18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Wednesday, May 21, 1913: Didn’t feel very well with morning, so I tried to take it out in making Ruthie miserable. Although I don’t I succeeded.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
What did Grandma do to her sister Ruth? It must have been pretty bad if she admitted that she wasn’t nice in the diary.
Usually when Grandma and her sister Ruth weren’t getting along, Grandma would use her author’s prerogative and blame the problem on Ruth—though Grandma generally called Ruth, Rufus when she was angry.
For example, on October 28, 2012 Grandma wrote:
Got mad at the Rufus tonight. I think she can be so mean sometimes.
And, on June 5, 2012 she wrote:
Trotted up to McEwensville this morning on an errand for Rufus, the dear little mortal.
Siblings! Wonder what Ruth’s take on it would have been 🙂
It would be interesting to know Ruth’s take. . .I wonder if Ruth kept a diary. 🙂
Hmmm… my sisters were teens when I was born, so I really can’t relate to sibling tension, but sounds as though there was a little of that at Grandma’s house!
I don’t have any sisters so I don’t have any first-hand experience either.
In reply to your comment, “Bride and Groom” are just names I gave the swans, because of this: http://thesedaysofmine.com/2010/11/05/bride-and-groom-swan/
Thanks for clarifying–somehow I get mixed up.
Now that’s different, I think she called her Ruthie today as she had regrets about the way she had treated her sister perhaps, as opposed to days when she had genuine reason to be mad at her.
It’s so intriguing how Grandma used so many different names for Ruth depending upon the situation and what she was thinking.
Oh the joy of sibling wars helped my brother and me to grow up. Now we are best friends, but I still call him “PeeWee” (even when I’m not mad). Lovely post.
It’s interesting how we sometimes use old nicknames, even when they no longer really describe the person.
I agree with Joanne. I think she was feeling bad about what happened hence “Ruthie” as opposed to “Rufus” on those bad days.
It makes sense. Ruthie is such an adorable nickname.
When we feel bad, we tend to have that effect on whomever is around us. It does seem like she felt bad about it, enough to write it down.
I really wonder what happened that she felt so bad about it.
Your Grandma cracks me up! I like her nickname for Ruth. I had nicknames for my brothers and sister…still do!
I like that “still do” part of your comment. 🙂
Hilarious that she calls Ruth “the dear little mortal” in the one entry! I love her wit. 🙂
She did have a way with words!
LOL, “the dear little mortal”.
And, so am I. 🙂
Often people don’t admit, even to themselves, when they’ve been unkind. This is a very interesting blog project. Cheers!
I agree, that’s why I think this diary entry is somewhat surprising. Thanks for taking a moment to write the nice note.
That’s the joy of a diary I guess. It’s all you’re own point of view and your sibling is easily always the villain
You’re right–a diary is designed to be written from the author’s point of view. 🙂