18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Saturday, November 8, 1913: Nothing much to write.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, I’ll share a fun advertisement I came across.
18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Friday, November 7, 1913: Pa’s away now and we kids have the things to look after. I ought to practice my music more than I have, so I may have it in a better condition than what I do.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Where did her father go? . . . and why did he go there?
Maybe he was going somewhere to buy something. The previous day Grandma cashed a check for $400. Maybe she was cashing a check that her father wrote for “cash” so that he would have money to buy something. . . . But what?
18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Thursday, November 6, 1913: Had my first experience in banking this afternoon, when I had a check cashed for the amount of four hundred dollars. That was the largest sum of money I ever walked around with.
With five others walked to Watsontown to attend an entertainment. I enjoyed it ever so much. One part was so laughable that it became hard for me to sit still. My sides sill hurt and the tears came.
Grandma may have had her first banking experience in this building. When I was a child it housed the Farmers’ National Bank of Watsontown. (It is now a Sovereign Bank.) I’m not sure whether it was a bank a hundred years ago.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Four hundred dollars!—That’s a lot of money even today and it was a huge amount a hundred years ago.
According to an online inflation calculator, $400 a hundred years ago would be worth $9,524 today.
Where did Grandma get the check that she cashed? Was she cashing the check for her father? . . . Did he sell part of the recently harvested corn crop? . . . . . .
—–
The “entertainment” sounds like fun. Was it a play? . .. some sort of variety show? . . . .
18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Wednesday, November 5, 1913: If ever a girl heard high-tone language, I heard some this afternoon.
This doesn’t happen very often, but this afternoon I came to earth with a thud. Was positive there were no spectators, but afterwards learned that I had been mistaken.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Who said the high-tone words? . . . and what did he/she say?
This is a relatively long diary entry for Grandma. Are the two paragraphs both referring to high-tone language? . . . or is the second paragraph about an actual fall?
18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Tuesday, November 4, 1913: How can I express my feelings for today? I ask myself this question. I may say that an unlooked for pleasure came to pass and filled my day with dreams. As to whether they will be ever realized the future alone can tell.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
What was the unexpected pleasure?
Grandma, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you dreams will be fulfilled.
18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Monday, November 3, 1913: Have settled into my old unromantic ways again, so that is why I don’t have much to write.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Hmm. . . Was Grandma making a comparison between romantic ways and unromantic ways?
Grandma had so much fun at the Halloween party—is it just my imagination or does this entry suggest that something romantic happened at the party?
18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Sunday, November 2, 1913: Went to Sunday School this afternoon. We didn’t have church, so I went for a walk with one of the girls.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
There’s a rhythm to the diary—and a predictable ebb and flow. But, because of the predictability, occasionally something very minor jumps out at me.
Since I began posting Grandma’s diary entries, 2 years and 10 months ago, I’ve probably posted close to 140 Sunday entries which said that she’d gone to Sunday School. I’ve often wondered why Grandma almost always went to Sunday School, but seldom mentioned church.
But this entry—with Grandma noting an exception (no church)—also tells me about her usual routine. She apparently usually went to both Sunday School and church (or I suppose she could be using the words Sunday School interchangeably to mean either Sunday School or church).
