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

Monday, January 12, 1914: Pretty cold today.

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

Since Grandma didn’t write much a hundred years ago today, my thoughts keep going back to the dance she went to the previous Friday.  .  .

The February, 1914 issue of Ladies Home Journal had some recommendations for where the man should place his hand when dancing:

The Man’s Hand in Dancing

Since the mania for dancing is so prevalent, and all decent people are anxious to check the present indecent tendencies in the dances, may we suggest to parents and to all dancing teachers that the proper place, laid down by all good authorities in the art of dancing, for the man’s right hand is at the woman’s waist-line and not in the middle of her back?

This may seem like a small and incidental point in good dancing, bit it has much to do not only with the morality of the dance, but with its graces as well, to say nothing of his partner’s dress incidental to his perspiring hands. . . .

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

Sunday, January 11, 1914:  Fell down this morning carrying two big buckets full of milk. There was so much less after the fall, but as much of me remained as there was before.

Visited a friend after Sunday School this afternoon. We had no church.

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

Oops!

Grandma,  were you in the barn when you fell? . . . or walking between the barn and the house? Was the walkway icy?

I’m glad you’re still in one piece. Maybe you should carry only one bucket of milk at a time. Two is a lot. . .

—–

There probably was no church service because the church didn’t have a minister. The previous Sunday Grandma wrote:

Our minister is going to leave soon. He preached his farewell sermon today. I am so sorry to see him go. There were some misty eyes in church this afternoon.

January 4, 1914

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

Saturday, January 10, 1914: Got my first sleigh ride of the season last night. Most forgot what I did today.

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

Grandma –

Wow, a sleigh ride! . . .  Was it after the dance that you wrote about yesterday? . .  .By the way, how was the dance?

Was it a moonlit night? Was the sleigh ride cold?  Were there lots of blankets in the sleigh to keep you warm?

Who else went on the sleigh ride? . . . your sister Ruth? . . . .a cute guy you danced with? (Did you snuggle with him under the blankets? . . . Oh, never mind, I just remembered that you are my grandmother, and that’s probably an inappropriate question.) 🙂

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

Friday, January 9, 1914:  Nothing much doing here this afternoon. Started to read a book this afternoon. Ruth and I expect to go to a dance this evening.

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

Grandma—

Nothing??? It sounds like the most exciting day in weeks.

What do you plan to wear to the dance? Are you going to do anything special with your hair? Who are you hoping to dance with? Where is the dance?  . . . .

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

Thursday, January 8, 1914:  Went up to McEwensville this afternoon on an errand of my mother’s, although I couldn’t see that much importance was attached to it.

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

This is the second day that Grandma mentioned the errand. The previous day she wrote:

Went on an errand this afternoon, but didn’t accomplish anything as the people weren’t at home. . .

January 7, 1914

We now know that: 

1. The errand is now accomplished.
2. It was for her mother.
3. Her mother apparently thought that it was important, but Grandma didn’t think that it needed to be done.

What we still don’t know:

1. What was the errand?
2. Who were “the people” that Grandma needed to visit to accomplish the errand?

Yesterday Barbara commented on the post. She said when Grandma wrote that “the people” weren’t home it made her think they weren’t in Grandma’s regular circle of friends and family or Grandma probably would have named them.

After reading today’s diary entry, I think that I agree with Barbara. The errand probably was a bit stressful—and worthy of mention in the diary—because Grandma didn’t feel very comfortable having to talk with people she didn’t know well.

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

Wednesday, January 7, 1914:  Went on an errand this afternoon, but didn’t accomplish anything as the people weren’t at home. Ruthie and I went up to Oakes’ this evening.

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

What was the failed errand? . . . an attempt to return something? . . . an attempt to buy or borrow something? . . . an attempt to give a message to someone? . . .

The Oakes lived on a farm near the Muffly’s and had several children close in age to Grandma and her sister Ruth. Rachel Oakes was a friend. And, there were at least two boys in the family–Jim and Alvin. Back in n 1911, Ruth dated Jim Oakes.