The Future Will be Better

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

Sunday, May 24 – Thursday, May 28, 1914: Nothing much doing.

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

Things will get better for Grandma and her sister Besse. This photo was taken in 1924—and it is a picture of Besse’s husband Curt. The older boy is his son, Curt, Jr. The other two children are two of Grandma’s children. The baby is my father Harold, and the little girl is his sister Marjorie.

Somehow “nothing much doing” seems like odd words for Grandma to write in her diary to summarize the days following the death of her infant niece—but maybe that’s the best she could do. It had to be difficult.

—

Besse and Curt Hester had one child who lived beyond infancy. Curt, Jr. was born in 1915, and had a nice, long life. He died in 1999 at the age of 83.

When I was child, Curt Jr. lived in the house that Grandma lived in when she was writing this diary. In other words, he lived in the lovely house pictured in the header of this blog.

Three Blind Mice

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

Tuesday, May 19, 1914: Nothing much today.

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

Since not much was happening in Grandma’s life a hundred years ago today, I thought that you might enjoy seeing a few pages from a children’s book published in the early 1900s. I wonder if Grandma’s 8-year-old brother Jimmie owned a copy of Three Blind Mice.

I scanned in these pages from a hard copy of the book, but you can read the entire book on the Project Gutenberg site.

Sleeping Porches a Hundred Years Ago

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

Monday, May 18, 1914: These May days are rather lazy times. I go to bed sleepy; sleep like a top, and get up sleepy.

Source: Ladies Home Journal (July ,1914)

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

Life was good! . . Grandma usually had to do so much work. I think this is the first time that she ever sounded like she had some time to relax.

The weather must have been perfect for sleeping. A hundred years ago—in the days before electric fans and air conditioning— sleeping porches were very popular. The Muffly’s didn’t have one, but I thought that you might enjoy seeing pictures of some lovely sleeping porches that were featured in the July, 1914 issue of Ladies Home Journal.

Stopped with a Friend

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

Sunday, May 17, 1914: Went to Sunday School this afternoon. Stopped with a friend a couple of minutes.

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

Sounds like a wonderful, fun, relaxing Sunday afternoon.

Hmm. . . What does stopped with a friend mean? . . . Did Grandma go into a friend’s home in McEwensville after Sunday School to see something? . . . sit on the grass and talk? . . . stop to pick wildflowers?

I like this picture of McEwensville even though Grandma didn't go to this church. (She attended the Baptist Church which was torn down years ago). — I like this picture even though Grandma didn’t go to this church. (She attended the Baptist Church which was torn down years ago).

Rain, Rain, Go Away

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

Monday, May 11, 1914: Rain, rain go away and come again some other day. Was invited to a party for this eve, but it just came down in floods, and alas, I staid at home.

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

Grandma—

Too bad about the rain . . . Did you miss a super fun party. . .or just an average one?

—

It’s amazing how some phrases like, “Rain, rain, go away” been around at least a hundred years.

While others are popular for a few years and then totally vanish. A phrase with a very short life that comes to mind is “Where the beef?

Went for a Walk with a Friend

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

Sunday, May 10, 1914: Went to Sunday School this morning. Went home with Margaret to spend the afternoon. My, but we did do some tall walking and had a good time. My limbs have a rather sorry feeling by this time from so much exertion.

Margaret Bryson (Photo source: Jane Shuman)

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

A vigorous walk with a friend sounds like a wonderful way to spend a beautiful spring afternoon. What did they talk about? . . . cute guys? . . . gossip about friends?. . . spring housecleaning? . . . .

Some mysteries periodically recur in the diary. Grandma had two friends named Margaret—Margaret Bryson and Margaret G. (I don’t know her last name)—and it’s unclear which one this entry refers to. For more information, see these previous posts:

Which Friend Does this Diary Entry Refer to?

Which Margaret Does the Diary Entry Refer to?

Blanche and Margaret Bryson

Eleanor Wilson’s White House Wedding

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

Friday, May 8, 1914: <no entry>

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

Grandma was probably totally exhausted as the spring cleaning and wallpapering wound down; and was too tired to write a diary entry a hundred years ago today. Hopefully she had a chance to relax a little, and maybe the wedding of the president’s daughter the previous day made her dream a little–

On May 7, 1914, Eleanor Wilson, the daughter of President Woodrow Wilson married William McAdoo. Eleanor was 24 years old, and he was a widower who was 26 years older than her. He was also the Secretary of the Treasury.

Source: Milton Evening Standard (April 19, 1914)

Apparently the article didn’t correctly predict how many wedding gifts the couple would receive. According to Eleanor’s 1967 obituary:

Her marriage to McAdoo drew world attention. The wedding was held in the White House, where a family friend recalled “there were rooms and rooms of gifts. It was all a mad rush, but she enjoyed it immensely.”

An aside—Apparently even a storybook wedding doesn’t ensure long-term happiness, because the obituary continued:

The couple divorced 20 years later when McAdoo was elected U.S. senator from California and Mrs. McAdoo had to remain in California for health reasons.