If I lived back then . . .

I was looking through old family pictures today (I'm guessing they're family . . . no names are written anywhere). I found an newspaper obituary for a family member and for some reason the clipping included the obituary for a Mrs. Pearl B. Manley (not related).  It read:

"Mrs. Pearl B. Manley, aged 23, died at her home . . . She leaves several small children."

A moment in my mind went something like this: "Twenty three years old.  She was young.  That could have been me.  By the age of 23, this lady was married, AND had several children. (How many is several?!  I would say more then three . . . at least!)  How young would she have been when she got married?  I'm 23 and I'm not even married, and I certainly don't have several children." 

I went on looking at more pictures, found the following and began to dream:

If I was married by age 23 and had several children, I'd live in a house like this.

This is what one of my daughters would look like. (What a lovely claw and ball stand this it!)

This is what my sons would look like.  And the only way I could get them to have their likeness taken was to remove the items from the above photo off the stand.

This is what another daughter would look like.  Look at those eyes!

Is this what I'd look like?  (I see where the little girl pictured above gets her eyes.)

How would a husband manage the children, the house and the farm?  Would he remarry? I wonder what became of that family. . . what were their names . . .