mo ru: the great transcription project
Now can read most of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Missouri Ruralist articles online by following the links HERE.

I am heartily sick of Missouri Ruralists. The originals at the University of Missouri at Columbia are in what has been aptly named "snowflake condition." The paper is so brittle that what hasn't already flaked into a billion bits does so at every turn of a page. What's worse is that someone has played fast and loose with the originals at some point by cutting neatly around many of Laura Ingalls Wilder's articles. Meaning: they're missing.

Last year, I copied all that I could find. Since then, I transcribed them exactly as Laura wrote them until I could Transcribe No More, then I begged rosebunting to help. Except for a couple of articles, we're done. Enjoy.

The lastest hurdle in the Great Transcription Project has been to try to match original Ruralist articles to the many creative adaptations, variations, and bastardizations (i.e. heavily edited) articles that have been reprinted over the years. I'm sorry. I haven't got the strength in me right now to go through Words From a Fearless Heart. Saving Graces just about wore me out this afternoon.

Even though I'm getting quite familiar with the originals, I just couldn't match the following Saving Graces articles to their Ruralist counterparts. I'm listing them here so I'll know where they are:

"Heavenly Blessings," page 21
"What Comes Out of the Heat," page 37
"Much Serving," page 43
"Enjoying the Pilgrim Journey of Life," page 49
"Loving God's Creations," page 55
"Not So Bad Off," page 65
"Would You Rather Have Times or Things?" - page 67
"With All Thy Getting, Get Understanding," page 69
"A Time for Reflection," page 83
"Growing Older With Faith," page 89
"Treating People Right," page 91.
"To Sweep a Room As to God's Laws," page 95.
"When Things Rule Mankind," page 107
"Difficulties," page 137
"Always Be Ready," page 139
"The Lord Gives the Increase," page 143
"Redeeming the Time," page 149
"How Is It With You, Friend?" - page 153

The next step is to start scanning my originals and linking images to the indexed Ruralist articles. Stay tuned.
- posted by pioneergirl at 5:33 PM