E - - And I Spend Our Afternoon Cleaning Up The Tent.
_Wednesday_.
- A - - and I drive into Winnipeg. We have had various
commissions to do, and A - - had to attend a meeting at the Club. Mr.
W. H - - has most amiably put his house, consisting of two rooms and a
kitchen below, at our disposal whenever we want to rest; so I spent my
whole afternoon there, nominally reading the "St. James's Gazette,"
but, I fancy, indulging in "forty winks" whilst waiting for A - - . We
afterward dined with the judge in his very nice pretty house called
"The Willows," driving home later. The cold was so great that A - - ,
who had brought no great-coat, was forced to run behind the buggy some
way to get warm and produce circulation. The prairie fires quite
lovely, on all sides, quivering high flames for miles, and the night
being dark, they looked very bright.
_Thursday_. - Was so tired after my day in town that I breakfasted in
bed; disgraceful! By the time I get down the family have all dispersed
to their various works. After dinner E - - and I drive a waggon over
to the Boyd Farm to fetch oats for Mr. H - - . The students, who
haven't much to do, are enlisted into the filling and loading of the
sacks; rather glad, we fancy, of some occupation. On our return we
found a friend of Mr. B - - 's, who, having heard of our proximity, he
living at Headingley, has come over to dine and sleep. Our "parlour"
sofa, as usual, is called into requisition. It will soon be worn out,
so many sleep on it. I think last week it was occupied nearly every
night.
_Friday_. - We have had very smart company to-day, as the judge, his
wife, niece, and another man came over. We hoped they would star to
dinner, and had "killed fatted calf"; but I fancy the ladies dreaded
the prairie by night, and insisted upon returning - we could hardly
persuade them to take a cup of tea - fearing that they might be
benighted.
_Saturday_. - Hard at work cleaning all the morning. Mr. B - - 's friend
leaves after dinner, and I drive the mares in the waggons whilst the
men stretch the wire-fencing. E - - rides to the tent with letters. We
sustained rather a shock to our nerves to-day; about 12 o'clock a
buggy was seen coming towards the house just as we were sitting down
to dinner, and as our food was scanty we did not know how we possibly
could feed three extra men. Luckily they only came to enquire their
route to the tent, and it was a relief when they drove on; though we
felt we ought to have given them some food, as the tent could only
provide bacon and biscuits.
_Sunday_. - Mrs. G - - , our factotum, has a holiday, and goes over with
some of the other labourers to spend the day at the other farm. E - -
and I have to undertake the _menage_ for the whole day.
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