Tag: diary

Sunday Routines

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

Sunday, October 27, 1912:  Went to Sunday School this morning. Carrie was over this afternoon. Miss Tweet was here also.

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

Sounds like Grandma spent a nice afternoon with two friends—Carrie Stout and Helen (Tweet) Wesner.

Grandma’s Sunday’s had a general routine—Sunday school, visiting with friends or relatives, and maybe a fun or relaxing activity— like a walk with a friend, or making ice cream, etc.

Sometimes the Sunday entries seem boring, then I remember how Grandma had to work very hard all week at school and on the farm—and I realize that these entries actually probably describe some of her happiest times.

Helping Pater

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

Sunday, October 20, 1912:  Oh dear me, was helping the pater today.

Photo source: Wikimedia Commons

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

The tone of the diary entry suggests that Grandma didn’t enjoy helping her father. What might he needed help with on a Saturday in late October?

Husking corn?

Gathering and storing potatoes for the winter?

Picking apples?

Bringing pumpkins, squash, and other winter vegetables in from the field?

Helping repair a piece of broken machinery?

Helping clean manure out of the stables before the weather got too cold?

???

Some Previous Posts on Fall Activities

Husking Corn

Harvesting Potatoes

Hulling Black Walnuts

How to Crack Black Walnuts

What Was the Convention?

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

Thursday, October 24, 1912:  Didn’t have school this afternoon so we could go without missing. It was very entertaining. Enjoyed it much.  Would like to have gone to the convention again tonight, but it was raining. That’s what if did this afternoon, too.

Was out to Ruthie’s school before I went up to the church. Took Jimmie out, that is he was to stay with her.

The road Grandma would have walked to McEwensville.

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

Grandma’s 7-year-old brother Jimmie also attended the McEwenville School. Their sister Ruth was a teacher at a nearby one-room school-house. Apparently the students at Ruth’s school didn’t get the afternoon off for the convention.

Why did Ruth need to babysit Jimmie while she was teaching. Maybe their parents also went to the convention.

I still haven’t figured out what the convention was—though Grandma mentioned it the previous day when she wrote:

Wanted to go to the Convention this evening, but it commenced to rain and Rufus said she wasn’t going, but she did go when Rachel came . .  .

It almost sounds like it was something associated with one of the churches in McEwensville—though I’m surprised that the students got time off school to attend a religious event.  Or maybe it was some sort of local political convention–elections were rapidly approaching both then and now.

How Were Courses Scheduled A Hundred Years Ago?

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

Tuesday, October 22, 1912:  Came to the conclusion that I didn’t know very much in Geometry. We had an exam in it this morning.

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

I can’t figure out how the classes were scheduled a hundred years ago. Based on the diary entries, it seems like courses started and ended at random intervals. Courses apparently didn’t last for the entire year, or a full semester or quarter.

School started on August 26, 1912. On September 24, 1912, Grandma wrote:

. . . Had an exam in Geometry. Took up Arithmetic today.  Didn’t have to but I chose to do so.

In September I thought that it seemed odd that geometry apparently was finished, and that it was being replaced by arithmetic.

But now this diary entry makes me think that perhaps geometry never ended—and that arithmetic was just somehow an extra class.

Harvesting Potatoes

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

Saturday, October 19, 1912:  Had to pick taters this afternoon. Thought perhaps I’d get out of it because it rained last night, but didn’t get out of it any way.

Harvesting potatoes in the German Democratic Republic in 1945. The country isn’t right–and the year isn’t right to illustrate this entry. But the picture does provide a sense of how much work it is to gather potatoes. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

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

It’s always dirty, difficult, back-breaking work to gather potatoes—and it must have been especially unpleasant if the field was muddy.

These potatoes probably were a long-season variety stored well.

I’m surprised that Grandma’s parents wanted to harvest potatoes if the ground was wet—it seems like the potatoes would have been a muddy mess.

A More Agreeable Day

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

Friday, October 18, 1912:  These days are beginning to be so much agreeable.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

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

What makes a day an agreeable day? . . . warm, sunny weather?. . . a good day at school or work? . . . a visit with a friend? . . .good health?

Grandma must be feeling better. The previous day, she’d complained about a cold that she’d had for almost a week. It’s amazing how our health can affect our mood.

 

What is Ague?

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

Thursday, October 17, 1912:  Wish my cold would bid me farewell, but instead it seems to like me pretty well and is in not hurry about leaving.

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

Grandma first mentioned having a cold six days prior to this diary entry.

I came across the Ayer’s Ague Cure advertisement, and wondered if ague was the same thing as a cold. According to the dictionary, ague refers to fever, chills, and sweating—so Grandma probably won’t have used this patent medicine to treat her cold.