Sleigh Ride

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

Saturday, January 10, 1914: Got my first sleigh ride of the season last night. Most forgot what I did today.

Sleigh in Hadley Farm Museum, MA (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

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

Grandma –

Wow, a sleigh ride! . . . Was it after the dance that you wrote about yesterday? . . .By the way, how was the dance?

Was it a moonlit night? Was the sleigh ride cold? Were there lots of blankets in the sleigh to keep you warm?

Who else went on the sleigh ride? . . . your sister Ruth? . . . .a cute guy you danced with? (Did you snuggle with him under the blankets? . . . Oh, never mind, I just remembered that you are my grandmother, and that’s probably an inappropriate question.) 🙂

Going to a Dance!

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

Friday, January 9, 1914: Nothing much doing here this afternoon. Started to read a book this afternoon. Ruth and I expect to go to a dance this evening.

In my imagination, I picture the dance being held at the McEwensville Community Hall. It's a very old building and existed a hundred years ago. — In my imagination, I picture the dance being held at the McEwensville Community Hall. It’s a very old building and existed a hundred years ago.

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

Grandma—

Nothing??? It sounds like the most exciting day in weeks.

What do you plan to wear to the dance? Are you going to do anything special with your hair? Who are you hoping to dance with? Where is the dance? . . . .

The inside of the Community Hall. Also, in my imagination, Grandma is gliding across the floor with the most handsome young man at the dance. (Well, maybe the second most handsome guy. Ruth probably got the most handsome one. Sisters!!)

Ran an Errand for Mother

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

Thursday, January 8, 1914: Went up to McEwensville this afternoon on an errand of my mother’s, although I couldn’t see that much importance was attached to it.

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

This is the second day that Grandma mentioned the errand. The previous day she wrote:

Went on an errand this afternoon, but didn’t accomplish anything as the people weren’t at home. . .

January 7, 1914

We now know that:

The errand is now accomplished.
It was for her mother.
Her mother apparently thought that it was important, but Grandma didn’t think that it needed to be done.

What we still don’t know:

What was the errand?
Who were “the people” that Grandma needed to visit to accomplish the errand?

Yesterday Barbara commented on the post. She said when Grandma wrote that “the people” weren’t home it made her think they weren’t in Grandma’s regular circle of friends and family or Grandma probably would have named them.

After reading today’s diary entry, I think that I agree with Barbara. The errand probably was a bit stressful—and worthy of mention in the diary—because Grandma didn’t feel very comfortable having to talk with people she didn’t know well.

Tried to Run an Errand

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

Wednesday, January 7, 1914: Went on an errand this afternoon, but didn’t accomplish anything as the people weren’t at home. Ruthie and I went up to Oakes’ this evening.

Recent view of the farm where the Oakes lived.

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

What was the failed errand? . . . an attempt to return something? . . . an attempt to buy or borrow something? . . . an attempt to give a message to someone? . . .

The Oakes lived on a farm near the Muffly’s and had several children close in age to Grandma and her sister Ruth. Rachel Oakes was a friend. And, there were at least two boys in the family–Jim and Alvin. Back in n 1911, Ruth dated Jim Oakes.

Minister Preached Farewell Sermon

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

Sunday, January 4, 1914: 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.

The old McEwensville Baptist Church probably was located somewhere on the lot that contains this yard and house. (An aside: This picture is obviously the wrong season, but it’s on only one I have of this lot.)

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

Why was the minister leaving? It sounds like church members really liked him.

Maybe the McEwensville Baptist Church wasn’t able to pay the minister very much and he found a better position. I think that the church was disbanded sometime during the 1920s—and it may have already been struggling when Grandma wrote the diary.

Agnes Beard wrote in 1939 in her History of McEwensville:

The Baptist Church, a brick edifice, has fallen into ruins, there being no members in or near the place to keep it in repair.

Agnes Beard (1939)

Had Good Time, But Longed to Go Sleighing

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

Saturday, January 3, 1914: Made a call this afternoon, so that the time wouldn’t be so tedious. I’m wishing and longing for a sleigh ride, now that there is sleighing.

Ruth and I went up to Wesner’s this evening. There were some other girls there too. Renewed my acquaintance with a former school mate whom I hadn’t seen for over three years I guess, until I saw her on Christmas eve. Had a good time.

(Picture is from vintage Christmas card)

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

Yeah! It sounds like a fun evening (though I’d long to go sleighing, too—especially if I had to walk to and from town in the cold and dark).

Helen “Tweet” Wesner was about the same age as Grandma and her sister Ruth. She lived on a farm at the edge of McEwensville—and often was part of enjoyable activities and events.

I'm not positive, but I think that Tweet Wesner lived in this house when this diary entry was written. — I’m not positive, but I think that Tweet Wesner lived in this house when the diary entry was written.

Book Review: The Woman Thou Gavest Me

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

Tuesday, December 30, 1913: There’s nothing much to write about for today. Am interested in reading a book that I once tried several years ago and though it too dry.

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

Curling up with a good book is the perfect way to spend a cold winter day.

It’s obviously not what Grandma was considering reading because it was published in 1913, but I just finished reading The Woman Thou Gavest Me by Hall Caine. It was #7 on the Publisher’s Weekly bestseller list for 1913.

This book tells the story of a young woman, Mary O’Neill, who loved an Antarctica explorer, but was forced by her father to marry another man. Her wealthy father wanted to get control of some land, so he insisted that she marry a financially-struggling nobleman who owned an estate.

(Tip to the wise: If you’ve never consummated your marriage, but instead decide to have an affair with an Antarctica explorer, be sure to use birth control if you sleep with him the night before he leaves for Antarctica.)

The Woman Thou Gavest Me touched on a lot of complex social and moral issues that people were grappling with in 1913—

Should marriages be based upon family and business relationships, or should they be based on love?
Should women be allowed to divorce? . . . and if they are allowed to divorce should they be allowed to remarry?
What role should the Catholic church have in determining what is acceptable in regards to marriage and divorce?
Is it sometimes acceptable to have an affair?
How should illegitimate children (and their mothers) be treated by society?

This book is worthwhile reading from a historical perspective. The themes addressed by this book reminded me of the themes that Edith Wharton, another author from this era, often explored. The Woman Thou Gavest Me was a slow read—and felt very dated; but there was something about it that kept pulling me back to it over the course of several months.