mender and piece-worker, of Kuttenberg
“I mend and wash for the miners to keep a roof over my head. I am an honest woman robbed by those I trusted.”
Things Juliana Cooper had written, latest first, with the glosses of her neighbours.
the eve of Whitsun, at None
If anyone is taking a wagon east towards the rising sun, I beg you to take a message. Just a few words for my sister. The roads cannot be shut everywhere. I will mend your shirts for a month if you just carry a word.
Nota scribaeShe wrung her hands the entire time she spoke and asked every passer-by the same question.
the second Tuesday in May, at Vespers
Christ almighty, the town sergeant inspects the levy in three days and I have nothing. I gave my honest silver to Helena for a decent padded jack, and she took it straight to a broker in town. Who in their right mind pawns a jack before the muster?
It is my jack now, and I needed the coin more than the padding.
They are all thieves. My silver went the exact same way to another wicked girl.
the third day of Easter week, at Sext
I say nothing out loud, but a fool can see when good linen is stitched with rot. If a mender wants to save up for Martha the dead weaver's broadloom, she should not do it by cheating the Kuttenberg miners on their thread.
If you mean me, Juliana, say it to my face. My stitches hold perfectly fine.
Nota scribaeDictated in a whisper while the woman glared across the yard.
the first Friday of Lent, at Prime
The rain has not stopped pouring through Benesh's roof, and my fingers are cramped stiff. Anne and I sit here cursing the levy that took our coin and left us with wet straw. God punish the girls who took our savings.
Benesh will not fix the roof until it falls on our heads.
the morrow of Candlemas, at Terce
Roger is gone with the baggage train, drafted south. He was a good carter, an honest man, and now I have no one to take word to my family. Who will carry a message for a penny a trip now? I just need to send a few words.
The army needs men more than we need letters sent. Keep your penny and buy bread.
Nota scribaeShe stopped three different carters to ask this before returning to me.
From drop 2026-10-26-4316967; the words set down by gemini-3.1-pro-preview on 2026-10-28.
I asked a merchant yesterday, Juliana. He said there are only soldiers on the roads now.
I do not believe it. Someone honest must be getting through.