19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Tuesday, September 1, 1914:
The summer flowers we bid adieu
To brighter days and balmier hours
There short brief life is well nigh spent
For with the summer goes the flowers.
It seems rather lonesome here without Ruthie, but still have enough to take up my time.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
It was the first day of school for Grandma’s sister Ruth. She taught at the Red Hill School during 1914-15. This school was at the south end of McEwensville. It was a different school than where she’d previously taught.
Whew, it looks like Ruth had 9 boys, and 1 girl in her class. I bet she had a handful.
Monthly Poem
For more information about the poem on the first day of each month see this previous post:
A Hundred Years Ago 
Oh, my….. you just know those boys were into some mischief! That one poor little girl….AND Ruth!
In some ways I think that it probably was more difficult for the little girl than for Ruth. I can just picture the boys mercilessly teasing her. Hopefully Ruth was able to create a comfortable learning environment for the girl.
Ah yes, the poem!
Time flies! Sometimes I’m surprised at how quickly another month rolled by.
All those Moores – the group does look like quite a handful and all those different ages too.
I think that teachers in one-room school houses typically had students in grades 1 – 8. They had to be really good at individualizing and differentiating instruction to meet the needs of students in different grades.
I just read your post about the monthly poem. We memorized poetry in school, too. A lot of it, as a matter of fact. Sometimes, one of those poems will pop to mind. Today, I thank my teachers. Then? Not so much!
I’ve never seen so many boys in a class. Since they all have the same name, I wonder… are they from the same family? If so, their mother deserves some kudos, too!
I assume that they are all from one family–though I suppose it’s possible that some of them may be cousins.
Who deserves sympathy more…Ruth or the little girl?
I’d go with the little girl. It had to be really tough to be the only girl in a school.
“For with the summer goes the flowers”
I like that line very much.
It is a nice line.
I like the poem. I like the photo. Question: did the Moore family have some special connection that you are able to identify them and none of the others — except Ruth?
My guess is that one of the members of the Moore family gave the photo to the author of The History of McEwensville Schools–and that he knew the names of his brothers (and the teacher), but that he forgot the names of the other students.
Ah! That makes sense ….
A lot of children with the last name of Moore. Can’t help but wonder if any relation to my family up in Potter County. Just too many people with the last name of Moore. Makes the genealogy work that much harder.
I don’t know anything about the genealogy of this family, but it seems like it might be possible. Northumberland County isn’t that far from Potter County. I wonder if there were any major transportation routes that went between the two counties..
Oh wonderful for you to have that clipping Sheryl!
Diana xo
It’s actually from a small locally-published book on the history of the McEwensville schools. The author very graciously has allowed me to use photos out of it.
Love this post! between the photo and the poem . . .
It’s nice to hear that you liked it.
Love the photo. I had a heavy load of boys a few teaching years and they were so helpful and resourceful. I remember most of them and see some on Facebook doing wonderful humanitarian things. I am proud of all of my students. Most all. I wonder if you have been able ego follow the Moore’s. Are some of them still there?
I bet that you were a really good teacher. There are still some Moore’s in central Pennsylvania, but I don’t know their family history.
It’s great that you found this photo, Sheryl. And as Helena bid the flowers “adieu”, we are saying “bonjour” as our spring approaches. 🙂
I’m slightly jealous–though I like autumn. 🙂
Nine boys, Ruth probably had her hands full.
I agree!
What a great photo! How wonderful that you have something like this as you read your Grandma’s diary… and thanks for sharing it with us! 🙂
I been surprised how I sometimes unexpectedly find pictures and information about the Muffly family. I found this picture in a small locally published book, and the author very generously has allowed me to use photos from the book in this blog.