My Agony Columns  MAIN WEB PAGE

My wife's largest dictionary , published in 1949, gives this definition:

Agony Column: [Collog] - A newspaper column devoted to personal advertisements, usually of a tragic nature.

A description of an agony column is given by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Red Circle" published in 1911. Sherlock is speaking:

"There is one rather obvious line of investigation." He took down the great book in which, day by day, he filed the agony columns of the various London journals. "Dear me!" said he, turning over the pages, "what a chorus of groans, cries, and bleatings! What a rag-bag of singular happenings! But surely the most valuable hunting-ground that ever was given to a student of the unusual!"

The agony columns figure in several Sherlock Holmes mysteries beginning as early as 1892. Anyway, you know what to expect if you proceed to click on the links below!

Physic Powers Here are stories of the physic powers of my great grandmother Martha DePriest.

Christmas Eve I listen to a Beethoven string quartet each Christmas Eve.

On Death I recall what I have heard and seen of family death scenes.

Summer Tomatoes I recall the taste of home grown tomatoes when I was a child living on the farm.

Aunt Vivian I recall memories of my mother's sister.

February Snow I don't like Margaret to be driving in the snow.

March Snow We are having a late season snow today, March 30, 2003.

Slavery What do we mean?

Family Names There are many interesting names in every family.

More on Names Why are names needed at all?

Blog Bleating The Blog people must believe they are relevant.

Key Lime Pie? But the Key Lime is extinct!

Oh Say Can You See How to sing our national anthem.

Senility Begins As we grow older strange things begin to happen to us.

How Great Grandmother Got A Husband She was an ugly little old maid (at age 18.)

Change Of Seasons How the changes of the seasons effect me.

The Best Use Of Helicopters Saving the people of New Orleans

Driver's License Restrictions Are we allowed to drive when we are blind, deaf, or sick?

Aprons The woman wearing the apron was in charge.

Modern Toys We have trouble learning how to operate modern computer chip controlled devices.

Wiccan Veterans? Should we pay for their headstones?

Housework Margaret makes the house buzz with activity.

Tape End A homemade tape that suddenly ends is permanent.

Serious Brain Damage Who has it?

Planting Pegs are made from pine heartwood.

An Apology Here is my apology to slaves.

Another Lost Item Now we have lost a stamp dispenser.

Swearing An explanation of the words: Swear, Curse, and Profanity.

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