Category: Other

Head in a Muddle

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

Wednesday 9, 1912:My head is all in a muddle, and I hardly know how to think.

A recent dreary day in McEwensville

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

I’m going to remember the word “muddle.” No more senior moments for me—from now on my head is going to  just be in a muddle whenever I make a silly mistake.

Why was Grandma’s head in a muddle? Was something wrong? Was she worried about something?

Whatever was bothering her has been lost over time. Too bad she didn’t record it in the diary.

Difficult to Study After a School Vacation

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

Saturday, October 5, 1912:What with two days of vacation I haven’t worked much at my books in the way of getting my lessons out for Monday.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

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

Grandma’s school was closed the previous two days so that students could attend the Milton Fair. It’s hard to get back to the books after a long break.

Oh, well, it was only Saturday—Grandma still had Sunday to get her lessons done.  🙂

What Does “Didn’t Cut Much Ice with Me” Mean?

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

Friday, October 4, 1912:  It was my turn to keep house today while Pa, Ma, and Jimmie went to the fair to take in the sights. I wasn’t to go away any place as I was to mind the house, cows, etc. Didn’t cut much ice with me, as I felt still tired from yesterday and was content to stay at home.

Recent photo of the Muffly farm. It probably seemed quiet and lonely when Grandma was the only person at home.

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

Seems reasonable to me—

Grandma had a wonderful day at the Milton Fair the previous day. Now it was her parents and little brother’s turn to go.

Where was Grandma’s sister Ruth?  She was a teacher at a nearby school. Maybe Ruth didn’t give her students the day off like Grandma’s school did.

What does “didn’t cut much ice with me” mean? Grandma sounded annoyed that she had to stay home—yet she wrote that she was tired and content to stay home.

A quick Google search suggests that it means “don’t influence me”, but that doesn’t exactly work in this context.

School Will Close for Two Days So Students Can Attend Fair

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

Wednesday, October 2, 1912:  I guess I’ll go tomorrow. We have Thursday and Friday off. Think I’m glad of it

Milton, PA
Recent photo of Milton. In the early 1900’s,the fairgrounds were north of town.

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

Grandma  was referring to the Milton Fair in this post. The previous day, she mentioned that it was fair week.

It’s interesting how the school closed for two days so that students could attend the fair. What was the educational aspect of the fair? . . .or maybe the teacher just figured that students would skip school anyway for the fair, so he might as well give them the days off.

I think that when I was a child that we got a half day off to attend another fair–the Bloomsburg Fair. I wonder if schools do that any more.

Events Occur with a Predictable Regularly

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

Thursday, October 10, 1912:

So here comes the month of October.

Arrayed in a many hued gown

Trimmed with the tints of bright Autumn,

The purple, the orange, the red and the brown.

This is Fair week, and I hope that the weather will be that also. I long to go, but I do not know whether we’ll get a day off or not. Must try and find out tomorrow.

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

My life has a routine with a predictable seasonal ebb and flow, with recurring events that occur at predictable times.

Today marks the beginning of my 22nd month posting Grandma’s diary entries—and I find that I’m also beginning to get a sense of the ebb and flow of her routine a hundred years ago.

Grandma began each month with a poem that either gave her perspective of the upcoming month—or mourned the passing of the previous month.  She also talked about harvesting crops and watching cows with amazing regularly across the two years, and in early autumn each year she wrote about Fair Week in the nearby town of Milton.

On September 20, 1911 she wrote:

Papa and Mamma and Jimsey went to the fair this afternoon. I expect to go tomorrow if the weather is favorable. We have Thursday and Friday off for the fair.

And, I’m starting to notice exceptions to patterns. The fair held about two weeks later 1912 than in 1911. I wonder why.

Elected Class Secretary

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

Monday, September 30, 1912:  Our class had a meeting this evening after school. I had the misfortune to be elected secretary. But better, or rather it suits me better to have been that, than president or treasurer would have suited me.

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

Where did the class members meet? At the school? . . . at the home of one of the students? . . . at a restaurant? I believe that this building was a restaurant a hundred years ago. Maybe they met there.

It’s awesome that Grandma got elected class secretary—though she seemed slightly annoyed.

Maybe I’m trying to read too much between the lines, but  was Grandma really hoping that she won’t be elected to any position–or had she hoped to be elected president or treasurer?

Weather in Cities Across the Country: September 29, 1912

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

Sunday, September 29, 1912: Rained so that I didn’t go to Sunday School. Miss Bryson was here today having come down on the train last night.

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

I wonder if it was an all-day storm or just a brief shower. In general, the weather across the US was pretty good on September 29, 1912–though many cities got a little precipitation.

TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION

SEPTEMBER 29, 1912

Source: Minneapolis Morning Tribune, September 30, 1912

—

Miss Bryson refers to Blanche Bryson. She was a friend of Grandma and her sister Ruth. The Susquehanna, Bloomsburg, and Berwick railroad tracks crossed the Muffly farm, and there was a whistle stop at a nearby feed mill. I’m not sure where Blanche lived in 1912, but I think that she was a teacher and probably lived outside the immediate area.