Comments on: She Had a Question, 1913 (2)

By: Camilla Parshall

Camilla Parshall — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:34:03 +0000

Oh my heck, I just love this. I would LOVE to read the pamphlet on promiscuous kissing. Should be highly, er, educational.

By: Clark

Clark — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:23:06 +0000

These are choice! They’re all great, but the question of Cain’s wife takes the cake. (Did the questioner expect CH to receive the answer through direct revelation, e.g. Mahonri Moriancumer?) The best answer is the one involving gasoline, flour and cornmeal. (I guess “white” gas, without the odorants might simulate dry cleaning, but I have this image of a “Gibson girl” looking very refined but smelling like she came out of mechanics’ shop.)

I think whipping refers to something much more violent than a swat on the rump, although I agree getting set to your room is better technique than either. Then the child can sit there with an expression to match the Sept. cover of the last post.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 23:11:36 +0000

She was born in Salt Lake City in 1857. Her second-great-grandparents came from England; in between, they were in Pennsylvania. Must be another cause for her suggestions.

By: Kent Larsen

Kent Larsen — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 22:51:51 +0000

“avoiding pastry, pickles, condiments, etc.”

Really? I guess my criticism of the “diner” on the corner is unfounded (for some strange reason, they don’t serve pickles, they serve cucumbers dipped in vinegar that they call pickles).

Is the old saw about the English’s preference for bland food is true, then perhaps Hurst was either from England or influenced by the English?

By: Raymond Takashi Swenson

Raymond Takashi Swenson — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 22:28:19 +0000

Compared to the general tenor of the times, I thought the advice against “whipping” children as punishment was very enlightened. When I grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, it was still common practice to “spank” your own kids, and the coaches in jr. high had special boards made in shop class, with holes drilled in the paddles to increase their speed, which they used to swat the disobedient. Nobody I knew had parents who disfavored “whipping” as a punishment.

By: jeans

jeans — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 22:21:04 +0000

I gather that in 1913, Mormon girls/young mothers might have been encountering (!) Protestants, a puzzling new species whose lingo needed translation (homily, Chatauqua). It’s rather astounding to think that in 1913 anyone in America wouldn’t know the meaning of those terms and would take the time to write the IE advice columnists for the lowdown.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:51:13 +0000

We could make up questions to those answers:

“How many fake redheads does queuno know?” “Eighteen, at least.”

“How many kisses constitute promiscuity?” “Eighteen, at least.”

“How many bad words did Anne say before her mother brought out the soap?” “Eighteen, at least.”

By: Hunter

Hunter — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:26:22 +0000

Oh to heaven that I knew what the questions were that elicited such leading and titillating answers as “Eighteen, at least.”

By: queuno

queuno — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:23:25 +0000

I know a lot of “redheads” who really aren’t…

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:00:52 +0000

I think it is Alexander that talks about the shift of emphasis from round dancing to “ragging” as the cultural evil of note. As a side note, my niece just returned from the national ballroom competition at BYU. Come to think of it…there seems to also be a lot of promiscuous kissing there as well!