Comments on: Annie Abels: In Her Own Words, 1899

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:29:25 +0000

jeans, I’m guessing that “breakfast flour” would have been cracked wheat or some other form of cereal that wasn’t milled as finely as flour. And I think you’re right about the gratitude and knowledge! But in a day when wheat was the staff of life and people prayed “give us this day our daily bread,” nothing could have been more welcome to Annie Abels.

She had her dignity, didn’t she, Hunter? I like the stoic attitude that “everybody’s got problems, and why should I be any different?”– but today we’d scold someone in need who didn’t let someone know she needed help as badly as Annie Abels did.

I wish I knew who Annie Abels was, in part just to know her better, but in part to know how old her children were. The idea that all four of the children plus the mother had to be employed to keep starvation away from the family door is startling.

By: jeans

jeans — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:11:53 +0000

I’m touched by this story, and I’m stuck on some of its details. For instance, what’s the difference between “flour” and “breakfast flour”? Is breakfast flour like “Bisquick”? Or would that mean cornmeal?

Also, it strikes me that if someone today received 100 pounds of flour and nothing else, they might not be as grateful so much as puzzled about what to do next.

By: Hunter

Hunter — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:39:26 +0000

I love the simple logic and beauty of this. She kind of mirrors Mormon’s wonderful “and thus we see” pattern.

I was also intrigued by Sister Abels’ indication that she was afraid of showing her emotions, compared with the contemporary tendency among fellow Saints to display emotion.

Thanks for this. Very interesting.