Tried to Make Sister Miserable

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.

New Wall Paper in the Kitchen

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Monday, May 19, 1913: Saw the kitchen papered this afternoon. It looks quite stylish.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Whow! I’ve totally missed the context of the diary entries the past few days. (I probably should read further ahead.)

I thought that spring housecleaning lasted for a couple weeks when I read diary entries that said things like, “Nothing much doing, but the doing of rubbing, scrubbing, etc.” (May 14, 1913).

Really, they probably did the spring house cleaning in early May, and then moved on to removing old wall paper from the kitchen wall in preparation of re-papering.

The caption on this black and white picture in the an article called, “Good Taste in the Farm House” in the October, 1913 issue of Ladies Home Journal says:

“Here striped wall paper in two tons of green was used to give the effect of great height to this low-ceiled room. The furniture was painted a willow green to harmonize with the walls and the cretonne curtains.”

Did the rather stylish Muffly kitchen look anything like the picture in the magazine?

What Kind of Clocks Did People Have in 1913?

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Sunday, May 18, 1913: Went to Sunday School this afternoon. Had to hurry some while on the way, for I thought I would be later and I was.

Source: Kimball's Dairy Farmer Magazine (December 15, 1911) — Source: Kimball’s Dairy Farmer Magazine (December 15, 1911)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Grandma–How late were you? . . .a few minutes? . . half an hour? Weren’t the clocks working quite right at home?

According to Wikipedia, wrist watches didn’t become popular until the 1920s. What kinds of clocks did your family have? . . . a wind-up alarm clock? . . . a wind-up pocket watch? . . . a grandfather’s clock?. . . some other kind of pendulum clock?

A Celebration of Something

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Saturday, May 17, 1913: Went to Watsontown this afternoon. There was a big time going on in there. The celebration of something. I don’t just know exactly what. There must have been at least four or five different bands. I’m pretty tired by this time. Had to do all the milking after I came home.

Were the bands marching down Main Street?

Or maybe they were playing at the Watsontown Park.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Hmm—Sounds like fun, though it’s interesting that Grandma wasn’t quite sure what the event was about.

Did her sister Ruth stay at the celebration in Watsontown?

Based on previous diary entries, I think that Grandma and Ruth typically each milked several cows.

They sometimes traded the milking chore so that one of them could do something else. Grandma might milk Ruth’s cows one day—and Ruth would milk Grandma’s a few days later.

Washing the Kitchen Ceiling

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Tuesday, May 13, 1913: Started to earn my dollar washing off the kitchen ceiling. Want to get it finished by tomorrow. The Bryson girls were down.

Blanche Bryson (Source: “Cut” from picture in History of the McEwensville Schools by Thomas Kramm. Used with permission.)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Really?? Washing the kitchen ceiling?? Why?? I’ve knocked a few spider webs down from ceilings, but I’ve never washed a ceiling in my life.

Whew, it must have been a lot of work, if it was going to take two days. At least Grandma got paid for doing it. $1 back then would be worth about $24 today.

The Bryson Girls

One of the Bryson girls would have been Blanche. She was a friend and Grandma’s and her sister Ruth, and is mentioned several places in the diary. Blanche was a teacher at the Keefertown School, a one-room school house, near McEwensville. Both Blanche and Ruth went to the Sunbury teachers’ meeting that I showed a picture of a few days ago. I’m not sure what the other Bryson girl’s name was.

Has the Meaning of Varnish Changed over the Past Hundred Years?

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Thursday, May 8, 1913: Rufus was busy shining up the piano, desk, etc. with varnish. It’s rather difficult to keep from getting in it, and then you have to handle your fingers so gingerly. I’ve been warned several times.

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

The piano was almost new. Grandma’s mother purchased it on March 29, 1913:

. . . Ma bought a piano. I’m so glad for now I can learn to play.

The meaning of the word varnish must have changed over the last hundred years. When I think of varnish, I think of a lacquer; but it sounds like Grandma was referring to furniture polish.

Grandma called her sister Ruth, Rufus when she was annoyed with her. I can almost see Grandma’s fingerprints on the shiny piano wood; and Ruth’s exasperated expression.

Spring Chores the Same from Day to Day

18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:

Tuesday, May 6, 1913: These days of spring bring to me the same tasks which vary little from one day to another.

Cover of Kimball's Dairy Farmer Magazine (August 15, 1913) — Cover of Kimball’s Dairy Farmer Magazine (August 15, 1913)

Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:

Sounds boring. What were the tasks that needed to be done every day?

watching cows to ensure that they didn’t escape from the pasture?
milking the cows?
gathering the eggs?
feeding the farm animals?
planting the garden?
cooking?
cleaning closets and other spring housecleaning chores? (Does anyone do spring housecleaning anymore?)