17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Friday, February 7, 1913: We had our literary meeting this afternoon and also elected officers to take the place of the old ones. They had to go and elect me president.
Building that once houses McEwensville School.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Way to go Grandma!—You’ve put so much energy into the Literary Society and it’s awesome that you’re now the president.
We organized a Literary Society at school this afternoon. I am one of the committee. Just what I wanted to be.
Why was there an election just three months after the society was organized? Were there problems with the previous officers. . .or had they always planned to have elections every couple of months?
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Sunday, February 2, 1913: It was a very tight fit. The girls slept with me. It was very nice, especially where one must cling to the very edge for fear
Went to Sunday School this morning. Besse was out. We had ice cream today. Second time. Rufus took Helen home this evening, that is they both went to Christian Endeavor, but I stayed to studying General History. It’s awfully cold here, so I’m going to be. Good-night.
Picture source: National Food Magazine (June, 1910)
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Based on the diary, I think that Grandma and her sister Ruth (called Rufus in this entry) shared a double bed during the winter months since the second floor of homes were cold back in the days of wood and coal stoves.
The previous day Grandma wrote that a friend, Tweet (Helen) Wesner, came to visit. Probably the three girls squeezed into the double bed.
A hundred years ago making homemade ice cream was often winter activity rather than a summer one. The Muffly’s did not have electricity and lived on a farm. Ice was more readily available in the winter—and it would be easier to store the ice cream.
Here are the directions in a hundred-year-old cookbook for making ice cream:
Directions for Freezing
Select a reliable freezer and one which runs easily. Keep the gearing well oiled.
Adjust the freezing can in the freezer, making sure that all parts fit and that the crank turns readily. Place ice in bag made of ticking or strong sacking, and with a wooden mallet, pound until very fine. Surround the freezing can with ice and rock salt, using three measures of ice and one of salt, for ice cream and sherbets; two measures of ice and one of salt for sorbets, frappes, etc.; equal measures of ice and of salt for molding and for freezing mousses, bombes, and parfaits.
For freezing ice cream, when the freezing can is cold, pour in mixture to be frozen, let stand five minutes, then turn the crank slowly for eight or ten minutes, then more rapidly until mixture is frozen. Remove dasher, scrape cream from sides of freezing can to the middle and press down so as to have the cream one solid mass; let stand to season, or if to be molded, pack in the mold.
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Tuesday, January 28, 1913: Our teacher made such a wonderful proposition today. It was made to our class. The one who writes the best essay on a given subject is to receive a two dollar and a half gold piece. Margaret G. came home with me to stay till tomorrow. We had a dandy time this evening, although I am afraid our lessons suffered some. Rufus made candy. And so the evening went.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Grandma—I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you write the best essay and get the gold piece. I think you have a chance since you sound so hopeful.
I wish you’d told us the topic so that I could vicariously “help” you write the essay a hundred years later.
—
I’m not sure who Margaret G. was, but it sounds like the girls had a wonderful time. Rufus refers to Grandma’s sister Ruth.
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Monday, January 27, 1913: We went to town this evening to practice for our play.
Nearly Married at the Gaiety Theatre on Broadway in New York City
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Grandma wrote the previous Monday that she was going to be in a her class play. This was the first play practice.
In my imagination I see a member of the cast saying, “If we practice hard, I bet our play will be as good as a Broadway play.”
Here’s what the November, 1913 issue of Dress and Vanity Fair magazine had to say about several Broadway plays that were playing in New York a hundred years ago:
In a Lighter Vein on Broadway
The Marriage Market at the Knickerbocker Theatre
In this picture from The Marriage Market the small but sweet voice of Mr. Donald Brian is being lifted up in a duet with Miss Venita Fitzhugh. Until this moment when he has just taken her hand she had not recognized him once since the first act. She met him as a cowboy then and married him in a fit of pique. Since that time he has been disguised as a common sailor on her father’s yacht, but she did not recognize his face at all, and now that he looks so stunning in evening clothes and a clean shirt she cannot believe that it is really he.
Who’s Who at the Criterion
Mr. Richard Harding Davis’s’ comic mystery play Who’s Who finds Mr. William Collier and his adopted son William Collier, Jr. The youngster has a savings bank in his hand with which he is constantly blackmailing the villagers in his bland and child-like way. Mr. Collier who has been held up by the child is expostulating vigorously, paternally, almost expletively.
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Sunday, January 26, 1913:Went to Sunday School this afternoon. Besse was out.
Source of Pictures: Ladies Home Journal (May, 1913)
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Grandma’s sister Besse was married and lived in nearby Watsontown. Sometimes Besse brought needlework or sewing along when she came to visit. For example, on August 9, 1912 Grandma wrote:
We had sort of s sewing bee here today. Besse was out and brought some of her stuff along.
On this January day, a hundred years ago, perhaps the sisters did cross-stitching while they chatted.
Cross-stitch and crochet work using same rose pattern
17-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Saturday, January 25, 1913: I have a sore thumb although I do not think it is as bad as it was several days ago.
Source: Wikipedia
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Poor Grandma—She sure seemed to get a lot of illnesses and injuries.
It sounds like she hurt her finger again (though I suppose that she possibly was still complaining about her December injury). On December 16, 1912 she wrote:
. . . We killed some pigs and I took a slice off the end of my thumb. Oh sad the day, for I don’t care anything about having a sore thumb . . .
