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

Monday, August 25, 1913:  Nothing much doing.

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

Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, I decided to share this illustrated version of Jack and Jill that appeared in the August, 1913 issue of Good Housekeeping.

Today most middle class family have oodles of picture books, and can easily access lots more at a nearby library (and kids with tech savvy parents may be reading electronic versions of books rather than hard copies—but I’m not going there).

A hundred years ago, children’s books were relatively expensive, kids often had few books, and many people did not have access to libraries.

Women’s magazines back then often had features aimed at children like this one. Many parents probably saved them so that their children could read it again and again.

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

 Sunday, August 24, 1913:  Went to Sunday School this morning. This afternoon I walked out to Margaret’s. We had a dandy time together and spent it to advantage.

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

Some mysteries periodically recur throughout the diary. This is one of those times. Grandma only mentioned a couple friends in the diary—yet two of those few friends were named Margaret, so I’m not sure who this entry refers to.

Both Margaret G. (I’m not sure of the last name) and Margaret Bryson are mentioned.

Grandma lived about a mile and a half west of McEwensville. Margaret Bryson lived about two miles north of town (near the Warrior Run Church), so it would have taken close to an hour to walk to her home.

For more on Margaret Bryson see this previous post:

Blanche and Margaret Bryson

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

Wednesday, August 20, 1913:  Worked more than usual at my music this afternoon. A cousin of Ma’s came, so then I didn’t practice any more.

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

Yeah, Grandma!  I’m glad you’re working hard while practicing the piano. It’s hard work to learn to play the piano when you start lessons at age 18. Hang in there!

___

I continue to be fascinated by a column called “Piano Questions Answered by Josef Hofmann”  that appeared periodically in Ladies Home Journal a hundred years ago. Here’s another question.

A Pianist Should Not Study the Violin

I have heard that the study of the violin interferes with the touch of a good pianist? Is this so? J.P.F.

There are two reasons why no one can play the piano and violin equally well. The violinist strives to harden his fingertips in order to make his tone definite, while the soul of a sensitive and refined piano touch lies in the softness of the fingertips. The ear is another factor in the matter, for the acoustic pictures peculiar to the two instruments are so thoroughly different from each other that the ear must get accustomed to the tone quality of the piano to produce the best results by exploring its possibilities. The technic, literature and tone quality of the two instruments are too different to admit of a mastery of both, though the piano is not nearly so harmful to the violin as the violin is to the piano.

Ladies Home Journal (May 1, 1911)

If you missed it, you may also enjoy a previous post that contained a couple more questions and answers from the piano column in old Ladies Home Journals.

Piano Questions and Answers from a Hundred Years Ago

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

Tuesday, August 19, 1913:  Went to a party over at Stout’s this evening. Had quite a nice time.  July 27, 1912 – Aug 19, 1913: I can’t forget that.

The Stout home was located near here. It burned down years ago–and Interstate I-180 now cuts through the farm where the Stout’s once lived.

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

Carrie Stout was one of Grandma’s friends. She lived on a farm that was midway between the Muffly farm and McEwensville. Who else was at the party?

Grandma,  why are the dates special: July 27, 1912 to the day you wrote the diary entry (August 19, 1913)? What was so memorable about the starting date?   Did something end?. . .or would it continue into future days?