Tag: diary

An Uncle Who Was a Great Tease

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

Saturday, February 17, 1912:  Uncle Ben and Aunt Annie were here today. I was very anxious to see Uncle Ben as I hadn’t seen him since I was a little kid, so you see I really wanted to see what he looked like. He is a great tease, but doesn’t look like it at all. Puts him arms around you and strokes your hair. Really, I was surprised.

Annie (Derr) Van Sant (circa 1900)

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

This diary entry refers to Benjamin and Annie Van Sant. Annie was the youngest sister of Grandma’s mother.  Ben was a physician in Turbotville which is located about  6 miles northeast of the Muffly farm.

In February 1912, Ben was 48 years old and Annie was 35. They did not have any children.

Since they lived so near the Muffley’s it is amazing that Grandma had not seen her uncle in many years.

That said, I’m not exactly sure what to make of this entry.  .  .

High Teacher Turnover

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

Friday, February 16, 1912: And this is the last day of that wonderful teacher of ours. I wonder how he felt this afternoon. I expected he would give some kind of an address, but he didn’t. Oh well, I don’t think I’ll be sorry of his leaving if the next one comes up to the average.  

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

Grandma wrote the previous Friday that her old teacher was staying for one more week.

I learned a little more about the mid-year change in teachers in the  History of the McEwensville Schools by Thomas Kramm:

. . . The high teacher turnover rate, especially in the high school prior to 1916, resulted in a new teacher almost every year. At least one teacher, and perhaps more, would not return to teach the following school year because the school board refused to increase the teacher’s salary. Although it did not occur often, when a teacher resigned in mid-term it was sometimes a challenge to find a replacement. During the 1911-12 school year, when high school teacher Howard Northrop wanted to resign mid-term, his resignation was not permitted until he personally recruited his own replacement.

Whew, it doesn’t sound like the school board did much vetting of teachers. Hopefully the new teacher will be good.

Valentine’s Day

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

Wednesday, February 14, 1912:  I didn’t get any valentines today, although they would have been accepted if I had. Our future teacher arrived at school this morning, but he isn’t going to commence until next Monday. Gee whiz, but he is tall. I wonder if I will like him, but I think I will.

Grandma didn't get any, but here is an example of a nice 1912 valentine postcard.

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

Grandma sounds kind of sad that she didn’t get any valentines.  Though getting nothing was probably better than she deserved since she only sent ugly, vinegar valentines.

Is it worse to be ignored than to get a vinegar valentine?

Sending Ugly Valentines

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

Monday, February 12, 1912:  Got my valentines in preparation. They’re all ugly ones. I thought one was most too much to send as it was rather mean looking. But I got it ready, so it has to go.

DON’T sit up nights admiring yourself.

The best that can be said of you

Is that you might pass in a crowd.

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

What could the valentine have possibly said that was almost too bad to send?  And, who was Grandma sending it to? . . . . .a classmate?. . . her teacher? . . . her sister?

For more old valentines see these previous posts:

Bought Some Vinegar Valentines

Valentines: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Anonymous Comic Valentines

Bought Some Vinegar Valentines

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

Saturday, February 10, 1912:  I got some ugly valentines today. I had all the milking to do tonight and will have it for tomorrow morning. Our dear Ruthie is spending the time with Tweet.

Pride Goeth Before Fall

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

Tweet is the nickname of Helen Wesner. She was a friend of Grandma and her sister Ruth.

A hundred years ago people sometimes gave ugly valentines that were often called vinegar valentines. Who did Grandma plan to give them to?

To see more vinegar valentines see these posts from last year:

Valentines: The Good, the Bad, and the Horrid

Anonymous Comic Valentines

“I Didn’t Cheat”

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

Friday, February 9, 1912:  I am disgusted with the marks I made in my examination, but although my marks are low I am not losing faith for I can truthfully say, “I didn’t cheat.” I had not much of a desire to cheat after that awful lecture and what desire I had left I managed to trample down. I intend to improve for next month and make my next teacher happy.  Jake is going to stay one week longer.

Recent photo of building that once housed McEwensville School.

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

In January Grandma got caught cheating. Even though these events happened a hundred years ago and logically it makes no sense—I feel bad that Grandma wasn’t rewarded with good grades when she studied hard.

Jake was Grandma’s teacher. It sounds like he was quitting and that she was soon going to have a new teacher.

Grandma indicated that she was going to continue studying hard to impress her new teacher. Hmm . . . I can’t help wondering if she might have failed to trample all temptation at some point and “tested” her new teacher to see if he let her get away with cheating.

Will Be Glad When Exams Are Over

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

Thursday, February 8, 1912:  I didn’t study much this evening. We have two more examinations tomorrow. Will be glad when they are over. 

I can picture Grandma sitting in this house a hundred years ago today as she worried about her upcoming exams.

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

Grandma’s diary entries that I’ve posted over the past two weeks indicated that she was working really hard on algebra. In January her teacher caught her cheating—and she’s really been trying to turn a new leaf. And, the entry I posted yesterday indicated that Grandma missed some questions on the history exam because she’d studied the wrong things.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that all went well with the remaining exams.