16-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Saturday, February 10, 1912: I got some ugly valentines today. I had all the milking to do tonight and will have it for tomorrow morning. Our dear Ruthie is spending the time with Tweet.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Tweet is the nickname of Helen Wesner. She was a friend of Grandma and her sister Ruth.
A hundred years ago people sometimes gave ugly valentines that were often called vinegar valentines. Who did Grandma plan to give them to?
To see more vinegar valentines see these posts from last year:
I wonder if it was the people who she gave ugly valentines to last year repaid her this year.
It makes sense that people would try to identify who sent them a vinegar valentine–and then send a similar one (though probably a bit meaner than the original one) back.
I suppose this was an acceptable way, if not terribly polite, to let someone know what you thought their character flaws were!
You’re probably right–though I think that I’d be really upset if I received one. I guess we just give social cues in different ways today.