18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Thurday, March 27, 1913: There was quite a flood here today. Had to go a different way to get to school.
Ruth’s school stopped today. Had to help carry some stuff over there this morning. I got rather tired with carrying it and got my dress all wet in the bargain.
Recent photos of the stream that flows through the farm Grandma grew up on. The old Muffly barn is in the background. It would have looked very different when the road was flooded a hundred years ago today,
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
It sounds like a miserable morning. Rain. . .cold, wet clothes. . . and a flooded creek that cut off the normal route between the Muffly farm and McEwensville.
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Grandma’s sister Ruth was a teacher at one of the small rural schools near McEwensville. Why did Grandma need to carry things over to Ruth’s school?
Does “Ruth’s school stopped today” mean that school was cancelled due to high water? . . or was it the last day of the school year? (School years were shorter back then, but it seems really early for it to be ending.)
18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Wednesday, March 26, 1913: Teacher gave the school a lecture, but it was really meant for me. I don’t think what I did was so bad, but I guess I won’t do it again. I might catch it right there.
Recent photo of the building that once housed McEwensville High School.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Hmm—what the heck did Grandma do? The previous day she wrote that she got home from play practice at 11:30 and didn’t have time to do her studies.
In the past, Grandma had some issues with cheating. Might she possibly have reverted to that old habit?
Two years prior to this diary entry, on February 7, 1911, she wrote:
Some of the boys at school found the teacher’s Latin questions in examination, and we all expect to make a good mark. I do at least, but I might be fooled as some cheats are.
And, she got away with it that time. The next day (February 8, 1911) she wrote:
Had some of our exams today. Came out all right in Latin. Our arithmetic wasn’t so easy though. My fingers feel rather tired.
The next year, things didn’t go so well. On January 25, 1912 Grandma wrote:
Gave my ear to a free-for-all lecture this afternoon. It was delivered by Mr. Teacher, the chief part of which was about cheating on examinations. I’ve been so worked up at this, although Conscience tells me not to. Anyway I believe it is time to stop, and do better in the future. So now, I will try to bid adieu to all ways of crookedness and get the things in my head instead of having them on paper.
But, Grandma did reform her ways—at least temporarily. A few days later, on February 9, 1912 she wrote:
I am disgusted with the marks I made in my examination, but although my marks are low I am not losing faith for I can truthfully say, “I didn’t cheat.” I had not much of a desire to cheat after that awful lecture and what desire I had left I managed to trample down. I intend to improve for next month and make my next teacher happy.
18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Tuesday, March 25, 1913: Didn’t get home from practice till about half past eleven. So you see I didn’t get my lessons out either.
Grandma was about 2/3s of the way home from McEwensville when she passed this house.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Whew—11:30 was late to be out on a school night.
Grandma played the role of Chloe, the servant, in the upcoming class play. The play was less than two weeks away. I suppose that the cast still had a lot to do to prepare for the performance on April 5.
I think that Grandma often walked the mile and a half home after play practice. But, since it went so late, hopefully someone gave her a ride home in a buggy.
18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Sunday, March 23, 1913: Easter Sunday. Quite a few joined the church this afternoon. I would have like to but decided otherwise. The Bunny didn’t bring me any eggs. Rufus got three and Jimmie got two.
Old-fashioned Easter eggs dyed using onion skins
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Lots of “whys” today . . . .
1. Why did Grandma decide not to join the church? She occasionally mentioned catechism classes that must have been preparing her to join the .old McEwensville Baptist Church. I’d think that she would automatically join when she completed the classes, but I don’t know much about what joining a Baptist church entailed.
2. Why didn’t Grandma get any Easter eggs? Grandma’s little brother Jimmie was just 7-years-old; but her sister Ruth was 21. It doesn’t make sense that the Easter bunny skipped the child in the middle.
You might enjoy this previous post on dying eggs with onion skins:
18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Friday, March 21, 1913: Seems rather queer to be eighteen. I realize I am getting old. Am tugging away at my old essay. It is almost finished.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
You might feel old but, you’re still young!
I almost feel like I’ve been growing up with you over the past several years. You were just 15 when you began the diary—and this is the third birthday we’ve celebrated together via this blog.
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Thursday, March 20, 1913: Am resting and sleeping like a log from my two nights out. Am glad this is the last day of winter.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
When I was young, the first day of spring was always on March 21. So when Grandma wrote this diary entry, the 20th was the last day of winter. Now it seems like the first day of spring varies from your to year. This year it is today—March 20.
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Grandma attended parties on March 17 and 18. They must have really worn her out. My mind often races after exciting events and I struggle to sleep—but it sounds like that wasn’t a problem for Grandma.
