The Life Of George Holcomb – George’s Wife Has a Bad Cough

Tuesday, April 10, 1827: This morning I walked over after doctor Graves, for my wife continues a pain in her side and a bad cough.  He came and bled her.  Today we plowed.  Tonight I walked up to the Presbyterian meeting house and heard a young man that had been a Shaker deliver a discourse to tell what the rise of the Shakers was and their progress.
Wednesday:  This morning Wm and I sold Gideon Barnhart our four year old oxen for fifty dollars.  This afternoon I took the single wagon and went and fetched Cousin Amanda Green to nurse our babe for my wife has quite a fever.
Sunday: This morning I walked over to Adam Brown’s and got two quarts of milk, and today I walked down to Old Widow Booge’s and got two quarts of beer.  She would not take any pay.  I got it for my wife, for she continues quite sick.  Tonight a snow storm.
Tuesday, April 17: Today I took the wagon and horses and plow and went over to my Rodgers farm, and I plowed brother Sylvester’s garden and for to pay me he beats and spreads the manure in the meadow, and I told Sylvester that he must pay me rent for the house and garden to begin this month, price 12 dol for a year, and further privileges such as pasturing and wood must be another bargain.
Wednesday: I mended fence on the hill, drew out manure and plowed sward.  We had a calf die and we skinned it and Wm carried it to Elem Tilden’s and had it credit 58 cts on our account.  On this day I paid my school bill to brother Wm, which was one dol and twenty seven cts, he stands one of the trustees.
Saturday, April 21, 1827: This morning I rode over and got some slippery elm bark in Mr. Solomon Carpenter’s lot for to make tea for my wife’s cough.
Monday: This forenoon we carted rails and stone and plowed sward land and this morning I took my wife into the cart and carried her to Mother Spring’s on a visit, but her cough continues to increase.
Tuesday: Today rainy.  We fanned over rye and finished breaking sward land for corn, and I rode up to Elisha Morton’s and got a four ounce bottle of Hurlbert’s cough drops to give my wife for her cough, and for the same I stand indebted for 75 cts.
Wednesday: Today a snow storm.
Saturday, April 28: Today quite rainy.  I tended to chores such as tending to the sheep and lambs, and this evening I went up to Garret Hirse for brother Wm to tell him that he would let his old house until the 3rd day of April next for 20 dol and said Hires must secure him for the pay and for no horn cattle to run on said premises on the account of the fruit trees, likewise to keep his hogs in a pen and to take no one in to his family now into the house without Wm consent, nor to burn up or destroy any fence nor boards, and furthermore said Hires must go to Lebanon and notify Archibold Simpson that he can’t let him have said house, and said Hires agreed to these proposals, and he is to have the same privileges of the house and yard as Mr. Rowland Danford last year did.
Sunday: Today I walked over to my Rodgers farm and I Newton went up into Simeon Wylie’s woods and got me some moose weed for to make my wife some drink for her cough, for it continues quite bad.  I came home and got white pine bark and spignut and steeped it and sweetened it with molasses, which she is taking as medicine for said cough.