, what a chill I feel at
my heart at the sight of its deserted rooms. I go for a little while to see Cousin Sarah. She has been a real friend
to us all. Thursday we start home. Oh, what a joyful sound that is in my ear! Have to walk to the Bridge on
account of the bad roads where the waggon is waiting for us. Little Sis goes on up to sister Betty's where she
will stay a few days and then go back to Aunt Sallys and wait for sister Mary. I feel so sorry we are to be
separated; have been so much together of late that we are almost necessary to each other. I find them all well at
home with their hearts full of love and sympathy for me. It is a good happy feeling to think I'm once more at
home. Little Dick says, "please, sister Lou, don't ever go away again." Good Friday, the 18th, I did not get to
church. Find a great deal to do around me and try to take hold at once ....