1913 Perspectives on the Importance of the American Revolution

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

Monday, February 24, 1913: My essay is almost done, all but the conclusion. Think it will be finished by tomorrow night.

Picture Caption: The Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, October 19, 1781; From the painting by Turnbull in the Capitol at Washington (Source: American History for Schools, 1913)

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

Grandma was writing an essay on the American Revolution. I always think that the Introduction and the Conclusion are the hardest parts to write.

A few days ago, I told you how the chapter on the Revolutionary War in a 1913 history textbook began. Today, I’ll share the concluding paragraph of the same chapter:

The peace concluded at Paris in 1783 closed one of the most heroic struggles for human liberty that the world has known; but it opened, for the Americans, problems of peace no less serious and difficult of solution than those of war.

American History for Schools (1913) by R.B. Cousins and J.A. Hill

Initiated New Gray Suit

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

Sunday, February 23, 1913: Went to Sunday School this afternoon. Initiated my new suit by falling down. The wind blew my hat off and in racing after it, I fell when I went to pick it up.

1913-03-41.d — Source: Ladies Home Journal (March, 1913)

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

How embarrassing! Poor Grandma– I can almost picture a couple cute guys standing on a street corner in McEwensville laughing as Grandma chased after the hat and then fell.

The previous day Grandma wrote about buying the new gray suit in Milton.

1913 Shoe Styles

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

Saturday, February 22, 1913: Mother and I went on a shopping expedition this morning. I doubted whether we’d ever get to Milton. The train was late, and it looked rainy. Ma got me a gray jacket suit, two waists, one is silk, and a pair of shoes which I think I will keep for graduation.

1913 shoe — All shoes from a Red Cross Shoe advertisements in Ladies Home Journal (April, 1913, October, 1913)

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

It sounds like a fun shopping expedition. The shoes must have been very special if Grandma planned to save them for graduation.

Grandma and her mother probably rode the Susquehanna, Bloomsburg, and Berwick train to Watsontown. There was a flag stop at the feed mill near their farm. They probably then took the trolley to Milton. According to my father, Grandma used to call the train the Sweet, Bye, and Bye because you never could tell when it would come.

Sonnets of a Suffragette

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

Sunday, February 16, 1913: Went to Sunday School this morning. Carrie was over this afternoon.

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

What did Grandma and her friend Carrie Stout talk about?

This was the era of suffragettes. Did they ever talk about the role of women—and whether they should have the right to vote? (The 19^th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, won’t be ratified until 1919.)

Maybe they discussed a book published in 1913 by Berton Braley called Sonnets of a Suffragette.

Here’s the first sonnet in the book:

I read a lot about the Suffrage Cause.

In nearly every paper that I get

There’s something said about the Suffragette

And Woman’s Right and “brutal manmade laws.”

It’s funny, but this “Votes for Women” draws

It’s leaders from the very smartest set.

I don’t know what it’s all about; and yet

I think I’d like to join it—well—because!

Why should I be a frivolous young thing.

Thinking of gowns and dances—and of men—

When I might help make the welkin ring

With “Votes for Women! Like the Upper Ten?

My sheltered life has been too calm and quiet;

The Movement calls me—and I guess I’ll try it.

Packer’s Tar Soap Advertisement

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

Saturday, February 15, 1913: Was so disappointed this morning. Thought perhaps Ma would go shopping this morning, but she didn’t.

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

What did Grandma want to buy? . . hmm. .. Teens “need” trendy shampoos, cosmetics, and grooming supplies.

Maybe Grandma wanted beautiful hair and needed Packer’s Tar Soap.

Source: Ladies Home Journal (May, 1913)

Went to Box Social

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

Saturday, February 8, 1913: Went to Watsontown this morning to get some stuff for a box social. Ruth and I went up to McEwensville this evening. I did not spend a very enjoyable evening since the person I wanted to get my box didn’t get it and the person I didn’t want to get it got it. Rode home with Ruth and her friend. He’s one of the bald-headed types.

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

I think this is the first box social that Grandma’s gone to since she began the diary—though her sister Ruth went to one in February, 1912.

Box socials always seem like something out of story books. The girls prepared beautiful box lunches with enough food for two that were then auctioned off to raise funds for the school or some charity.

The winning bidder would eat the food with the girl who made the box.

It sounds like the box social turned into a disaster for Grandma.

Ruth was 21—the guy she was with sounds older. How old was he?. . . 30??. . . older??

1913 China-Inspired Dresses

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

Thursday, February 6, 1913: About the same as yesterday.

Source: Ladies Home Journal (May, 1913) — Source: Ladies Home Journal (June, 1913)

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

Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, I’m going to go off on another tangent.

Today our world is so global—and we think that people lived very geographically isolated lives a hundred years ago. Well, not exactly—

People considered themselves to be very cosmopolitan. As I mentioned several days ago, students studied current events in China in school—and according to the June, 1913 issue of Ladies Home Journal:

Interest in the political and civic activities of the new China, which is more or less world-wide at this time, let the designers of the garments on this page to look at that country for inspirations for clothes that would be unique and new and yet fit in with present-day modes and the needs and environments of American women.

China has always been known as possessing a wonderful color sense, and the exquisite beauty of its hand embroidery is the marvel of every needlewoman.

These facts are well known, but one might readily question the possibility of finding in the apparel of the Chinese lines that could be successfully modernized, yet that this has been done is charmingly and most convincingly shown by these attractive and absolutely wearable garments.