Lectures About Jews a Hundred Years Ago

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

Thursday, January 22, 1914: Ruth and I went to town this evening to hear a talk given by a Jew in the Reformed Church.

St. Johns' United Church of Christ (It was St. John's Reformed Church in Grandma's day.) — St. Johns’ United Church of Christ, McEwensville (It was St. John’s Reformed Church in Grandma’s day.)

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

The previous summer, on June 1, 1913, Grandma wrote a diary entry that was very similar to this one:

Went to Sunday school this afternoon. Took my time a getting home. I heard some of the best speaking I have ever listened to this evening. A converted Jew talked about some of the customs of the Jewish people in the Reformed Church at McEwensville.

I can’t figure out why a church would have two presentations less than eight months apart about Judaism, and why Grandma would be interested enough in the topic to attend both presentations even though she was a Baptist.

These diary entries make me want to learn more about Jewish culture in the US a hundred years ago, and how Jews were perceived by Christians in the early 20th century. Of course, these diary entries were written years before World War II and the holocaust. . . .

Got Home at 2 a.m.

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

Saturday, January 17, 1914: I don’t believe I slept at all this morning. Got home at two o’clock. Felt rather queer all day.

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

Grandma–2 am!!!

—

Awe, the joys of being young–I can’t remember the last time I stayed up until 2.

Probably Grandma couldn’t sleep because of all the thoughts, wishes, and dreams rushing through her head. The diary entry for the previous day said:

Ruth and I went up to Oakes’ this evening. The occasion being a birthday surprise part for Al. Had a very, very fine time. He was there. That’s why I had such a good time.

—

Based on the way the entries for January 16 and 17 were written, it seems like Grandma wrote them both on the 17th. It makes me wonder how often she actually wrote several diary entries at the same time.

Had a Very, Very Fine Time at Party

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

Friday, January 16, 1914: Ruth and I went up to Oakes’ this evening. The occasion being a birthday surprise party for Al. Had a very, very fine time. He was there. That’s why I had such a good time.

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

Grandma—

What fun! It’s wonderful to hear that you had a “very, very fine time.” It sounds like your life is getting more exciting.

Just one question—Who the heck was “he”?

—

The Oakes lived on a farm near the Mufflys, and had several children about the same age as Grandma and her sister Ruth–—Al, Jim, and Rachel.

This was the second time in less than two weeks Grandma and Ruth went to Oakes. On January 7, 1914 Grandma wrote:

. . . Ruthie and I went up to Oakes’ this evening.

Recent view of the farm where the Oakes lived.

Got Piano Tuned

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

Thursday, January 15, 1914: Well we did get our piano tuned at last. Am so glad of it. This will be more an inducement to get my lessons better.

“A piano tuner’s most basic tools include the tuning hammer (lever) and mutes.”

Photo and caption source: Wikipedia

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

The piano tuner probably arrived in a horse and buggy—and today they’d come in a car—but I don’t think that the process used to tune pianos has changed much over the last hundred years.

This is how Wikipedia describes the process:

Piano tuning is the act of making minute adjustments to the tensions of the strings of an acoustic piano to properly align the intervals between their tones so that the instrument is in tune. . . .

1914 Suffragette Joke

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

Tuesday, January 13, 1914: Ditto

The Start for Her

“My Dear Girl” said a father to his daughter, “what do you suffragists want anyhow?”

“Why Dad, we want to sweep the country.” Replied the daughter.

“Do you?” said the father, “Why, now, suppose you take a broom and start with this room.”

Ladies Home Journal (January, 1914)

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

The previous day Grandma wrote that it was cold outside. Since she didn’t have much to say a hundred years ago today, I’ll share a joke (and the illustration) about suffragettes in the January, 1914 issue of Ladies Home Journal.

Women didn’t get the right to vote until 1920. It’s somewhat shocking how little support a women’s magazine in 1914 showed for women’s rights.

Hundred-year-old Advice for Where to Place Hands When Dancing

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

Monday, January 12, 1914: Pretty cold today.

I don't think people wore fancy clothes like this at dances in rural Pennsylvania, but it nicely illustrates the post. ( Photo source: Ladies Home Journal: April, 1914) — I don’t think people wore fancy clothes like this at dances in rural Pennsylvania, but it nicely illustrates the post. ( Photo source: Ladies Home Journal: April, 1914)

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

Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, my thoughts keep going back to the dance she went to the previous Friday. . .

The February, 1914 issue of Ladies Home Journal had some recommendations for where the man should place his hand when dancing:

The Man’s Hand in Dancing

Since the mania for dancing is so prevalent, and all decent people are anxious to check the present indecent tendencies in the dances, may we suggest to parents and to all dancing teachers that the proper place, laid down by all good authorities in the art of dancing, for the man’s right hand is at the woman’s waist-line and not in the middle of her back?

This may seem like a small and incidental point in good dancing, bit it has much to do not only with the morality of the dance, but with its graces as well, to say nothing of his partner’s dress incidental to his perspiring hands. . . .

Fell While Carrying Milk

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

Sunday, January 11, 1914: Fell down this morning carrying two big buckets full of milk. There was so much less after the fall, but as much of me remained as there was before.

Visited a friend after Sunday School this afternoon. We had no church.

Women with buckets of milk and a cream separator (Source: Kimball's Dairy Magazine--March 1, 1914) — Grandma probably was carrying buckets similar to the ones in the picture. (The women in the picture are using a cream separator.) Source: Kimball’s Dairy Magazine (March 1, 1913)

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

Oops!

Grandma, were you in the barn when you fell? . . . or walking between the barn and the house? Was the walkway icy?

I’m glad you’re still in one piece. Maybe you should carry only one bucket of milk at a time. Two is a lot. . .

—–

There probably was no church service because the church didn’t have a minister. The previous Sunday Grandma wrote:

Our minister is going to leave soon. He preached his farewell sermon today. I am so sorry to see him go. There were some misty eyes in church this afternoon.

January 4, 1914