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31st Dec. He ends the year as usual with a note of food prices and "Profits are gone back a little, but no worse than a year ago". [Chronik, p 220]


1783 aged 47

1st Jan. The weather is dreary but, for once, Bräker and Salome are on good terms. Bräker again dithers about the diary, resolving not to include "outpourings of devotion", or reports of the economic state or health of his family. On the 2nd the weather is bright but the children are rebellious about having to go back to work after their holiday. [Chronik, p 222]

3rd Jan. Bräker writes of the imminent departure of his friend Johann Ludwig Ambühl to become a private tutor at Rheineck. [Chronik, p 222]

4th Jan. Bräker goes to Lichtensteig market and stays overnight, drinking heavily and being dangerously attracted to Käthchen. [Chronik, pp 222-223]

14th-15th Jan. Bräker goes to Herisau on business, then spends the night at Schwellbrunn and returns via Lichtensteig, borrowing a horse and gaining half a day's leisure, which he spends in visiting Giezendanner, and with some "merry comrades" at the Lion inn. [Chronik, p 225]

20th Jan. Bräker decides that the unruly behaviour of his children is due to too much severity from their mother and not enough attention from him. He "studied a serious sermon for wife and child - arose - made breakfast - awakened my little tribe - forgot the sermon - or rather was happy - that nobody preached one to me". [Chronik, p 225]

28th Jan. Salome is away staying with her sister, Bräker is alone with the children and has them eating out of his hand [literally: "can lead them with one finger"]. [Chronik, p 225]

29th Jan. Bräker goes to Herisau, and with his elder son Johannes and some neighbours stays up till midnight playing cards. Next day Salome begins scolding him about this first thing in the morning. [Chronik, pp 225-226]

2nd Feb. Bräker ponders over some of the dreams he has lately. He waits in vain for a visit from Ambühl, but he does not appear because he owes Bräker money. [Chronik, p 226]

3rd Feb. "Fair day. Is noteworthy...because of the fall in the piece trade in that today a piece fell to 2 guilders, that is, a 18ner 1/4 fell from 20 to 18 guilders and a Schneller of yarn from 7 to 6 kreutzer. The cause of this must be that today's newspaper announces peace. That does not interest me much. I know all too well the changeability of these matters. But also I was not well." [Voellmy, v 2 p 247],

4th Feb. While Bräker is making the breakfast in the kitchen, Salome quarrels with Johannes about a tobacco-pipe, whereupon Johannes storms out of the house and asks a neighbour to employ him. Bräker is very angry, but speaks seriously to his son, promising him a pipeful every Saturday. [Chronik, p 226]

11th-14th Feb. The 11th is the Gerichtstag [meeting of justice] in Wattwil.

[This meeting was responsible for civil cases and lesser criminal ones.]
On the 12th Bräker learns that an arsonist is to be executed on Friday, and on the 13th the Landtag [provincial parliament] will elect a new Protestant Landammann [president]
[The Landtag had 60 members, elected by the people, and elected Protestant and Catholic officials in turn. The purchase of votes was common practice]
.

On the 14th Bräker together with his children Anna Katharina and Johannes witness the execution by the sword of the young man who set fire to his brother's house, burning down six


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