DIARY 1925

T.B. Barrett

Donnybrook. Port Dover Ontario

From January 1st 1925 to November 15th 1925

Thursday January 1st 1925

At the time of the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto last November Frank & Jonas sojourned for a few days in the city ostensibly to have a look at the fat cattle & high jumping hunters, but no doubt as far as Frank was concerned there was a fairer attraction than an attractive Fair. Whatever his prime motive was the point in this connection is that he brought home this book for me, and it resembles very closely the books that I was wont to keep diurnal records in prior to the War, but which up till now I have been unable to get. The possession of it inspires me to resume my old practice of diary writing and so I make a start with the New Year. We are still in the grip of a very cold snap which has lasted with scarcely a break now for about two weeks. The wind to-day was in the east but it has been fairly sunny. I have done very little all day but the chores, went over to Willie Shand's this morning to pay him for the sink we got from him last fall, and this after noon went over to the woods for awhile to find some fuel but didn’t have much luck. I started milking Mary to-day as Garnet Coleman came out yesterday & took the calf.

Friday January 2nd

We contemplated going to town to-day which would have necessitated my walking over home and getting Queen or the team, but the weather altered our plans. It was snowing hard when we got up this morning and had snowed hard during the night keeping it up till this after noon. It has been getting steadily milder all day and I think is almost thawing to-night. As we now have a nice lot of skim milk on hand I began feeding the cockrels out in the colony house their fattening mash and had to make a trough for them. They have just been getting grain and I am afraid lost flesh during the very cold weather of the last couple of weeks. I did some more fixing to my cow stable this afternoon, battoned up more of the cracks and put a window in. It was quite comfortable working bare handed which was a great relief. Mrs. Tupper and Clara were in to-night for a few minutes to return the little house scales which Mrs. Tupper borrowed a couple of weeks ago to weigh her geese. Must wash up the tea-dishes now and get after Rob. Roy. We are reading it aloud.

Saturday January 3rd

This has been a busy day for me. I did the morning chores as quickly as possible and started to walk over home but got a ride on a load of lumber from the Winding Hill. Dad. helped me harness & hook up the team (Queen and Joe) and we then loaded up my potatoes and buckwheat. Dad. & I both got potatoes from Jim Dixon and he left mine over there. It was noon when I got home and as Marj. was hoping to leave for town by one o'clock I fed the team and gobbled my dinner without much ceremony. Marj. fed the chickens while I unloaded the potatoes and emptied them into bushe {bushel} hampers down cellar. I unloaded the buckwheat before dinner. I then put the cows in and hooked up. It was nearly two by the time we started. We unloaded the kids at Aunty's by way of a birthday party for her and I drove Marj. up town, left Jim Dixon's bags at Walker Evans according to instructions and drove right back to Trum. Walker's where I loaded up five bags of wheat and took home. Neither Trum. nor the man were home but the boys were there and superintended the business. I unloaded the wheat and then hiked across to the woods where I found a little wood. Our nice little maple

stick, but I had quite a job getting it, as it was green & heavy. I fell down with it once and got covered with snow getting out from under it, by the time I got my wood home & unloaded and the chickens fed it was nearly five so I then returned to town for the family. Frank was there too so he came home with us and took the team back. Snowed most of the day and is still mild. The sleighing is good.

Sunday January 4th

The peaceful and quiet observance of the Sabbath at Donnybrook to-day was uninterrupted by any excursions abroad on our part or visits from others. I just did what was necessary outside and this morning helped Marj. wash the dishes as she didn't feel very well, and she beguiled the time and lightened the task by reading Rob. Roy to me while I worked. We had a late breakfast and an early tea and dispensed with a middle meal and gained whatever energy such meal would have afforded us by napping. Marj. insists on my writing my share of the Christmas letters of thanks a task which has formerly devolved entirely on her so I spent about two hours this evening writing a note to Grand Daddy. Southwest wind - cloudy now but quite mild.

Monday January 5th

School opened again this morning and as I had a lot of snow shovelling to do over there I got around pretty early and did most of my morning chores by lantern light. I saw Mabel to-night and she said every pupil was on hand and glad to get back after their long holiday, owing to the measles. I had intended going over home, getting the team and getting a load of coal this morning but put it off till after dinner. When I got there I found Frank going off with the Pickfords to help them load straw or some thing so Dad. advised me not to take the team to-day as it would be so late before I could get out with the coal and back with the team, and they want Joe to-night as they are taking in the evangelical meetings of Mr. Robinson a friend of Mr. Cornish's. I borrowed his cutter and drove down town, posted some letters got a can of coal oil and went to interview Mr. Carpenter & Al. Faulkner about cutters which they had advertised for sale. Mr. Carpenter was in Port Ryerse voting I suppose but Dr. Bicknell said he didn't think he wanted to dispose of the cutter without selling his horse buggy and harness. Al. has sold one of his cutters and is keeping the other but has a pair of light bobs for sale, they have no shafts on them

though so that I don't think they would be much advantage to me as I don't want to hook up a team every time I go to town. I left my coal oil at the farm and walked home from there getting a ride from the Winding Hill with Billy Watson. It was rather late when I got the chores all done and as I was tired I didn't do anything all evening but snooze. I didn't go out to vote to-day as I had no way of getting there except walking and I didn't consider the election important enough to warrant that much exercise. Kent & Roy Misener are the apirants for the reeve's chair and though I would have supported Reg Kent had I voted I don't think it makes much difference. Misener was in to see Dad. soliciting his vote and using the argument that if he stayed "to home" the whole council would be up around Port Ryerse. Dad. told him he didn't care if they were in Kalamazoo for all the good they ever did him or the road past him which has had no permanent improvement made to it since he has lived on it in spite of the fact that he has paid taxes enough himself during that time to gravel it. Pickford was telling of a great time they had the other night, New Year's eve a man knocked at the door and when they opened it they discovered Ellis Ryerse supporting his wife who was in great distress and wanting to borrow Pickford's horse & cutter as they had had a breakdown in their car while on their way to Mrs. Lawson's. Pickford got them the cutter as fast as possible and they got down town just in time as twenty minutes later they had a new daughter. A great pity was that after all their trouble they couldn't have postponed the event for a few hours as it seems the Simcoe merchants are offering prizes to the first three babies born in Norfolk in 1925. Very mild & cloudy.

Tuesday January 6th

Those men, beloved of the Muses, who are capable of expressing in cadenced words fitting appreciations of all things beautiful are wont to find themes for their songs in the weather that does or should prevail between the Venal equinox and the first killing frost of Autum. Seldom do we hear a voice from Parnassus eulogizing the breath of January unless it be to try to work up a little sympathy for whatever merits a rigourous climate may have to "Stir the Viking blood," but this meets with little response and I admit deserves little. There are days never the less even at this season when the pallid face of Nature suggests a

lethal slumber that have all the qualifications of the greener months besides a few peculiar to themselves to implant in a fellow that very happy sensation, the consious joy of being alive. Just such a day was this especially the fore noon of it. I was in an excellent position to enjoy it as I walked from here over home to meet Frank with my load of coal. There was not a breath of wind and the sun was not bright which would have been dazzling on that nights fresh snow, but diffused a genial comfort through the lightest of clouds & high floating wreaths of smoke. The northern part of the sky was blue, but not the steel blue of Winter but the soft hazy appearance of late Autum while the air might have been that of May except for a certain energizing zest to it not comparable to the chill of Spring nor its longrous warmth which has a tendency to promote lethargy. The roads are in excellint trim for sleighing and aparantly too deep for the pesky cars to spoil them. No mud of Spring, no bugs of Summer, no rush of work as in the Fall, if all Winter weather was like this, tourist resorts in the South would have to go out of business, but what makes this weather truly appreciated is that it is a very small nugget in a large rock of quartz and the realization that for all we know an 80 mile blizzard may be the programme for to-morrow. When I got to the Farm I found Frank had gone down for the coal and Dad. was preparing the scene for the execution of his pigs He was very distressed that I had walked over as he said Frank would go right out the side road with the coal and I would have to walk back. Frank however had forgotten to take a scoop shovel and remembering that I didn't have one came back by the farm with the coal so I rode out with him. He took the team right back so as to be on time to help with the pig killing this after noon. Pickford and Bob. are going to help. I spent the afternoon lining my chicken house with tar paper and at Marj’s suggestion shifting the roosts so that they are not in such a direct draft from the windows. Ina was here washing to-day and she walked home with Mabel who came over for awhile after school.

Wednesday January 7th

Another very mild day and so nice that Marj. wanted to go to town. I was anxious to finish fixing my chicken pen but as she was afraid we might not get another nice day this week, I told her that if she would go over and

borrow the Lampkin's cutter and Florie we would go right after dinner. Marj. went over and made the necessary arrangements and Mrs. Lampkin offered to keep the baby. I worked at the chicken pen till noon then right after dinner we loaded Gay into the hand sleigh and I hauled her over, left her with Mrs. Lampkin and came back with Florie & the cutter for Marj. & the Niblits. It was cloudy when we started with a raw wind but thawing more than it has any day yet. We left Harry B. at Aunty's and I drove Marj. up to see Glad. Law who has been very much worse since Christmas. I then came back, put Florie in the barn, and went in and had a visit with Lila who has not been out of bed for the last few days although she feels pretty well. She has become fasinated by the much talked of and ridiculed cross- word-puzzles. Aunty & Aunty Alice are greatly elated after the courage & skill they displayed this morning in tracking down & killing a rat. They have suspected his presence for some time in the little room off the kitchen so this morning organized a hunting party. They searched through various boxes, boles, baskets, bags trunks, etcetera and finally unearthed their quarry ina valise through which he had chewed himself an entrance and also helped himself to pieces of all the contents for the construction of his nest. The prize discovered was only half won as the real chase began, and was carried on, in, out, between, under, over, across, through and “apast” every object in the room until finally they brought him to bay and Aunty Alice, with certainly more courage than a great many women and some men posess attacked him with the hammer. Her onslaught though feirce was not sufficient to mortally wound him nor to quell his cries, but as she had him pinned down she feared to risk his escape by raising the hammer for another blow so she called to Aunty to come to her rescue with another weapon. She knew the sickle was in the kitchen and thought it would do the deed but in the tense excitement of the moment could think of no other name for it but cutlass, for which she called. Aunty was at a loss to know where in their peaceful surroundings she could lay hands on a cutlass or any other bucaneering accouterment so failed to render the assistance so sorely needed. The case become desperate for although the croaking cries of the enemy betrayed the flitting of the vital spark, the strength of the hand that held the hammer was also waning and who could tell what reserves of strength might he mustered

if that crushing weight were relaxed for a moment. Eventually Aunty came to the scene of action without arms or ammunition but relieved Aunty Alice of her hold on the prisoner while Aunty Alice went in search of the hatchet with which she presently returned and dealt the death blow almost severing the wicked head from the ugly body. No wonder they are exultant after having triumphed so gloriously over the forces of evil the perpetrator of nocturnal destruction and predatory invasion. They can now rest secure and happy in the memory of their hard fought but well won field. I walked over to Jim. Bannister to see a cutter which Mrs. Lampkin told me he had for sale but there was nobody home so we stopped on our way home and I asked Jim not to sell it until I had a look at it. Dad. drove Euah down and left her at Aunty’s while I was there. They are taking in the revival meetings regularly I think, Frank says they had a poor house the night of the hockey match but that was to be expected, the first intermediate O.H.A. game of the season. Dover beat Brantford. 6-5. It began to snow while we were away and kept it up all the after noon Big flakes of heavy snow coming straight down. We are certainly getting plenty of it this winter. It was dark by the time I got back to the Lampkin's with the horse and cutter after taking Marj. & the Niblits home and then I had to load Gay up and haul her home. It was still snowing hard but very mild and she seemed to thoroughly enjoy the trip I was afraid all the time she would pitch herself out and when we turned into our lane where the track was not beaten the fresh snow came to the top of her sleigh box, she gurgled with joy when she could stick her little mitts out and draw them through the soft snow until we got about half way up the lane either she gave a lurch or one runner went suddenly deeper but over the sleigh went and Gay went face down into a snow drift. I grabbed her up as fast as possible and tucked her under my arm, evidently none the worse, she seemed to take it as part of the fun. When we got to the house, she was as rosy, cosy and happy as any ten year old kid who has been jumping into snow banks. We put in an awful evening. Aunty Alice lent Marj. her new Sabitini book “The Gates of Doom" and we started to read it out loud but I couldn't keep awake so we both dozed for awhile and then Marj. went at her book alone and read the whole thing. We got to bed about half past two.

Thursday January 8th

I spent about two hours & a half in bed last night and consequently didn’t feel much like working to-day, so didn't do anything but the chores, it was a little too cold anyway to do Carpenter work in the chicken pen. It has been a beautiful sunny day but the wind was quite strong and sharp. I went over to the school house before we had breakfast and Willem Ryerse came back with me to look at the bull calf as he thought of buying him but he thinks he is too small for service now so I think he won’t take him. We were pretty late getting through breakfast and then we sat around the kitchen most of the fore noon while Marj. told me the story she read last night. This after noon I washed the dishes while she read a little more of Rob. Roy to me and to-night we went to bed right after tea, but by the time we got the kids settled it wasn't very early. Marj. got Gay a pair of stiff soled shoes yesterday & hopes she will soon walk alone with them.

Friday January 9th

It was a cold night and has been sharp to-day but a little wind and sunny so that it is ideal winter weather. I did chores most of the forenoon and this after noon walked down town to see Jim Bannister's cutter. I met John Patterson on the road with it and as he was driving out here partly to show me the cutter and partly to exercise his horse, he turned around and drove me into town. It is a shabby looking affair but seems perfectly sound and has new shoes on it which Jim says are worth four dollars so I don't think I lost anything by paying him ten dollars for it. I saw Dad. & Frank down town. Frank was all furred up in coon-skin ready to start for Selkirk with his theatrical troupe. I got my hair cut and walked back home getting here about seven. It was a beautiful night. Moonlight & snappy. I had tea which was all ready and did chores afterwards. Marj. has not felt well all day. The {Shaff?} boys brought down four loads (5 yards) of gravel for me to-day which I home to make a cow stable floor of when the frost goes out. Marj. says Gay is developing a temper like a yellow jacket with a sore corn. She let her feed herself pudding to-day and the performance was so comical Marj. couldnt refrain from laughing whereat, Miss Gay flew into a passion screamed & screeched and made a scene like a regular picture show lady.

Saturday January 10th

This has been another beautiful day but is frosty to-night I puttered around at the chores this morning and tore down a big corn shock and got all the inside of it into the barn and stacked the outside along the chicken house to melt the snow & ice off it. Harry B was out with me and we disturbed the cosy winter quarters of several mice which interested him greatly. It seems sort of hard lines to turn them out in the cold after they had got fixed up so comfortably for the winter. The cats got some of them later I went over and swept the school house after dinner and while I was there Dad. & Tim came out in the bob-sleighs to get Queen’s harness. They came over to the school and I went back with them and waited at the farm while Dad. drove Queen & my cutter down to get Aunty Alice and Miss Grulnest, (the pianist of the evangelical company), whom he brought over for tea and then I drove my cutter straight home. Dover intermediate O.H.A. team went to Simcoe last night & beat them 8-0

Sunday January 11th

We hurried around this morning doing the usual chores and getting dressed up leaving about noon to have dinner at the Bagley’s. It was very bright but a cold east wind. I left Marj. & the kids at the house, then drove down, and put Queen in Aunty’s barn. This after noon Mr. Bagley and I went to meeting Mr. Robinson was having in the town-hall for men only. I was averse to going but Mr. Bagley assured me we would be out early and so I couldn't very well get out of it. There was a good crowd there and Mr. Robinson spoke very well and as nicely as his subject permitted but as I heard it or read it all before and as far as I can see am in no position to either help or hinder his work, and as the hall was cold and as it was after five when we got out I was very sorry I went. I hurried back with Mr. Bagley and got my sweater and then hurried down to get Queen as it was getting very cold. Mrs. Bagley was going to get tea for us but I wouldn't wait but thought she would give Marj. a cup while I was gone but she didn't. We got home about six and I guess I was the coldest of the party but I got warmed up doing chores

Monday January 12th

It has been milder to-day but cloudy. I seem to have felt lazy and didn't do much but the chores, this

fore noon I cut down the mate to the pine tree that I cut last winter just behind the barn. I have about seven pines on the hill north west of the barn and they are all beginning to die at the top. This tree was leaning very much towards the barnyard fence but I got the big hay rope out of the barn and tied it as far up the trunk as I could safely reach with my 18 ft. ladder and snubbed the other end to a tree down the bank hoping to be able to pull the pine away from the fence, however I chopped till it began to crack and before I could get down to pull it fell and of course went right across the fence smashing two or three of the old wires and cutting one strand of the rope where it pulled taut across the branch of a little ash tree. I didn't do much this afternoon but kill a little rooster for Marj. She went over to the school house after four and mailed Mabel over for dinner to-morrow and also swept. Thawing to-night.

Tuesday January 13th

Wilbur Ryerse was in this morning to ask me if he could have the bull calf for the summer for his keep, leaving me the option of selling him if I got a chance so I agreed. He give me two dollars to pay for his registration and said he would get him to-morrow. I spent most of the day fixing a hopper for the chickens. Ina was here washing and Mabel came over for dinner I drove Ina home to-night and went on down town to a horticultural society meeting but as Uncle Ward was sick, there was none. Quite mild

Wednesday January 14th

Wilbur came in this morning with his stock rack and we loaded the calf. I did up all the chores this morning and we all went down to Aunty's for dinner. After dinner Harry B & I went over to the farm and I filled out the application for the registration of the calf. Marj. did her buying and I drove back to Aunty’s and got her and we called in at the farm and picked up Harry B. Beautiful day but cold wind.

Thursday January 15th

Didn't do any thing much to-day but chores. It was very cold early this morning about the coldest night yet but was a beautiful day and is milder to-night. I sat around and we finished reading Rob. Roy. I did things up early to-night and got ready to go

down to Mr. Robinson's {diocese? meeting. Dad. came over to stay with the kids. They were both in bed when he came and didn't wake up all evening. Marj. and I went down and had a very nice time. It was in the Presbyterian Church, we figured it was the first nocturnal sleigh ride we had ever had to-gether & it is the first time Marj. has been out at night since the Horticultural Show. I cut another small pine to-day

Friday January 16th

It has been thawing all day and snowed most of the day I did up the chores this morning and this after noon drove down to get some cow feed and rooster cheep at Billy Langs I found Billys shop full of customers but no Billy and as Andrew Low said he had been waiting for an hour for him I called up Tip Varey's to ask if they had seen him, they said there was a cemetry board meeting on so that accounted for his absence. Frank came along while I was waiting so I got him to help me bag up what I wanted and I then I drove him up town and home, we called in at Aunty's on our way. They are expecting Ray to-night. He is on his way to or from {a Con?}vention in Atlantic City and will be here till Sunday.

Saturday January 17th

Dad. & Enah drove over this morning and left Joe & their cutter and took Queen and my cutter as Dad. had arranged to take Miss Grunert for a drive this afternoon. We all got bundled up and drove down to Aunty's to see Ray We found Ray, Quint, Huby, Win & David all there when we arrived but we left the children and drove up town for a few provisions and Huby Win & David had left when we got back, but Frank was there. Presently Dad. drove up and then Frank who was with Bob. Pickford and his new old horse left. Dad. expected to find Enah but she wasn't there so he took Joe & his own cutter and went off to look for her. We left about five. Beautiful day

Sunday January 18th

Marj. didn't feel very well to-day and we were late getting around this morning, she wanted me to go to church but I couldn't get ready in time. I went over and swept out the school house and just as I got there Bill Donald & Lloyd Ryerse came to put a new elbow in the stove pipe and a new lock on the back door so I was over there quite awhile. I spent most of the after noon doing chores and washing dishes. Marj. read Jeffry Farnol books all day. Cloudy but not cold.

Monday January 19th

As soon as I did the chores this morning I {illegible} the {illegible} drain to see if I could discover the cause of the vile odour coming from the sink, and found that the end of the drain was frozen up. I worked at it for about an hour but without success as it was frozen well back into the tile and I couldn't get at it. The only way I could make any impression was with an old auger but it was a very slow job. I quit about eleven and started out to see about getting some wood out of {Pat?} Bowlby's bush which they are cutting off. It was such a lovely day that Marj. thought she would got too as she & the children needed fresh air. We drove around by the mill and as they were beginning to get cold, they got out at the Bagley's and waited there till I got back from the woods where I found they had plenty for sale. {It} was just about noon when we left town and we {dr}ove around by the farm as I wanted to see about {ge}tting the team and bob sleighs, so as they were just {rea}dy to sit down to dinner we stayed there. We came {ho}me soon after and I renewed my efforts to get the {illegible} open. I got the auger in as far as I could far {illegible} and then got Marj. to heat the poker and bring it to me as it would have cooled while I was getting over the fence. It was too small to do much good as it cooled before it melted much, but Marj. went out to the shed and found a big rod with a hook on the end of it and heated it. It worked. I melted in as far as it would while it was hot and then gave a few rams with it and burst through. The pent up water came out with a gush and I just had time to get to one side without getting wet. It ran for about ten minutes and I didn't wonder the sink smelled bad when I saw it. Marj. flushed it out with a zenoleum solution, and now the house reeks of that which is just about as disagreeable. Mabel came over to-night with a couple of arithmetic problems for Marj. to work out. Marj. was terribly distressed at first as she didn't see at a glance the solution and was afraid her mental foculties were deteriorating but she finally got them to her satisfaction.

Tuesday January 20th

First impressions of to-day were far from prepossessing as it looked as if we were booked for a north east blizzard. The wind was not high but it was snowing very vigourously if not furiously, the consequence

was that I didn't do chores before daylight as I had intended as I thought the day would be too rough to go after wood, later in the fore noon, however, it stopped snowing and was not such a bad day as it wasn't very cold, so I hooked up and drove over home after first going up to Shand's and speaking for their wood rack. It was after eleven when I got over to the farm so it was too late to go to the woods before dinner but we went up this after noon with George & Pommers. Frank saw Draper and borrowed his wood rack so we didn't have to go out to Shands, we all three went up to the bush and found a very busy place. There was a big gang up there and the mill was going so there were some at it sawing, some piling lumber some chopping & sawing in the bush and Bill McDonald was snaking logs to the saw. It seems a great pity to me to see that fine piece of bush on the lake bank being cleared right off. Dad. had quite a time getting into the place where the wood was as they had the main track blocked with logs and George & Pommers are not used to ploughing around through deep snow and brush but they got there and I got a cord of hard maple for five dollars but there was a great deal of small branch wood mixed with it. I didn't speak for any more because Charlie Shand hinted this morning that they might want me to help them get their wood out and I think if they do I can get some from them. The Snider's from down the lake were up there getting wood and we had to wait after we got loaded for a while till they got the logs cleared out of the track. It was after four when we got back to the farm so we left the wood there and Dad. said he would bring it out in the morning. I drove around by the Donald's on my way home and told Ina not to come over to-morrow as we expect to go to town, she too was scared out of coming to-day owing to the ominous looks of the morning. I found Marj. pretty well fagged out when I got home as she had had a busy day and when she came in from feeding the chickens found the two kids in the coal pail. Harry B. taking it out and handing it to Gay who was eating a little of each piece and then throwing it on the floor, they were both as black as niggers when Marj. found them. Gay was proud as Punch of herself and Harry B made his usual remark on such occasions "Gay doo'at" The last day she left them to feed the chickens, she came in to find the kitchen floor littered with hay which they were busy pulling out of the seat of the old armchair

Wednesday January 21st

Dad and Frank brought the wood out this morning just as we were about ready to start for town. We went down to Aunty's for dinner and this after noon I went to the postponed annual meeting of the Horticultural Society, there were just a few there but enough to elect officers for next year. We put Jack King in as president in place of Mr. Aldried We got home about dark. It was cold but a beautiful day.

Thursday January 22nd

As soon as I got the Chores done up this morning which was not very early owing firstly to my neglecting to set the alarm clock and secondly to my being delayed by a visit from Bill Donald while I was at the school house, I went over to the farm and Frank and I returned Proper's wood rack with the little team before dinner. This after noon we drove down town and got Oliver Mann and his radio outfit and brought him out here to give us a concert. It was very blustery when we came out and the side road was quite badly drifted. Frank had dug out the drift at the top of the hill this morning, where he said Roy Hammond nearly tipped over a load of hay. Frank, Charlie Dixon and Fred Misener rode rails to hold it in the road from the top of the hill to the corner. Fred Misener told Frank that Jim Birdsell had been in to see me last night to ask about digging out the cut at Linsay's hill but hadn't done it because I wasn't home so I let the boys out of the gate and drove on up to Shand's to telephone him. I couldn't get him but left word for Charlie to tell him to go at it in the morning as it was blowing to hard to-day I also invited Charlie & Flossie down to hear the radio. Oliver & Frank were not long getting the stage set. They nailed a scantling on the shed and ran the aerial from it to the east gable of the house, grounded to the pump and ran the wires through the key hole in the north door, they were then ready to pick up messages from any station that was broadcasting They got a few from Buffalo in the after noon but there wasn't much on till after six o'clock. I did the chores up fairly early, and Ina, who was here all day and stayed for the concert, and I sat through tea with the earphones on our heads, listening to music

weather reports and lectures from the U.S.A. Oliver's set is a small one, one tube, but he got messages from as far a way as Denver. There were just two pair of earphones so we took turns in listening and took them apart so that two could listen with one set by just using one ear. We clapped it on Harry B's ear once or twice and he seemed very much impressed. Charlie Shand came down for awhile and seemed to enjoy some candy that Marj. had made more than the radio which was not so new to him as it was to the rest of us, he having heard George Duncan's the other night. The music through it sounded very much like that of a phonograph to me and while the announcements were very distinct I couldn't understand any recitations I heard at all. I was glad to hear it for the novelty and marvel of it, for it truly is marvelous to have concrete proof that the voice of a man speaking a thousand miles away is carried here through the air and a simple little contrivance like this can pick it up. It makes a person realize that the laws of Nature are incomprehensible and unlimited and wonder what next the accumulating knowledge of man will reveal to his puny mind. The music seemed to get a little clearer as the evening went on and Oliver kept trying to get new stations, till I who had eaten too much candy was beginning to feel sick and Marj. and Ina were getting very tired. It was long after midnight when Oliver closed the thing up and disconected it and then I had to hook up and take Ina home. She was bound to walk but I wouldn't let her after keeping her here till that hour. We all drove to the Winding Hill and the boys walked on home from there. I got home and to bed somewhere about three o'clock feeling very sick and satisified to the satiation point with radio. Unlike Harvey Evans I don't feel that I would be any happier if I owned one I would much sooner save my money and buy a piano and give the kids music lessons, but I suppose they won't practice and will beg for a radio set.

Friday January 23rd

Last night was too much for me and I haven't done any thing all day but feel tough. I managed to get out this morning and feed the cows & horses and light the fire at the school house, but from then till noon I could

scarcely hold my head up I was so bilious. Marj. fed the chickens and got wood for the box stove and coal for the kitchen stove and by noon the nausea had left me so I went out and milked but I still felt very weak so I didn't do very much else and slept most of the after noon. Marj. made me some toast about five o'clock which was the first I had eaten all day and I felt a little better after that and did up the night chores. It has been a beautiful looking day but keen north wind

Saturday January 24th

This was the day when we were to have had presented to us the greatest and most talked of drama that can be normally produced on the celestial stage, - the total eclipse of the sun. The actors rehearsed their parts according to schedule, but alas, the producer, our old mother, drew a curtain on the first act and peevishly refused to raise it, until just as they made their farewell bow to the audience, so all we could do was imagine what was going on before our eyes but behind the scene. I don't now when I have been so disappointed as it has always been my desire to see a total eclipse and I have examined the patent medicine almanack when they first came for years to see if they promised one, until I had about come to the conclusion that one was never visible in this latitude, so that I was really about as excited when I read the announcement of this one as a kid is when he sees circus bills for his own town. The worst is, the astronomers tell us that the show won't be around here again for about 250 years and it seems very improbable that any of us will be here to see it then. There was a heavy bank of clouds across the eastern sky before daylight but they didn't reach to the horizon and I was in hopes that they would disperse as they sometimes do as the sun rose, but no such luck. The sun came up as bright and clear as it ever did but before I could detect a suspicion of a dint in its rim, it had slid behind the clouds and they were dense enough to completely hide it. Nothing happened till about nine o'clock when we could notice the darkness begin to grow denser. I got up to my picked observatory in the barn where there was a board off, thinking that there might be a slight exhibition of the terrifying and swift moving shadow, which I imagine would be like the childish nightmares I used to have of a

tiny thing like a grain of sand which would commence to grow with increasing speed unil it would engulf me and everything else, and I would wake up terrified. Another disappointing thing was the density of the darkness. I thought from what the papers said and from the stories I had heard of chickens going to roost that it became as dark as night and I thought when it was cloudy it would be pitch black, but it didn't get much darker if any than I have often seen it get in a summer thunder storm, and when it comes down to a show-down, for a magnificent & awe inspiring spectacle a real old-fashioned thunder-storm is pretty hard to beat. From my post in the barn I could see as far west as the old {Du Eau?} place which must me close to two miles away and I kept watching in that direction for the shadow bands Finally the western limit of my view grew dim and shortened and then the darkness settled on us in a jerky fashion, the pinky yellowish tinge which had been in the eastern sky ever since sunrise and which was not unnatural spread all around the horizon, but as I could see quite distinctly for at least a mile around me I kept expecting deeper shades to surround us until after the lapse of a few seconds I realized that it was getting lighter and that my last chance of seeing a total eclipse in this country was gone, so I got down disgustedly and went to the house for the milk pail, as I went past the chicken house I looked in and they were sitting around as they do any other day except a few that spend half their time on the roosts anyway. About ten o'clock I was plying the bucksaw on a stick of cord wood when out popped the sun bright as a dollar. I peered at it through the pin prick in my piece of card which I had prepared and could just see a tiny black arc in the gleaming circle which seemed to be laughing mockingly at my disgruntled looks and saying "Don't worry, you poor fish, it all happened, all right enough, but we weren't going to let a cheapskate like you see the show." I am anxious to see Monday's paper to see how Prof. Chant and his scientific associates down at "Long's Corner's" near Hamilton made out. They have been tramping around in the snow and half freezing to death in tents and shacks for a week or so preparing to take observations and photo-graphs of the thing so I hope they had better luck than we did or else had

an aeroplane handy, so that they could get above the clouds. Marj. hasn't felt very well to-day. I discovered that the chickens in both pens were eating eggs so this after noon we all drove down town and I got some oyster shell at Billy Langs. We drove around by the farm as Aunty told us that Dad. was quite sick with a cold. He was out but looked miserable. Brantford beat Dover here last night 7- 4. Milder

Sunday January 25th

We had a late breakfast and I spent most of the forenoon doing chores and helping Marj. This afternoon we all drove over to see Dad. for awhile, he feels pretty tough, we went on down town to post a letter and it was fairly late when we got home. Lovely day

Monday January 26th

It was raining first thing this morning amd had been thawing all night, the first thaw we have had since before Christmas, but it didn't last long. It began to snow before noon and has been snowing and getting colder all day. To-night the wind is from the north and it is very cold. I had to melt a hole in the mouth of the drain again this morning and I suppose it will freeze up again as the hole I melt is too small to stay open. I threw a wheel barrow load of manure on top of the hay that I covered over it the other day. This after noon I made a cut across my hay mow and pitched half of it over to get at more of my alfalfa for the cows. Mabel was in for a few minutes to-night. Marj. got very interested in a new word puzzle a series of which started in the Mail & Empire to-day.

Tuesday January 27th

Last night I am sure was the coldest night yet, the thermometer at the school house only went to zero when I put it outdoors this morning, but they told me down town that it was 10 below and didn't get up to zero all day. It was a bitter day as the wind was nor'east. I went over to the school house as early as I could see and put a fire on, and after doing what chores I had to I came in the house and put what quarter-round we had around the hose board in the kitchen, there wasnt enough of it to go all the way round. This after noon I had to go down to Billy Lang's for chop. It wasn't so bad going down but it was cold coming home. I took a

dozen eggs down and got 45 cts for them at Sam's. I also took a letter down to post to Davie and had to go to the train with it {some?} little girls piled in the cutter on their way home from school so I told them if they would hold Queen for me while I went to the train I would drive them home, and when I came to fill my contract I discovered they lived way over Brant Hill. Queen got cutting up on the way back and I had to hold her in tightly and my fingers nearly perised. I stopped in at the farm on my way down and found Dad. feeling a little better. Enah asked me to get some oatmeal so I stopped on my way home and she lent me a pair of knitted mitts which I put on under my leather ones and kept my hands quite comfortable. I called in at Aunty's and found Win with Lila. Aunty Alice was at Mrs. McLaughlin's playing bridge and Aunty was at an Auxillary meeting in the Sunday school. I suppose the enjoyment each of them was getting made up for discomforts but it must have been a bitterly cold walk over the hill and surley the old schoolroom would be as cold as a barn to-day. Lila has been having a temperature every day lately but she said it was too cold to-day to raise a fever although she could have enjoyed. The poor kid, she certainly puts on a brave face. Win. had a clipping from the Family Herald & Weekly Star which someone had sent to Huby with an advertisement under the "Unclaimed Moneys" section advising any male issue of Mary Dick wife of William Barrett of Ireland 1760 and of Hugh Massy Barrett who is believed to have lived in Montreal in 1846 to communicate with some party, I forget the name, in England. As there can be no doubt that the Hugh Massey Barrett is our great grand-father, he having lived in Sorel about that time, we are all quite excited about it and Huby and Dad. will have to write. I don't know who Mary Dick was and sincerely hope no male issue of hers is in existence but there was someone of that name connected with the family and Aunty says Fa. always thought that it was a lawyer of that name that cabbaged all the money of the family. If so, here's hoping he took good care of it. Marj. & I sat around and stoked the fires till midnight but we cant get the house really warm. Marj. set bread last night but it didnt rise an inch all day, she put it in the oven to-night but the oven was too cold to bake it as I put an overdose of salt it I am afraid it won't make very good eating.

Wednesday January 28th

Last night was the coldest yet some reports say it dropped to 14° below, and it has been cold all day although sunny The wind has been north east and east but to-night is swinging more to the south so I suppose will be warmer to-morrow. Marj. expected Ina to come to-day but she didn't show up. She was ready for her yesterday but wasn't surprised that she didn't come, but to-day was a {illegible} day except for the cold. I didn't do much all morning but chores but this after noon Marj. wanted some fresh air so we drove down town. The bread she made yesterday she decided wasn't fit to eat so we got a loaf down town and she set again to-night We left our {kids?} at the farm with Enah while we went down town. We called in at Aunty's for awhile and form {illegible}. She & Aunty Alice are quite confident that there will be something come of our fortune hopes. Aunty handed up a lot of papers and Aunty Alice drafted a couple of letters for Dad. & Huby to write giving a lot of information about the family and proof that they are the ones who are called for in the advertisement. Aunty Alice is going to help Quint write a letter to Archie Phipps asking him to make inquiries and give credentials for the family.

Thursday January 29th

We were late having breakfast to-day and I had to open the drain again so I didn't get much but chores done this fore noon.This afternoon I took my new hand saw and the old cross-cut over to Willie Shand's to have him sharpen them. Nobody was home over there so I left the saws and called in at Harvey's and told him I had left them. I then drove down to Wilbur's with the bull calf's registration certificate which came yesterday. Wilbur told me he would give me a load of straw if I would come and get it. On my way home I stopped in at {Trum's?} to settle up for the wheat I got from him but he wasn't home and the others didn't know how much it was. Ina was here to-day & Mabel came over after school to get a Sunday school paper and just as they were preparing to walk home Frank & Tim. came over to borrow Queen to haul ice to-morrow, so after partaking of cocoa & fresh currant bread they all drove off in the cutter. Frank says they heard from Dick to-day, who expects to be home for a few days before he leaves for Vancouver to take charge of the Foreign Exchange office there. That sounds like quite a raise. Marj. stuffed the old armchair full of hay this afternoon and recovered it. Much milder, wind stilll in the east, cloudy, snowing to-night.

Friday January 30th

Spent the fore-noon doing chores and got in a two or three day's supply of corn stalks. Marj. let Harry B out for awhile this morning just at recess so I took him over to where the boys & girls were sleigh riding down the little hill facing the school house. Stanton, Muriel and Clara and Helen Brown each gave him a ride down with them and he thought it was great sport although he wouldn't say a word over there. I went over to the farm this after noon to help them with the ice. Frank hauled five loads and was down after his sixth when I left and Alan Law brought a big load on his wide box that was half as big again as Frank's so that another half load to-morrow will finish. The ice is good but thin. What Frank hauled to-day was second cutting and he could put 19 cakes in the waggon box. I walked home about five, got a ride from the Winding Hill. Carl Lemmon picked me up at the gate going over and drove me right to Dad's corner. Much milder to-day but raw wind & blustery. Brantford beat Dover 10-3 the other night in Brantford so Dover is out of the running. Pickford is alone now as Bob left the other day and went to Detroit. Tupper has a new man.

Saturday January 31st

I did up all the chores this morning, Harry B came out and played for an hour or more with a gray squirrel skin that the cats had. I heard him laughing and chuckling to himself in the shed and I discovered he had this skin by the tail and was coaxing the kittens to grab at it and one of them was rolling on it which amused immensely. I was just getting ready to walk over home this after noon to get Queen & the cutter when the Lampkin's came in to invite us over there for dinner to-morrow. They were going to town but were pretty well loaded down so as our lane was badly drifted I walked down to the road where I got on Will {Name?} sleigh. He let me off at the Winding Hill as he was going after gravel and the Lampkin's picked me up on top of the hill. I rode with them to Dad's corner. It turned out a very rough after noon and the snow was drifting so badly in the cutter between Dad's & Pickford's that we couldn't see and there was a bad drift at the top of the hill and the road from there in was very heavy. I got Queen & drove on down town and took some cream & eggs to Aunty Alice and went on up town and got some meat. It seemed like a beautiful

day down town as it was quite mild & sunny & protected from the wind, but when I got out on the side road again it was a ripper, however I got home in good time and went over and swept out the school house before dark. Marj. made me have a bath to-night. Wind very strong but thawing to-night.

Sunday February 1st

We got things all done up this morning and drove over to the Lampkin's for dinner. As usual Mrs. Lampkin stuffed us with such rich food that we haven't felt the same since. I stalled on my piece of mince pie and didn't tackle a piece of her Christmas cake which looked to be the consistency of cheese, so of course was grieved but I told her I had been sick and didn't dare take chances. We sat around all the after noon talking about the neighbors. The activities of the kids fortunately side tracked Dave during the course of his usual discourse on his sojourn in Pilot Mound, "Manitoby" and he only got as far as the trip there & back, which is familiar enough now. Gay took two steps over there, Marj. says, I didn't see her. We got home about five o'clock and I did the chores before dark.

Monday February 2nd

I have fairly "waded through slaughter" to-day as I executed my 22 cockrels. I bled, stuck and picked 21 of them but the twenty second had his feet frozen and I thought he was sick so I just decapitated him and gave him to the cats. I am not as swift as some at the job as it kept me busy all day at least from about ten o'clock till six, and they are not all thoroughly picked yet as they nearly all have to be gone over for pin feathers. Marj. and I went over two or three to-night. Raw wind, cloudy

Tuesday February 3rd

I intended to pick at chickens all day to-day but didn't get many done. Ina was here washing and we had to open the drain again. This time after I got a hole poked through with the redhot iron I got some old pieces of pine root and built a fire over the mouth of the drain and that thawed it out pretty well. Marj. and Ina thought the house was on fire as the smoke drew all the way up through the drain and came up through the sink into the kitchen. The cellar was blue with smoke that proves that Rus Lampkins scheme for a trap doesn't work. I think the scheme is all right but he hasn't got bend enough in the

waste pipe. Fred Misener and Jim Birdsell were in for awhile to see about shovelling the snow on the road along by Fred's place and Lindsay's hill, so I told Jim to look after it and keep it open. It was nearly noon before I got at the chickens and I had to quit early this after noon to go over home and get my box to ship them in. I took one down to Aunty Alice as she had spoken for one. I found Frank down there trimming up the old horse chestnut tree which he & Dad. had felled this morning. I hate to see it go but it was getting to be too much shade for the garden and the roots were a nuisance. When I got home Marj. & Ina were having their tea so I had mine with them and then drove Ina home. I did the milking after I came home. Marj. and I picked chickens to-night till we were so tired we hated each other.

Wednesday February 4th

I got up at five this morning and went at the Chickens again and got them pretty well gone over before breakfast. Then we had to wash their feet and heads, weigh them and pack them. I was disappointed in the weights as there were only half a dozen went over five pounds. We packed them by themselves in a butterbox

and put twelve that weight between four & five pounds in the regular box. I am hoping to get 25 and 28 cts for them as that is the price quoted in the paper. They were all nice and plump but were too small. Aunty Alice invited us down there for dinner so we tried to get around early but it was twelve o'clock before we could get started. I couldn't take the chickens with us so after dinner I got some feed at Billy Langs and took it home and brought the chickens back. I was held up on the side road as Billy Watson & Sid McBride were hauling wood and both loads upset. The track is cutting away and is about two feet high. I helped Sid load up as much as he wanted to take. Billy had just got loaded up when I came along, so by the time I got back to town with the chickens it was too late for them to go out to-night. Aunty Alice seemed to be about all in to-day worried and tired out. Lila was very sick, she caught the grip in some way and of course it goes very hard with her. She has been in bed now for over a month and seems to be going downhill, so no wonder Aunty Alice is discouraged about her. It looks hard. Dick wrote Dad. that his his leaving for home right away and doesn't have to report in Vancouver till March 1st. Getting this year's holidays now. Very mild and a beautiful day.

Dover was greatly excited over the news in to-day's paper that the Union Bank in Hamilton where Ada Sovereign is teller was robbed and Ada with another clerk who were alone in the bank were ordered at the points of revolvers to lie on their faces and then were roughly put into the vault and locked in. They were not there long as the manager soon came back and released them. The robbers only got $8 00. The papers are full enough of such happenings but that is about the closest it has ever come to Dover. Another choice bit of news is the announcement of Zeitha Barwell's & Alan Tibbett's engagement ,with the promise of a swell June wedding with all the trimmings. The old "Maple Leaf will be full of stale news this week.

Thursday February 5th

We were late getting up this morning but as soon as I could get around to it I drove over home and we put the light rack on the sleighs and Frank and I took Joe & Queen over to Wilbur's to get the load of straw he offered me for nothing. We found Wilbur in the house playing solitaire, but he came out and we went over to Frank's where the big wheat stack is. We weren't long putting on a small load as we didn't want to take any chances of upsetting and we got home here with it about one o'clock. We had dinner and then pitched it off over the granary. We had to move some hay first. Marj. was baking to-day but about four when we were ready to go back she put her bread in the pans to rise, bundled the kids up and went with us. Over there we transferred to the cutter and got back home about six and found the bread in nice condition to bake. Dad. went down town to meet Dick to-day who arrived on the one o'clock car with a {grand club back?} which the bank staff presented him with on his departure. Very mild and cloudy.

Friday February 6th

As the very mild weather was still here to-day, Marj. decided that she must can her beef which has been hanging out on the porch and was well thawed by this morning. It is such a sickening sort of job that I cut it up for her this morning. She put it in the jars after dinner and boiled it for five hours, but when taking it out of the boiler to-night, she found that several of the jars leaked at the top which was so

discouraging for her that she went to bed. She was tired out any way. It looks to me as if the fat that is in the jars would hermetically seal them, so that I don't see why it should matter if a little {cordial?} got in at the top. She had 11 pints of it. This after noon I cleaned out the pullets pen and put some fresh straw in and I cleaned out the old hen's pen after tea. It is so beautifully moon light, that it is really the best time to do it as it doesn't disturb the hens. Now that I have such nice straw on hand I didn't want to lose any time cleaning them out as they needed it. Harry B. was out all the after noon helping me. Harry Blake was in this after noon and left our assessment at $1000. Beautiful day, sunny and very mild.

Saturday February 7th

This has been another beautiful day, so mild it was fairly warm. Trum. Walker came in this morning while I was sitting around after breakfast reading and we settled up for the wheat I got it came to $19.80 He let me have the first lot at $1.35 as that is what he got for what he sold at that time and the rest at $1.60. although it is now at $1.80 and going up and he is still holding his. I did up the chores this morning, got in a supply of corn stalks and cleaned all the old rotten mangels and pumpkins out of the cellar. As it was such a beautiful day, I thought I would go down this after noon and get my hair cut so we all went but didn't get started very early. Marj. & the children waited for me at Aunty's while I went up town. {Jnir?} Morris's shop was full of girls but Bob Loney's was not so bad so I got through by half past five, but it made us late getting home. Lila was being kept very quiet to-day so they had to keep the kids in the kitchen till Dick came home and wanted to have a bath and then he occupied the kitchen. He & Quint, Ada, Alan & Zeitha were going to a party at the Freeman's

Sunday February 8th

I have been lately getting up at five o'clock in order to see that the fire is all right and to get a chance to look at the paper and write this while the house is quiet and I can keep awake, a thing that seems impossible after tea. This morning I was tired and Marj. kindly shut off the alarm clock so that I stayed in bed till six when I had to get up and dress the Niblits. I

thought as it was Sunday and we had agreed to stay home I would do up the chores early and spend the rest of the day in peace. Marj. was very tired so she stayed in bed till about half past eight and we had a very late breakfast so decided not to eat again till late afternoon when we had a bang-up chicken dinner I went over to the school house to sweep as soon as I got the chores done and was delighted to find my new number of the International Book Review in the mailbox (we had evidently missed it yesterday) and had visions of a glorious read this after noon. The first thing necessary was to get the kids to sleep, with Gay this was soon accomplished by taking her out in the sleigh for a little while. I then took the Niblits out while I did up some outside work, and came in and rocked him for some time. He showed sign's of departing to the Land of Nod but although sleepy he wouldn't let himself go, so I had to give that up. About this time Gay woke up so she had to be brought in out of her sleigh. I put her in Harry B's bed to play but she roared till we put her on the floor where she still roared, so then we all three, she Harry B & I pushed a chair around the kitchen for awhile till she got tired of that. About this time I thought I had better help Marj. wash dishes, she had been washing at them off & on all morning but there was still about a two foot stack of dirty ones. This done Marj. tired herself out trying to rock Harry B to sleep and I held Gay on my lap to keep her quiet. Marj's efforts proved futile and Harry B. made an attempt to get into my lap which made Gay furious, and she kicked and screamed like a little savage. We then went into the nursery and I gave her a walking lesson by standing her against the door and trying to get her to walk to me. She can balance herself alone standing and she did take one or two steps but is a little afraid to trust herself yet. I then made an abortive attempt to sketch some of their positions but they wouldn't stay still long enough so about four I went out to do chores We had tea about five and I milked afterwards and Marj. got them to bed in fairly good time. I got one or two articles read in my new magazine after tea but not many as Marj. thought we had better go to bed early. It has been a beautiful sunny day although very wet underfoot. We had a real thunder storm this morning about six but it didn't last long. Quite warm to-day.

Monday February 9th

We had another thunder storm this morning and it has been raining a good part of the day but still very mild. It cleared off to-night but didn't freeze. I didn't do anything outside but chores but spent most of my time in the house painting some of the woodwork in the nursery that needed a second coat and I started to paint the woodwork in the dining room. I did the chores up early and to-night went down to accompany the band in serenading Jack Anderson. It was a beautiful night but the roads are bad. The snow is nearly all gone except in the track where it is deep and where the gravel is it is about bare. The water was beginning to come over the road in Dave's flats when I went down and seemed to be rising so I had apprehensions of having to swim home, however it had gone down again by that time. We had a great time down at Jack's. Mr. Bagley the Nestor of the band - made the presentation speech - as Ed. Steele placed before him a box that looked like a shoe box but had a label on it saying wedding cake. I didn't know what was coming as I hardly thought the boys would have chosen either footwear or eatables as a "token of their esteem" for Jack. but just as Mr. Bagley got out his jack-knife and cut the string, Bob. Smith apparently fearing that Bridgewater was going to get some credit which was due to himself, announced that Mr. Bagley had the wrong box. Jack & Mrs. Anderson were going to let him open it, but as he didn't I never found out what the box contained. Ed. Steele took it and made another search in the hall and brought forth a much larger box from which when after opening Mr. Bagley drew forth a little silver vessel with a wire netting top to it which was evidently meant for flowers. Mrs. Anderson exclaimed "How lovely, it will just match my candlesticks." Mr. Bagley rummaged some more amongst the tissue paper in the box and finaly produced a pair of candlesticks to match the other thing. Mrs. Anderson seemed very pleased and Jack made a thank-you speech and then passed around cigars and got out card tables. I don't know any more about playing cards than I do about playing golf, but as there were three of the boys wanting a game and needing a fourth I consented to take a hand at pedro if Mr. Bagley would coach me. He knows

how but it is against his principles (or else Essie won't let him) to play cards. However, it didn't seem to trouble his conscience any to play as long as I held the cards and threw them on the table, and finally I managed to get him to take them entirely and I left. We couldn't prevail on him though to partake of a little of the "Seagrams" coloured with sacramental wine which our hostess doled out to each of us, so Clare Deal and I drank his portion between us. We hadn't been playing long when there was a terriffic racket, guns & shouting with out and Jack's dog barking within. Jack went to the door and presently the kitchen was filled with about forty fishermen. They just stayed long enough to consume all the sandwichs that Jack had prepared for us. After I got tired of hearts & spades, I went out to see what was going on in the kitchen. I found Cecil (who has joined the band as a snare drummer) and Harry Moon replenishing the sandwich supply, Carl Coleman shaking hands with the dog's tail and George Hallam running around with a cup of hot water wanting to know where the cold water tap was, they were side by side but he had got the wrong one. Carl escorted me into the pantry where he assured me a "lady wanted to see me" and there I found the cause of all the merriment, the wine and whisky supply. As Carl introduced more of the boys to the "lady that wanted to see them", things became livelier and we certainly had a good time. No body got too hilarious Carl being the gayest of the bunch. He told me I could stay all night with him, if I couldn't get any farther and kept informing us of what a good-natured wife he had. We had refreshments and after playing a few more "noises" broke up the party some time after midnight. When I left, Hal. Steele and Carl were playing cornet & drum duets Hal. playing his favorite solos, My Task and My Rosary I don't know which one he was working at and I guess he didn't either. Mrs. Anderson was the only woman in the house, but she didn't seem to mind that. I went in to Aunty's to get my sweater and found Aunty Alice up. She was not going to bed on Lila's account. Poor Lila is very much worse. I got home with out any accidents and was rather surprised to find Marj. up. She had had a sleep and then spent the rest of the time sewing.

Tuesday February 10th

I spent most of my spare time to-day painting and got all the woodwork in the dining room

except the north door which was covered with moisture given one coat and also painted the panel of {paper?} in the nursery which had never been done. I went out to the gully for awhile and tried to roll some of my logs into the creek which was running full and I thought might float the logs down to the far end of the gully where they would be easily loaded. I couldn't do much at it alone so thought I would go over to-night when I took Ina home and get Frank to come out to-morrow and help me. However while I was out doing chores Ina walked home so I didn't bother hooking up as I was rather tired after last night's performance. Mild.

Wednesday February 11th

We had another thunder storm this morning early and heavy fusilade of hail with it. It has been cloudy and disagreeable all day with several showers and is colder to-night. I didn't do much inside or out except chores and write a letter to Miss Bain, as Marj. had a letter from Phyl. yesterday, describing Dorrie's thrilling adventure which Miss Bain told us in a card she had had but didnt tell us the nature of it. She was alone in the office sitting by the coal stove when she fainted, fell against the stove and didn't come too till she was very badly burned. Phyl said she was getting along nicely but would not be able to go back to the office for a couple of weeks yet. Phyl thinks her faint was due to hunger as she says she doesn't eat enough breakfast

Thursday February 12th

It has been a little colder to-day but brighter. I didn't do anything much but chores and put up the blinds in the nursery for Marj. The hens are beginning to do pretty well now. We got 19 eggs yesterday & 17 to-day.

Friday February 13th

Frank came over this morning just as we finished breakfast to get Queen to get a load of coal. I had intended going over to the farm to see about getting a load for ourselves so we both went back as soon as I could get ready. We went down before dinner and got Dad's load. He was down at Aunty's and he and I went down after the coal while Frank went up town to get some groceries and sell six dozen eggs for us. We were late having dinner as it was late when we

got back with our load. Frank and I went down this after noon to get my load, and as I wanted to get some feed at Billy Langs and as we were delayed a little by helping Marjorie Gamble at the coal office try to figure out a Cross-word puzzle, and Frank forgetting his coat and having to go back to the coal shed for it from Aunty's it was fairly late when we got home. We put on a few chunks of the old horse chestnut tree at Aunty's and I brought some of them over here. Down at Aunty's they are very tired and very troubled. Poor Lila is sinking rapidly. She was delirious last night. To-day she was resting comfortably and slept most of the time. Her temperature quickl fluctuates quickly & sharply rising to 102° and then dropping to below normal. Dr Cook says this is due to the disease attacking new spots. He says the tuberculosis is now all through her system. He asked Aunty Alice if they would like another doctor. She said she was satisfied with him but asked him if he would like another. He said "I think the poor child has suffered enough at the hands of doctors." It is true and we can't help thinking "If only she had never gone to that Hospital." It is hard not to think bitterly of an institution which professes to do so much for the relief of suffering humanity and support its plea for public support by giving free treatment to ailing paupers and all sorts of human scum and yet will take the finest type of girls like Lila in the best of health and with overwork and lack of proper food allow them to become the victims of a preventable disease then operate on them for an experiment and finally send them home to die. It's hard to believe but it's true. Quint has been in Vittoria for a few days this week as old Mr. Farrar is very sick, and Miss Farrar is up there Mrs. Dunkin came up from Toronto to see her father and while she was here Top. died. Dick has been close at home though so has been a great help to Aunty & Aunty Alice.

Saturday February 14th

This has been another beautiful day, bright & very mild I went over to Willie Shand's this morning and got my saws which he had doctored up for me. I tried the crosscut out on the way back on one of my pines. I got it notched and sawed pretty well through before dinner but it was leaning a little away from where I wanted to fall it so I left it till after dinner and then wedged it over with an old axe head. I then went over and swept the school house. Harry B. went with me and amused himself by eating paints or crayons.

Sunday February 15th

Marj. thought a good rest this morning would do her good so she stayed in bed till noon and I stayed in the house and read and herded the kids, just doing what chores I had to. I did the rest this after noon but we put in a very quiet day. The Lampkin's came over after tea to-night. Frank came over about eleven a.m. to tell us that poor little Lila has left us, she died about two o'clock this morning, consious I think up to the last but not suffering. It is nearly four years now since Aunty Maude went, Lila was then except for Tim the baby of our family, and so vivacious, active and aparantly strong, that little any of us thought, that she would be the first to join her mother. It seems hard to think that she, so young, so pretty and so very clever should be the first of her generation to experience the great adventure and to enter the shadowy boundaries of the mysterious unknown, and the sorrow for us who stand on this side and watch her bravely embark on that awful journey is piercing in its sadness and yet our pangs of grief are gently blended with a piercing sweetness which only grief can know, as we imagine the joy on that other side when, her journey ended, mother and daughter once again are in each other's arms.

Monday February 16th

I just did up the necessary chores this morning had an early dinner and walked over to the farm and got Queen and the cutter. Dad took her down to Hallam this morning and had him put on a shoe she had cast and then they had to use her with Joe to go out to Wilbur's and get their saw. I came home and drove Marj. down town leaving the children at Mrs. Lampkin's where they had a grand time. Marj. went to the doctor's and we met at Aunty's. Aunty Alice said they had both had a good rest and were feeling better. Cousin Phoebe and Miss Buckwell were there to receive callers and Aunty was lying down, more to be away from the confusion she said than because she didn't feel well. I met Dick up town doing some shopping for them and he went back to the house with me. Quint was up at Mr. Farrar's funeral. Poor old Quint has had a hard week of it. He didn't realize when he went to Vittoria early in the week nor till Dick telephoned him to come back that Lila was so seriously ill. Dick has had a sad holiday, but he has been a great help to Aunty & Aunty Alice and told Dad that as things turned out he would not have had his holidays at any other time. I signed my contract with the Canning Factory this after noon. Colder.

Tuesday February 17th

I notched the biggest of the pines this morning but didn't take time to cut it down as it is slow work alone and I finished making a little grit & shell hopper for the chickens. Marj. lit Harry B out for a play and as I came into the house for some thing I saw him out back of the barn. I was only in the house a minute or two and when I went out he had disappeared, and after a short search I saw his little redcoat over in the school yard as he was climbing the hill. I went over and got him and had to laugh at the trail he made down the hill and across the little flat and into the school yard where the fence is down, the little pattern on the soles of his new rubbers looks so funny where he has walked across a piece of snowy field where there are no other tracks. It looks at a glance like the trail of some little animal, the spaces between the footprints about the same length as the footprints themselves. We had dinner early and I drove down right after to go to Lila's funeral. I got Uncle Ward and drove him down. We had a very short service at the house and then went to the church where there seemed to be a lot of people. Only the bearers, and Dad & Huby went up to the cemetry, not many have their cars out. Alfred Shubert, Dick Tibbetts and Ted. Nicolls drove us and Mr. Cornish up there, and Dave Ward must have gone up with Ted. Nicholls as he was there but was walking home, and we picked him up. I was with Dad. Huby & Quint in Shubert's car. Quint. Dick. Frank. Karl. Cecil and I carried her and laid her beside her mother. It is sad, sad to think that, that was all I could do for her when I did so little when she was with us, but I like to think of the good time we had when she and I sat to-gether at Christmas dinner, I thought then she was getting better. We all went down to Aunty's when we came back from the cemetry but I didn't stay long. Quint's girl Miss Farrar was there and I met her for the first time. No-body says much about it but there seems to be no doubt about their engagement. I drove Uncle Ward home and got back here about half past four, so as I was hooked up started home with Ina but Bill & Mrs. Donald overtook us in a buggy at the corner so she transferred. Marj. & I nearly froze to-night as the coal fire went out and I had to go out about eleven o'clock and forage kindling for it. A very sad thing happened in town yesterday when Miss Hommer one of the primary teachers died after a very short illness of blood poisoning from an infected boil. She taught up till last week and I don't think they knew how serious her case was in time to send for her people who live up around Guelph or Kitchner. She was boarding at Mrs. Law's. Gay took several steps to-night. Much colder.

Wednesday February 18th

I spent most of the fore noon cutting down another pine. It was leaning uphill towards the fence so I had to wedge it over. I haggled away at it till I got it teetering and then Marj. called me to dinner so I left it and when I came out after dinner it was down with its head in the creek, the way I wanted it to go. Dad. and Dick came out this after noon for a little while It is the first Dick has been out since he came home and he expects to leave on Saturday. Raw west wind.

Thursday February 19th

Frank came over this fore noon before I had the chores all done to go with me to a sale this after noon out at Bancroft's near Mt. Zion church. As we had lots of time I got him to help me fell the big pine which I ratched the other day. We had to wedge it over too and I broke the old axe head doing it but we got it over about where we wanted it. There was a squirrels nest in it and we saw the squirrel a grey one come out and run up towards the top when we started to drive the wedge He hung on like grim death till the tree started to gain momentum in its downward course when he took a flying leap of about 15 feet over into an ash where he was safe. It was a spectacular jump fit for a movie scene. We cut a little wood and as the sleighing is getting so poor we decided to take the buggy this after noon so started to oil it, but couldn't find the wrenchs. I knew the one for the inside nut was lost but thought perhaps the monkey wrench would loosen it. I could have sworn that the cap wrench was in the buggy but there was no sign of it, so Frank went over and borrowed Dave's while I did up the chores. Dave's wrench didnt fit very well and as we had so much trouble getting one wheel off we decided it didn't need oiling so let it go. We were afraid we would be late for the sale as it was one o'clock before we got started but we needn't have worried as Walsh spent about half the after noon selling a sleigh box full of junk. There was about the biggest line up of implements I ever saw at a sale, and they were all in good shape a lot of them new. I bid on the roller but it went up beyond what I thought was a bargain so I didn't get it. Neither of us bid on anything else. It must have been nearly five when we left and they weren't quite through with the machinery and had a fine bunch of Holsteins and several

horses to sell so would be pretty late when they finished. We were rather chilly when we got back here but Marj. had just baked so we got warm filling up on Willie Grants. Frank walked home. Milder this morning but colder to-night.

Friday February 20th

As we wanted to have an early dinner and go to town this after noon I didn't do much this fore noon but chores We went to town in the buggy and it was a tight squeeze for all of us to get in and felt very uncomfortable after the roomy cutter. We took the egg crate and Harry B sat on it. I thought may be Dad. would want to get a load of silage this after noon but we saw him down town and he said to let it go till to-morrow, so we just stayed at Aunty's for awhile after getting our groceries. Dad. was down with a letter he had just received from in answer to the one he wrote concerning the "fortune". The letter to-day is perplexing & promising. It is from a firm of lawyers who say they have for many years been and still are the solicitors to the trustees of a fund to which they say they can help Dad. formulate and possibly prove a claim. They ask him to answer a good many questions concerning names, {there is a small multiplication sum written above this top line} dates of births & marriages & deaths of different members of the family and then the perplexing part of their letter is when they say "If you were born before a certain day in March 1858." Dad wasn't born till 1864 so we are trying to figure out just what difference that will make or how much depends on it. South west wind and very mild all day.

Saturday February 21st

It started to rain before day light this morning and has kept it up pretty much all day. It has taken nearly all the snow off except where there were very deep drifts and to-night the gully is running full and the water is going over the road by Dave's gate I went over this forenoon and swept out the school house and sat around over there for awhile reading a bulletin on protecting birds. This after noon I painted the north door in the dining room and puttied up a lot of nail holes in the woodwork. Quite mild.

Sunday February 22nd

Marj. repeated last Sunday's performance except that she got up for breakfast and then went back to bed and

stayed till tea time. I spent the fore noon doing the dishes, playing with the kids and competing with Marj. in making tabloid puzzles. I had the laugh on her, she does the one that is in the paper every day and as a rule solves them in a minute or two so this morning she made one. I said any body could make one but she was of the opinion that she had done something very clever and that I couldn't do it, whereat I sat down and wrote one out that she couldn't solve at all and I had to tell her the answer. I then attempted to make a crossword puzzle but got stuck and she spent the remainder of the day composing a couple one of which she worked in the names Toby & T. Barrett and the other Toby Dick Quint. Frank, Tim, Harry & Marj, so I guess I'll have to admit she is smarter yet than I am. After I gave the children their dinners and got them to sleep, (I rocked Harry B and put Gay in bed with Marj. where she slept for awhile) I went out and did some chores, and then came in and read for awhile. I had a couple of pieces of bread & butter and some cheese during the after noon and Marj. got up in time to put the kids to bed to-night and we had tea fairly early. Harry B woke up this evening and I had to rock him for a long time. Marj. wrote Dorrie and we read "Two Gentlemen of Verona". Raw & cloudy, rained part of the day

Monday February 23rd

This was another rainy morning so after I got the chores done I prepared to do some more painting in the house, but I just got the nursery door painted when Frank appeared to help me cut up my pines and float the logs down the creek. It had stopped raining so we went out to try it. The creek was running over the flats so it was a good chance to try out the scheme. The first log we rolled in went about half way down the gully and then stranded but we thought possibly they might go right on down through Dave's place so we put it a long one, which we hoped to float down to the fence and make a boom, however it got in behind some trees just below the house and as it had started to rain again by this time Marj. called us in so we left it there till after dinner. While we were in the house I mixed up some Plaster Paris and filled up some of the cracks in the plaster & gyprock, which had been made at the time all the fixing was done last year. When we went out after dinner to get the boom log loose, we found something had given away up the creek and a lot of ice & debris had got in behind the log and jammed it so that we couldnt budge it. We then went up to the tree by Charlie Munro's fence and cut five 10 ft logs out of it, the first one we launched went farther

down the creek than the others had gone but another got stuck near the long one: so Frank conceived the idea of making a raft out of three logs and riding down on it and loosening some of the others that were fast. I went up to the barn to get spikes and some pieces of scantling and discovered Mary & Bobbie in the barn. I had left them in the yard but as their stable door was swelled I couldn't fasten it shut and they had gone in and walked right through their stancions into the barn Mary had knocked over a bag of wheat and spilled a lot but I don't think had eaten much. I turned them out in the field. After we got the raft made and launched, we found it wouldn't hold us up so we had to take it to pieces and let the logs go separately. We then put in two logs from the big tree and by this time it was getting late so we went down along the creek and loosened up one or two that were stuck on this side. Frank had his rubber boots so could get at them better than I could. We didn't see any go down near the end of the gully but we were sure we put in 11 logs and when we went down could only count 10. I went down through Dave's as far as the culvert but couldn't locate the missing one, so we don't know whether it has gone on down through the woods or whether we made a mistake counting. Very mild, sunny for awhile this after noon but raining again to-night. Cistern full.

Tuesday February 24th

I went over to the farm this morning to help them get some silage at the factory but it was rather late when I got away as I did up the chores and shaved first. I took Harry B. with me and we got over about eleven. Dad. had gone down town with some milk for Aunty so we had to wait till he got back at noon to take the rack off the waggon and shift the box from the sleighs to the waggon. We harnessed the team and oiled my buggy. Frank and I went right after dinner but we went up town first to post some letters and I had to get coal oil, we then went to the station and got my box that the chickens were shipped in, from there to Bill. Langs where I got some chop and bran and then around to Aunty's for a few minutes; so by the time we got to the factory put our load on and home again and got it off it was five o'clock and nearly six before I got home with the Niblets who by then was fast asleep. Ina was here so she & Marj. had their tea while I was feeding up and milking and then I drove her home before I had tea. Another little delay I had this morning was to go down to the creek with the ladder in order to help the two Robinson kids across. They had struck out for school through the woods and I suppose followed the creek which they couldn't cross, down into this gully. Damp, dull mild

Wednesday February 25th

We formulated a plan this morning whereby we were to have an early lunch and leave immediately afterwards for town dropping Gay off at Mrs. Lampkin's. I was to leave Marj. & Harry B down town and go over to the farm and get the team there and get a load of silage for myself, then if there wasnt time to bring it out here leave it at the farm all night. However our arrangements went the way of other of "the best laid schemes of mice & men", this time the weather being the diverting agent. I went over to the Lampkin's and Mrs. Lampkins quite joyfully agreed to keep the baby in spite of the fact that she had had a party last night which had not dispersed till two o'clock and that she was still lame & sore from a bad fall she had last Saturday. They have both had tumbles Dave fell a week ago yesterday and struck his head so that he was knocked senseless & remained dazed all day. Then on Saturday, the water was running so high over the road that Dave declared it impossible for him to reach the mail box and forbade her to attempt it. She however, was anxious to get the mail thinking there might be some word from Mrs. Schram who is sick in Hamilton, so while Dave was busy in the barn doing the evening chores, she started for the mail and got about halfway downhill when she slipped in the mud & fell, just in time for Dave to come to the back door & see her, so instead of sympathy she got scolded and told it served her right, which she thinks pretty hard after the way she played Good Samaritan to him. From there I followed the creek all the way through Shand's woods but couldn't locate my missing log. Just before dinner it began to rain and was soon raining quite hard and looked like an all afternoon shower so Marj. decided not to go to town but as she & the kids were all dressed up, she thought they would go over and pay Mrs Lampkin a visit anyway so I left them there and went on down town with 8 doz. eggs. I stopped in at the farm for awhile and went in to Aunty's to see when they could come out and they decided on Saturday, weather permitting I got the family on my way back & we got home about five.

Thursday February 26th

We woke up this morning to find that our beautiful Spring weather had taken leave of us. The mud had a

thin frozen crust on it and it was snowing & blowing a regular blizzard. It came out fairly sunny for part of the day but there was a snow storm at intervals. The wind which came from the nor'west has been increasing in velocity all day and to-night appears to be trying to tear the house to pieces. It is also freezing hard to-night. I didn't do much outside the ordinary routine of chores this morning except climb up to the attic and get some things for Marj. which were stowed away and which she needs in preparing for Patricia's advent. I also moved a sitting hen from the chicken house to the colony house, where if she remains firm in her maternal intentions I intend to set her, and I got some earth into the house to prepare for planting tomato seeds. I intended going over to Cam. McBride's this after noon to get a setting of eggs but I went to sleep instead and didn't do anything all the after noon. It was too cold and rough anyway.

Friday February 27th

The wind has been very strong all day and bitterly cold. Every thing is frozen up tight again. It is not blowing so hard to-night but it is clear and frosty. I went over to Cam's this morning and got a dozen eggs and put them under the old hen, which seems to be sitting well in her new nest. I called in at the Lampkins on my way home to see how they felt. Mrs. Lampkin is pretty sore yet from her fall. She gave me a pound or so of home made sausage. I rocked the Niblets to sleep after dinner and went to sleep myself for about an hour, didn't do anything else but chores. Marj. has been busy slicking up the house in case Aunty & Aunty Alice come out to-morrow, but we had a card from them to-day saying they wouldn't come unless the weather moderated. We washed the whole day's dishes to-night.

Saturday February 28th

It was a bright morning and very little wind so I thought it would get warmer and accordingly went down to get Aunty & Aunty Alice. I found when I got out on the road though that the wind was still very keen in spite of it having gone to the south west. When I got down town they thought it was too cold and as neither of them are in a condition to resist taking cold, I didn't urge them at all. I went up town and got some groceries and got home about noon. I just did chores this afternoon. Mabel came in on her

way over to the school house where she had some work to do so I went over and put a fire on for her. About five o'clock {words are too faint to read} started to get sore so I {words are too faint to read} and get Dr. Lemmons to pull it out. I didn't {take?} time to hook up but walked into town and caught Bill {words are too faint to read} he was about to leave the office He went at my tooth but didn't make a very good job of it as the top all broke to pieces and he couldn't get a very good grip on the roots, he got one prong out but had to leave one in. He had to do a lot of prying and twisting so it hurt like the mischief although he shot a lot of dope into it first. Willard Butler picked me up just outside of town and gave me a ride {home?} so I was able to get the milking done before dark. I felt pretty tough to-night. Much milder to-night.

Sunday March 1st

Marj. and I just sat around to-day not doing much more than we had to although Marj. made a cake in case Aunty & Aunty Alice came out to-morrow. I felt pretty tough. My face wasn't so sore but I think the stuff he put in my tooth made me feel sick. It snowed all day and got very soft this after noon but turned colder late in the evening

Monday March 2nd

It froze very hard during the night and has been very cold all day with a nasty north west wind. I didn't do any thing but the chores, but spent most of the day nursing my face with the hot-water bottle We were very much surprised to see by to-day's paper that we had had an earthquake Saturday night. We didn't notice it here but several people in town felt it. Cousin Willie saw the brick wall in the house move, and Pickford felt it in bed. Down through Eastern Quebec some damage was done by it

Tuesday March 3rd

The wind was in the south west this morning and I thought it was a little milder, so I drove over to the farm in the cutter to see if I could get them to help me get some more wood while the snow was on the ground. Dad. was down at Uncle Ward's and Frank had to go to Pickford's to help him kill a pig this after noon so we didn't go after wood I went down town and got some stuff and came back to the farm for dinner and came home soon afterwards I took a note over to Ina Donald from Marj. telling

her she could get along without her this week as I helped her do a little wash this morning. I planted my tomato seeds after I got home but I wished I hadn't gone out as my tooth was very sore and I think the cold drive was not good for it. Raw wind

Wednesday March 4th

I did chores and had breakfast this morning and then lay down with the hot water bottle on my face and slept till noon. I'm not used to having any thing much the matter with me and I make a big fuss over what some people wouldn't pay much attention to, but my sore face made me feel tough. It is better to-night but still pretty sore. I didn't do much this after noon but a few chores and wash the kitchen floor for Marj. Frank walked over to-night before tea to see what was wrong so I told them I would be over to-day to go after wood or else go down and get Aunty and Aunty Alice, and it turned out a beautiful mild day. Marj. wrote a note to them and we told Frank to tell Aunty & Aunty Alice that if it was fair I would go down in the morning after them. Marj. made a cake and some cookies to-day and set bread. I mixed it stiff for her to-night.

Thursday March 5th

This has been another beautiful day although what wind there was came from the east. I went down this fore noon and brought Aunty & Aunty Alice out. We had a lovely visit although my face was pretty sore all the afternoon They stayed to tea which we had early and I drove them down in time for the Lenten service to-night.

Friday March 6th

We all went down town for dinner to-day. The buggy wasn't quite so crowded going down as we took the egg crate last night. We didn't get down till noon and I took the eggs up after dinner. I just got 30 cts a dozen for them and Sam told me if I had been two hours earlier I would have got 32. Quint was at Aunty's for dinner and I walked up town with him, all the way up he was arguing against taking out Life Insurance. When I left him he went up to Dr McLaclin's and I went down to Sam's where I found Wiedreck the Canada Life agent so I sent him up to Dr. McLaclin's to interview Quint. Marj. took Harry B. up to see the doctor this after noon and he gave him a bottle of medicine to take. The Niblets is delighted and takes his dose with great gusto. Lovely day.

Saturday March 7th

My tooth hurt so after I went to bed that I made up my mind to go down and get Bill to get the other root out to-day. We didn't get up very early and I spent the fore noon doing chores and sweeping the school-house but went down right after dinner. Bill said at first he couldn't pull it as it was too sore yet to monkey with but when he looked at it he said the gum had receded more than he expected so he did pull it. It was painful but came out with one pull. I went down to Aunty's for awhile afterwards and lay down and they tied my face up to drive home. It was very painful again to-night just before I went to bed but I eased it with Sloan's liniment and the hot water bottle. I thought he put a piece of cotton batten in it and as he told me last week to be sure and take it out before I went to bed I fished and prodded around with a darning needle for this piece but couldn't find it and neither could Marj. so I don't know whether it is there or I swallowed it.

Sunday March 8th

My tooth has been pretty sore all day and as Marj. hasn't felt up to much we just sat around and read most of the time.Dad. & Enah came over this afternoon to see how I was. I did the chores up early what few I did and when I came in to-night my face hurt so that I couldn't or at least didn't try to eat any tea. I lay down with the hot weather bottle and went to sleep and it was still buzzing when I woke up so I went to bed with hot water bottle and Sloan's and had a comfortable night. Marj. gave me a sample of her painkiller pills. Raw, wind & cloudy.

Monday March 9th

I did up the chores this morning and then went down to the dentists to find out if he had left anything in my tooth. It was nearly noon when I got there and I found a note on the door saying "sickness" so I went down to Aunty's and had dinner and then walked up to Bill's house but although I rang twice no one answered. Frank was at Aunty's for dinner as he and Dad. had been cutting wood down there. He drove home with me. I left Harry B at the farm while I was in town. I got a bag of sugar at Sam's for $1.65. Ina came this morning to sojourn with us till after Patrick's arrival. Ada called for her to-night and they all went over to Tom Hosie's for the evening. Beautiful day, very mild. Flossie was down here this after noon.

Tuesday March 10th

I spent most of the fore noon doing chores. I gave the horses a good cleaning and curried off the cows a little and cleaned out the chicken pens. The Niblets was out helping me until it began to rain. It proved to be only a short drizzly shower and then turned out a beautiful day so mild that it seems unseasonable. I made a saw-horse and buck sawed a little wood. We got a note through the mail from Aunty Alice saying she had got some oat chop and bran for me, so I went down after it and as it was such a beautiful day persuaded Marj. to go with me. The feed was in big bags so I couldn't bring quite all of it home. Aunty Alice happened to see Jack at the shop when she was going by so she ordered the feed with out taking my bags over. He told her his father was very sick. Some noble-minded citizen broke into the shop last night. This morning there was a robin in the crab-apple tree and I saw three over at the school-house and we saw blue-birds along the road when we were coming home this after noon. We had a heavy but short lived thunder storm to-night.

Wednesday March 11th

I started hauling out manure to-day. The ground was soft but as I was putting it on the strip of sod where the old strawberry patch was it wasn't too soft. Marj. told me at noon that we were right out of flour and Ina had to bake so I had to go down this afternoon. I worked till about three and finished covering the sod strip and then drove down in the buggy. The roads are bad but seemed a little better than yesterday. I didn't expect to be able to get in at Billy Lang's but Jack was there so I was able to get a cwt of our favorite brand "Thowbread" instead of a small sack of Eric Lily as I expected. I took Aunty Alice some eggs and she told me that Mrs. Schram is dying. Dr. George McBride came over Sunday from Grand Rapids to see her and says she has cancer and cannot live more than a few days, so evidently their famous "Made in Germany" doctor who was going to have her cured in six weeks was as far off the track as Drs. Cook & Hicks. Ina went home for this after noon and Marj. told her I would call for her but as I thought she and the flour would be quite a buggy load I brought the flour home first and went back after her and got the cream can & butter which was on Trum's stand. The wind is more in the north west to-night and it is getting colder. There has been a terrific blizzard in Manitoba, the worst they have had for years.

Thursday March 12th

It was frozen hard enough this morning so that I could haul manure on the old bean patch which was bare ground and I got quite a bit out by noon when it became to soft and the waggon cut through. Right after dinner Reg. Scott came over with his rifle to shoot some cats that Marj. wanted killed. He shot two of the half grown kittens but the third one and the yellow cat couldn't be found, and Marj. couldn't decide at the time which one of the black cats was the sick one so we didn't let him shoot either of them. It seemed like a murderous business but Marj. has been distressed all winter at the prospect of of supporting six cats four of which are feminine felines, as it is I think Reg killed the only two tom-kittens we had. I told Reg. I wouldn't do the job on a bet and he said he hated to himself but for the sake of a shot he would kill almost any thing. He is on the trail of a coon whose tracks he has seen along our creek but whose residence he can't locate. I burned some grass in the orchard this after noon and dug our parsnips, the frost seemed to be right out of the ground in the garden. Marj. & Harry B went over to the Lampkin's with the intention of staying to dinner but found Dave there alone as Mrs. Lambkin went to Hamilton yesterday to see Mrs. Schram. Marj. met Charlie Butler on her way home and he told her that Jim Birdsell died in his sleep last night. He was helping Shand's cut wood all day yesterday and went to bed apparently well, about half past two his wife was awakened by hearing him give two or three peculiar gasps and he died without ever waking up. Charlie didn't know whether Allie was home or not but she managed to get the Shand's wakeded up with the telephone. Reg. told me this after noon that both Mrs. Schram & Billy Langs died last night.

Friday March 13th

I hooked the team to the waggon and sallied forth this morning to get coal. It was a beautiful day when I left here. I had to go around by the farm to get the waggon box and when I arrived there I could find no sign of anyone around the place. I waited awhile to see if any of them would show up as I didn't want to tackle moving the box alone but as it neared noon I decided they must be down at Aunty's for dinner so I shifted the box alone, with out a great deal of difficulty By this time it was noon and I thought there was no use

going down during the noon hour so I started to grease the waggon. I got one wheel done when Dad. & Frank came home, so we put the team in and Frank got dinner for the three of us. He had to go down to Pickford's to cut wood this afternoon. Just as I left for town it began to snow and the wind got up from the north east. Dad. lent me his mackinaw and I was glad of it before I got home. I got my coal and by the time I started home it was snowing hard and a horrible day. The snow was very wet and I got soaked. It was four o'clock before I got home and I put the team in and left my load on the waggon, and did chores up early. Art Quanbury stopped me on my way down this morning and asked me if I had heard Mrs. Tom Stone was dead. I said I knew she wasn't as no one had been after Ina. but it seems the report got around town by some one listening in on the telephone and hearing crookedly the name of Mrs. Tom. Schram. The report that Bill Langs is dead was false although he is in a very critical condition. Excitement over the family fortune is on the increase. Dad had another letter from the firm of lawyers Arnold & Henry White. They had not received his second one when they wrote. They said they had communicated with the vicars of every parish in Tipperary in order to get birth certificates of Fa and his brothers & sisters but so far none of them had been able to help them. One had suggested that the records might be in Dublin, but if so they were probably destroyed when the Four courts was destroyed by the rebels. They asked if Dad. was sure that his father was born at the home of his mother's aunt Lady Dunboyne as they cannot reconcile it with the peerage, so Dad. Aunty & Aunty Alice copied out every thing they could find bearing on the subject and sent it to them. It may be impossible to find birth certificates or records of Fa's family unless Aunt Ella has them in the old Family Bible. I met a man just as I was leaving the farm at noon inquiring about Dad's sorel colt. I think it was Charlie {Eaid?}, I directed him to Dad. but do not know the outcome of his visit.

Saturday March 14th

This has been a miserable day. It rained most of the forenoon which on top of yesterdays snow made things very sloppy. Later in the afternoon it got colder and snowed more. I had intended taking eggs down and getting groceries but when it turned out such

a miserable day I stayed home. I thought likely too that Sam's store would be closed on account of his mother's funeral and I found afterwards that it was closed both yesterday & to-day. Jim Birdsel's funeral went by here about two o'clock. I didnt do much all day, sorted over the potatoes this morning and made a birdhouse this afternoon. The really big event of the day took place a little before midnight and was only a preliminary to Sunday's happenings. Marj. and I went to bed about half past eleven. Marj. had been feeling fine all day, but just as she got into bed she began to feel frightened and thought she should go down town. I persuaded her to wait and make sure and finally she went to sleep.

Sunday March 15th

Marj. was only asleep a few minutes when she woke up again and was very nervous, however it was such a nasty night and the roads were so bad we hated to take any chances so we waited awhile longer and I went to sleep for a short time, but somewhere around two o'clock she woked me and said we must go at once so we both hopped out and got dressed and I went out and hooked up. Marj came out and got in the buggy before I got Queen out of the stable and was feeling pretty miserable and of course was terribly nervous & frightened. The wind had gone down and was bright moonlight and as we were both too excited to be cold but the roads were very rough as it had frozen hard enough to make them bumpy but not hard enough to hold the buggy up when we got on the side. We had to drive very cautiously as too much bumping hurt Marj. When we arrived at Mrs. Lawson's we pounded several times on the door before she came but had no difficulty in waking the dog up and he made a terrible racket. Poor Mrs. Lawson came to the door fagged out and exclaimed "For the love of Mike" when she saw us, she had two babies there then and didn't want any more. It was just half past two when we got there. I went up directly from there and woke the doctor. He was dubious about coming as he said it wasn't time yet, but when I told him the symtoms he said he would be right down I then put Queen in the Auntys barn and waited around till the doctor came. I walked up to Main St. and watched till he came out of the house and then walked down with him

I went in with him and camped in the kitchen to wait developments. I heard the town clock strike four and soon after that Mrs. Lawson came down and announced the arrival of a girl and invited me up. I found Marj. feeling very pleased with herself at having got through the business with such despatch but they all seemed to be a little worried over a hemmorage. Marj. said the baby was born sometime before Mrs. Lawson went downstairs so it must have been before four. She was a monster tipping the beam at 12 lbs. The doctor went home about five but Mrs. Lawson stayed right with Marj. I stayed till about half past seven and then went over to break the news to Aunty & Aunty Alice and have breakfast. Aunty Alice had just come down in her night-dress to light the fire so while they were getting dressed I went up and woke Mrs. Hugh Allan up as Mrs. Lawson was tending to her other patients, Mrs. Woodyer and Mrs. McKenzie. I went home right after breakfast around by the farm to tell the news and got here about nine o'clock. Ina was up and had both the children dressed. They had both been good all night but Harry B didn't want to have breakfast without me. I did up all the chores and right after dinner we started out again. Ina went home for the afternoon and I took Harry B & his "trunk" and left him at the farm where he is to stay and I took Gay right on down town and left her at Aunty's for the afternoon. I then went over to Mrs.Lawson's where people seemed to be pouring in to see the various babies. Woodyer was at the door with a face like a full moon and a grin you could lie behind, he isn't proud of his boy "over nothin'". I went right up to Marj's room where I found Grace Allan. She was supposed to be kept very quiet and not move talk or laugh but Grace said she herself couldn't help talking and Marj. had to answer and as Grace's conversation consisted of every imaginable subject from her reformation of Hugh to her accounts of stealing onions from old Moneck, Marj. had to laugh too. The doctor came while I was there and I walked up town with him, he assured me Marj. was doing well. He is a busy man having had five babies to deliver since last Sunday. I went home about half past four and drove around by the Dionald's and got ha{y?}. Gay slept all the way in & back Bill was telling me about Roy Marshall who died very suddenly on Friday night, he has never been well since he got hurt last year at Charlie Dixon's. He was boarding at Jack Mason's when he died as his mother is sick in the Toronto hospital.

Monday March 16th

I spent the forenoon doing chores and tinkering jobs such as fixing some more of my bird house. This after noon I drove down town and took the eggs and got a supply of groceries. I had 12 doz. eggs but they had dropped to 22 cts. so they didn't pay for the groceries. I went in to see Marj. who was feeling better. Aunty was over there holding babies for Mrs. Lawson. I stopped in to see Harry B. who is quite happy and enjoying life. I met Frank on the hill on my way in and it gave me a scare as I thought some thing had gone wrong but he was just going over to Tupper's to look at some hay. I was over at the Lampkin's for awhile this morning Cloudy & raw.

Tuesday March 17th

It was pouring rain early this morning and rained hard till about eleven when it cleared off and has been a very nice after noon. I wrote a letter to Grand.Daddy this morning announcing his lates great-grand daughter and then I washed the best of the parsnips as Sam. told me he would take some. I also took some down for Aunty, Mrs. Lawson & Grace Allan. Frank came over just as I was going out after dinner. He wanted the waggon to go down and get some fertilizer that he had ordered some time ago and that was down in the car, so we hooked up the team and took the parsnips in the waggon. We got the fertilizer without any trouble it was in a car out along the dock and I left the parsnips in at Sam's, he didn't know how much they would be worth. I stopped in on the way home to see Marj. and took her some shamrock that Frank brought over for her for St. Patrick's day. Aunty was sitting with her to-day. Dad. & Frank sheared the old ewe mother to the triplets which came Saturday, she is coming to her milk now.

Wednesday Marching 18th

It was a beautiful fore noon but too wet to do much but chores. I spent most of the morning curring the horses and trimming them up and tinkering at a martin house. As it was such a lovely day we thought it would be a good idea to take Gay out for an airing so I took her down town and Ina went home for the after noon. I left Gay at Aunty's and as she saw me coming from Mrs. Lawson's she came home to

watch her as Aunty Alice was going up town. I went in to see Marj. for awhile and then went on up town and got my hair cut. I told Ina I would try to meet her at the Winding Hill at five o'clock but as I went around by the farm and the roads that way are so bad I didn't get home till nearly six. Just as Gay. and I started for home it began to rain and got colder so Dad. let me have his mackinaw. It turned out to be a very rough night with high wind and a terriffic downpour. Dad. & Frank hooked up Pommers & George to the big waggon & rack this morning and I don't know what all happened but they got away and tore out two or three fence posts in front of the house ran in to the corner of the house broke the tongue, reach, rack and the end off the double-tree and finally wound up over in Martin's field. Dad. got a nasty cut on his thumb but otherwise was not hurt. In order to tame the horses down a little, this after noon they hooked them to the bob-sleighs which they dragged out here through the mud and then got the waggon and went down after silage.

Thursday March 19th

A wild storm raged all the early part of last night and the wind was still strong and cold this morning with a drizzling rain for part of the time, it has been cloudy and raw all day. I walked down through their gully to the road when I first went out this morning and at that time there was very little water except in the channel of the creek which was high, but judging by appearances more water went through the gully last night that's at anytime so far this Spring. Five of my pine logs had floated off the place, two of them were just inside Dave's fence, two down near the culvert and one down in Shanbs's woods. The road in front of Dave's gate was washed bare off gravel and worse than that a regular canal had been cut along the east side eof the track making the road really dangerous. I called up Marston fence Shand's after breakfast, and offered to drive him out from Dover if he would come down but he said he would be down in a day or two when the roads settled. To-day's paper told of a terrible tornado which swept through several of the mid western States including Indianna & Illinois causing great loss of life & property. Over 800 people killed and over 2000 injured. I could

see no mention made of Bedford so suppose Roy & his family were not so near the devastated area which seems to have been a very narrow strip. I didn't do much but chores this forenoon and went over to the Lampkin's for a little while this after noon. I drove down town quite late in the afternoon and went to see Marj. for a short time and then went over to Billy Lang's shop and got a bag of oat chop from Jack who is at the shop every night after five.

Friday March 20th

As it was frozen this morning I thought I could get out a few more loads of manure but the sun soon got up strong and although I got two loads out the ground was too soft and the waggon cut in badly so I quit. I heard an engine going over in Willie Shand's woods so walked over to investigate and found Willie Shand, Will Cruise, Tom Aiken & Tom Stone doing a great business sawing wood with the saw frame outfit that Willie Shand & Will Cruise bought from Frank Shearer for fifty dollars. The two Willies were running the machine and the Tom's were skidding the logs. Willie was as delighted as a kid with a new toy and thinks the machine will soon pay for itself in the time it will save. Possibly so, but it appears to me that if he and Tom had spent the time it has taken to get the thing hauled into place and rigged up sawing wood they would have their wood all out by now, however Willie is getting a lot of fun out of it so I suppose it is all right. I cleaned out the colony house this after noon and tinkered around, but didn't go down town. The last two Fridays seem to testify to the truth of the proverb " Friday fairest or foulest." Last Friday was the worst day of the week and to day has been a beautiful day and I think easily the finest day.

Saturday March 21st

It was very cloudy this morning and looked so threatening that I decided to go down town before dinner and then I thought I would have more time to see Marj. I got down about eleven and took the eggs up town and got what groceries we needed. I went into the bank to see about borrowing enough money to pay Mrs. Lawson but Mr. Freeman was busy, so I didnt see him, later I saw Dad. and he said he could

let me have the money as he has sold Rachel to Cameron {illegible} for $155.00 He asked Charlie Eaid that for her and although he liked her very much he didn't offer him that for her, but said he would so if he could mate her first. Quint. and I had dinner at Aunty's and then I went over and sat with Marj. till about two o'clock when I left to attend a Horticultural meeting at the Canning Factory. It lasted most of the afternoon. Young Jones was there and asked me to paint his name on his new truck. Dad. has had the most exciting news yet from the English lawyers. They are sending a man out to dig up the necessary information and instructed Dad. to cable them when he would meet their man whose name is Mr. Parks. Dad. cabled that he would meet him at Port Dover. They also said that the reason they asked whether Dad was born before 1858 was that it made the difference whether he would recieve a life interest or the capital sum which was a considerable ammount. Mr. Freeman to whom they showed the letter and asked for advice regarding the cable said that a "considerable ammount" to those people meant vastly more than it did to us and predicted that it would not be less than $200,000. That of course though is mere conjecture. The whole affair is beginning to make me feel queer. If it should come to nothing now, we are all going to be terribly disappointed, on the other hand I feel as though it is going to be a serious matter for us if immense wealth is suddenly dropped into our laps. It would be a great responsibility besides making us odiously notorious, and altogether change the whole course of our lives which in spite of financial pinches have for the most part been tranquil & happy ones.

Sunday March 21st

We got around early this morning and all left Donnybrook for the day. Ina went home and Gay and I went down town. We got down to Aunty's before Aunty Alice got home from Sunday school. She did not go to church so that she could look after Gay and let me go. I was a little late so sat in the back with Win. Dad. had Harry B. in the front seat with him and he was pretty good. Mr. Cornish had to stop during the reading of the first lesson to request the choir not to kick up such a racket turning pages and whispering. Frank was not in church as he & Jonas walked out to the England's for dinner. We took Harry B.

down to Aunty's for dinner so that he & Gay could have a romp to-gether. They were glad to see each other but were not at all demonstrative over it. I spent the after noon with Marj. and took Harry B. over with me for awhile. Aunty came over a little later and got him. He regards Baby {Hister?} as a great joke. Marj. is alone at Mrs. Lawson's now. Mrs . Woodyer left on Friday and Mrs. McKenzie to-day. I went home about five and went down to the McDonald's and got Ina. I picked Mabel up on the road and she went down with me and held Gay. It has been partly cloudy with a raw east wind all day.

Monday March 23rd

It was frozen this morning so I hauled out a couple more loads of manure but the sun soon got too hot and thawed the ground so that it wouldn't hold the waggon up I then took the waggon down in the orchard and gathered up the old brush that has been there since last Spring and piled it. I spent most of the after noon down there. I put 8 little chickens out with the old hen this morning, 10 hatched out of the twelve eggs and two died. I set 3 more hens to-night but didn't put eggs under them. It has been a beautiful day but with quite a sharp east wind.

Tuesday March 24th

I finished hauling out manure this morning on the piece west of the barn. I haven't it spread yet but it is piled up to the far end of the young orchard. I burned quite a lot of grass up there around the young trees. This after noon I went down to see Marj. and left Ina & Gay at Mrs Lampkin's for the after noon. Marj. had had a little fever again and Mrs. Lawson got the doctor to come down but she seemed to feel all right. Fine day rain to-night.

Wednesday March 25th

I went over and got three more settings of eggs from Mrs. McBride and set two of my hens, the third one showed signs of not wanting to sit so I shut her on the nest and didn't put the eggs under her till to-night. I spent the remainder of the fore noon trimming the young orchard and got it all gone over after a fashion. Willie Shand came over while I was there and said he was going to try ploughing with the tractor this afternoon on sod. They were ploughing with the grey team on corn stubble this after no morning I drove Ina and Gay down to the Donald's after dinner and I went on down to see Marj. I had told them

I didn't think I would be down to-day but I wanted to know if Marj. was feeling better. I met Dad. & Frank at the factory with a load of pea silage which they were going to bring out to me but they said as I was not home they would take it home and bring me a load to-morrow. Marj. was feeling better. I called in to see Harry B. on my way home and he for the first time showed signs of wanting me to take him with me. Beautiful day again but quite a cold breeze.

Thursday March 26th

Ina took the carpet up out of the front room this morning and I beat it for her. I didn't get a very early start as I had to go over to the school house twice first to sweep and then to dust. I didn't get over last night and it was very dirty. Dad. and Frank came out quite early with a load of pea silage and when we unloaded it they hooked to the road scraper. We had to pound out the hammer strap before we could get the draw bolt through the doubletrees and as it was bad to use a smaller sized draw bolt. I went with them as far as Evan's and then came home to dinner. They intended to go to the town limits and back this after noon but for some reason didn't get back. This after noon I went down and started to paint Jone's name & business on his truck I took Ina & Gay up to spend the after noon with Winnie Shand and as it was after six wnen I got back for them, Ina was having tea and Winnie invited me in too, so it was after dark when we got home. Just as we left there we noticed a few flashes of lightening which increased in number & vividness as we got towards home and finally there commenced to be rumblings of thunder, by the time I got the chores all done, there was a full fledged thunder storm in progress. It soon passed over but rained more during the night. Lovely day, warm.

Friday March 27th

It was still cloudy and drizzly this morning and has been much cooler to-day with rain again to-night. After I did the chores I went down to finish Jone's sign. I drove in at the farm to see what happened to them yesterday and found that Frank had had to fix a culvert down near

Mrs. Monroe's corner as it had washed out under the road and Charlie Butler's horse had gone in and turned a complete summersault. He thought after last nights rain it might need some more fixing so I drove him back. Tupper came along while we were there and rode on into town with me. I got up to Jone's about 11 o'clock, had dinne there and finished the painting about four. He seemed well pleased and paid me $3. I went in for awhile on my way home to see Marj. Rained on my way home.

Saturday March 28th

Dad. & Frank brought the grader back yesterday but said they couldn't do the rest of the road so I went over right after breakfast and got Tom. Stone to hook to it and we made one round on the north end of the beat before dinner. Tom made the other round on the whole beat this after noon and had his man with him. I went down town and did the week's trading and spent quite a little time with Marj. The doctor was there and told her she would have to stay at Mrs. Lawson's another week. She is feeling better though. Cold north west wind all day. Snowing to-night.

Sunday March 29th

The ground was covered with snow this moring which has pretty well disappeared by to-night although it has been cloudy & raw with occasional snow flurries all day. Gay & I went down town this morning and Ina went home for the day. I got down for church and Aunty came home from Sunday school to be with Gay. I spent the after-noon with Marj. I had tea at Aunty's and called for Ina on the way home. She had tea at home. This was Mr. Robertson's last Sunday here.

Monday March 30th

As soon as I had breakfast and swept the school house I went back to the culvert beyond Fred Misner's and found Tom. Stone already at work. We worked at it all day and raised the tile at each end as they were much lower than the ones in the center which couldn't take as much water as they should. I called Marston up and he told me to do any thing that I thought needed doing, and to put the new tile in this culvert that were there but we didn't think there were enough of them. Ina told me this morning that she wouldn't be able to stay on after Easter. Cold, raw east wind, cloudy

Tuesday March 31st

Tom. came over this morning to tell me he couldn't come on this fore noon as he had some work to do at his bridge. I attempted to paint my name on the mail-box but it was too cold so I quit. I took my shovel and new handle over to Evan's for him to put the handle in for me, but found he was sick in bed with bronchitis. I walked on over home and found Dad. & Frank giving the sorel filly the rudiments of education. They had a rope around her neck and were trying to get her into a stall to {tap?} her but she was determined not to go. She wrestled & tussled with the rope for about an hour reared pawed and threw herself and got in a steaming lather and finaly got quite quiet. Harry B and I had a great visit and he didn't want me to come away but I came home for dinner. This after noon Tom. & I scraped a ditch along north of the lane and scraped some of the gravel that washed off back on the flats. Just about quitting time a man came along and got Tom to go and haul a big truck out of the back field. East wind but sunny

Wednesday March April 1st

Tom and I put in the forenoon on the road cleaning out the mouth of the culvert that runs from Art Quanbury's woods into Dad's little gully and also scraping a ditch just north of the gully gate where the truck got in last night. We intended ditching the east side of the big hill this afternoon but it began to rain just after dinner and by the time we got down there was raining quite hard so we left Tom's plough at Evan's to have the coulter sharpened and came home. I packed 12 dozen eggs in the crate for Dorrie. I just had enough with to-day's gathering to fill it and have been saving since Saturday. About four I took them down and shipped them. I picked Frank up down town and he went to the station with me. I stopped in to see Marj. and she seems to be getting on all right. She was up out of bed twice to-day and on Friday if it is fine hopes to go over to Aunty's. Aunty Alice had a letter from Cousin Carrie enclosing one from Winnie Barrett (Anderson) who has been corresponding with the English lawyers and found out that a man is coming out. She evidently has renewed hopes of the fund being divided up, and Cousin Carrie appears provoked at her writing all about it to her and not to Dad. Cold east wind all day drizzling to-night.

Thursday April 2nd

It was drizzling this morning so we didn't try to do any road work and I spent the fore noon cutting and laying a strip of linoleum in the kitchen to fill in the little space where it was cut too short I didn't get the glue to stick very well where I put the old window blinds under the seam. I also painted a wash stand that Marj. wanted done. It has been out in the shed since last year and had chicken mites in it. I thought they would be all starved or frozen by now but when I put the chinamel on they swarmed out of the cracks so I set the thing outdoors. Tom. came this after noon and we went down to the hill. We first ploughed out a furrow from the top of the big hill along Dad's place & Martin's to the corner and came back on the other side Frank came along when we got to the corner and we put him to work throwing out the furrow so that we can plough another one back. We then started to plough a ditch on the east side of the hill but Tom. broke the end off his coulter in some unknown way so we couldn't use it. Evan's had just fixed it up for him. He went down town to see if he could get a new one but couldn't so we took it back to Evan's on our way home. We tried the scraper till it was time to quit but couldn't do much with it. We need another furrow ploughed and the clay is so stiff and mucky. I went over to the school house to sweep before I came in home and just as I got started a car got stuck solid at the corner of my place and the school yard. I went out and they asked me if I had a team but I told them I didn't think I could pull them out and sent them up to Shand's, so Charlie came back with his team and extricated them. It was nearly dark when I got home and as I did chores up first was very late when we "eventually " had tea. Beautiful day.

Friday April 3rd

Tom. & I put the forenoon in on the road. Atlplast At least we started out to but spent about the first two hours at Evan's shop as he was quite awhile shaping and fitting the coulter, but he made a good job of it. We ploughed another furrow into the one that Frank threw out yesterday and he came out and threw most of this one out. We then ploughed two more on the hill

and started scraping. It worked a little better this morning partly because we worked from the bottom and Tom could hold the scraper in easier going up hill. Charlie Butler came along and told us Marston didn't know "nothing" about building roads and if we had the old system of statute labour the roads would be better than they are now, he thought we should have left this job till June when it would be dry and then scrape the ditch into the road instead of in a pile at the side. I didn't say anything but I felt like telling him that I expected if this June was any thing like other Junes lately we would all be too busy to do road work, and that there would be a hot lot of use piling mucky clay or dry clay either on top of a gravel road, and pretend to think it would improve it. I hurried and got ready after dinner and went down to help get Marj. moved. Ina went home and we left Gay with Mrs. Lampkin's to save me driving down to the Donald's. Dad. was to have come down to help me carry Marj. downstairs and I was afraid he would be there before I was but he didn't get down so Mrs. Lawson and I carried her down by making a cross-hands chair. We then loaded her and Dorothy Mary into the wheel-chair of Mrs. Lawsons and took her over to Aunty's. We met Dad. coming on the way over. He Enah & Harry B were all at Aunty's. Dad. had cut Harry B's hair and made him look like a real boy He was overjoyed to see Marj. Enah went up town and Zeitha came down to practice some Easter music so she & Dad. walked up to the church. I went up and got some groceries and then hung around at Aunty's for the rest of the after noon. Ina was at Mrs. Lampkin's when I called. Beautiful day, wind cold this afternoon.

Saturday April 4th

When Tom. came this morning he said the hills back at Lindsay's were getting hard and rough and thought we had better hook to the grader so we did but just got back to the Provincial road and back once this fore noon owing to several interruptions. Ernie Gurney came out first and told us all about the sale at Geo. Davidson's yesterday when Julian & the bailiff closed a chattel mortgage and sold him out. Then Nate Butler hailed us and told us all he knew about the road. Next we had to pull Billy McBride out of a mud-hole for which act of mercy he rewarded us a quarter apiece

Finally as we were going down the hill just this side of the highway, old Matthias Shields or Shiltz or whatever his name is, came along in his big closed car and as I was driving and walking on the inside of the grader he was so close to me that it startled me and I jumped to the side so that the hind wheel of the grader caught me and ran over my foot. It knocked me down and the old man stopped his car and came back and regretted the incident but said he sounded his horn. The grader was making considerable noise on the gravelly road so that neither Tom nor I heard it. My foot hurt for awhile but doesn't hurt much to-night so I think it will be all right. We got back to Fred Misner's corner by noon and this after noon Tom sent his man, George, with the team as he wanted to go to town. George and I got one round in on the whole length of the beat from Dover to the town-line which leaves one round to be made yet on the south end. Fine all day but cold east wind this after noon.

Sunday April 5th

I went over to the Lampkin's first thing this morning to see how Dave was feeling as his legs were paining him a great deal yesterday and he couldn't get around on them at all. Mrs. Lampkin's said he suffered a great deal of pain in the night but was asleep when I went over. She had fed everything and milked and Reg. was coming over to water things so I didn't do any thing to help them. I went from there over to the school house and swept and then got ready and went down town. Ina went home and I took Gay down. I was in time for church but didn't go as Harry B. was at Aunty's and I thought I might as well have a little visit with the family. Marj. was feeling better but was rather disappointed to discover that Gay would have nothing to do with her and had apparently forgotten her entirely, and she took no notice of the baby either. Harry B however seems to be getting homesick and wants me to stay with him. Quint was down to dinner and Tim stayed till church was out and took Harry B outdoors where he and the Warren kids had a great time playing with horse chestnuts. Aunty took him down to Mrs. Battersby's this after noon and she gave him a neclace of spools with which he was hoping to have a lot of fun with Tom. He saw Margaret

McIntosh down there and called her Mr. Battersby. We went home before five and I took him over to the farm as Enah wanted him home to get him ready for bed before church time. Tim & Frank were the only ones home and Tim said Dad. & Enah were up at St. John's I don't know what for unless to look at Great-Grandfather's tomb-stone. Dad. had another letter from England acknowledging his cable-gram and saying that Mr. Parks had booked his passage on the Montroyal which would sail on the 9th. I noticed in yesterday's paper that Lord Willingdon who is bringing the old French shield back to the city of Quebec fom the town of Hastings in England where it has been ever since Wolfe captured the citadel is sailing on the same boat. Froze hard, nice day cold wind.

Monday April 6th

Tom and I got in a full day on the road to-day without getting very much done, but it was a fine day and there was quite a traffic and many stopped to talk. We finished levelling this morning giving the bad ruts an extra lick and we worked at the ditch on the hill all after noon. Froze hard last night but fine day. Pickford says Guy Teeple was to start seeding to-day. Top is drying fast

Tuesday April 7th

Tom and I worked all day on the hill and called our job done although it doesn't look very neat, but we have a kind of ditch down each side of the road which lets the water run down instead of seeping into the road. Frank was out for awhile and threw the sods out of the rest of the ditch along the corner field. Pickford disked his hill to-day and it seemed to work up fine. He was telling us that Evan's man left yesterday. He wanted more than $10. a month, and Evans wouldn't give it as he had agreed to put in the year at that wage. Pickford had heard of Mrs. Evans giving John a drop of whisky when he had broncitis the other day and he was giving us his opinion of the damned hypocrites of prohibitionists in no uncertain terms. Fair & quite hot.

Wednesday April 8th

I went over to see how Dave was getting along first thing this morning. He has had a bad day {illegible} of it for the last week or so with his legs, but was going to get up to-day and go down to the doctor's. I went down town about half past ten and got Marj. & the baby. I took some eggs down to sell and some potatoes for

Aunty Alice so as I had to go up town, we didn't get home till about after noon. Both Marj. & the baby stood the journey all right. Gay didn't seem to take very kindly to Dorothy Mary, and raised a row when Ina went to put her to sleep. It was such an unusual occourance that we decided it must have been caused by seeing D.M. asleep in her bed. I tried ploughing this after noon and it went very nicely but was plenty wet enough yet in places. Dad. & Frank came out on their way home with some oats that they got at Jack Mason's and Dad. wants me to take Queen over to-morrow so that he can take some Manure down to Aunty's. Cold east wind this am. Milder to-night.

Thursday April 9th

I went over to the farm first thing this morning and Dad and I got two loads of manure down to Aunty before noon. This after noon we hauled down one load and went over to the factory and got a load of pea straw for me. The stack is about gone. We changed teams at the farm and put Pommers and George on and Dad. hauled it out here. I drove Queen out on the buggy. I got a couple of little maple trees at Aunty's which I set out along the road. Frank was working with the tractor on the back field all day. Harry B was in great spirits and recited "Sing a Song of Sixpence" to me two or three times. This was the day when Mr. Parks was supposed to embark for Canada so I suppose if all's well we will know before very long whether or not we have a fortune and the extent of it. Very mild, threatening.

Friday Aoril 10th Good Friday

I plought all day and got a good share of the field turned over. I didn't get a very early start as it was raining early this morning and when I went out after breakfast just a drizzle that died off as soon as the sun came out. It was quite sultry this morning but there was a cool breeze this after noon. Nothing very exciting happened to-day. Marj. & the baby seem to be doing all right. I walked over to (Trum.} Walker's to get our butter which has been in the can on his stand since Wednesday, he forgot to bring it up with him. I stopped in at the Lampkin's on my way home and found Charlie & Carrie there. Charlie informed me that one of my pine logs is down in his flats so that accounts for the 11th one that I never could locate. He said another heavy freshet would take it it right into Black Creek.

Saturday April 11th

I got around early this morning and got down town and went to Simcoe on the nine o'clock car. I visited Bramhill, Marston, Carter, and the Salvaton Army and finally telephoned Mrs. Porter, I asked all of them except Marston where I could get a girl to help in the house but there seem to be none available. Mrs. Porter said she had had very satisfactory girls from the Barnardo Homes in Toronto so I sent them a card when I got back to Aunty's. I came home on the 11 car and brought the wool sack and twine. When I took it in home Harry B. wanted so to come home with me that I brought him out for a visit and he was tickled pink to get home and to see Marj. I finished my ploughing this after noon. Fine day but cool wind.

Sunday April 12th Easter

Bill Donald came in quite early in the forenoon and took Ina home with him, so her sojourn with us has ended and although Marj. will miss her very much it is a relief to be alone in the house again. After considerable deliberation we decide the best course to pursue was to take Gay down to Aunty's for a while and Harry B. back to the farm and that would leave Marj. just the baby to look after and she could take her time to the house work. Ina is coming again to wash on Wednesday. This after noon I took Harry B back to the farm and although he wasn't enthusiastic about going he went quite cheerfully and then I went on down and proposed to Aunty & Aunty Alice our scheme for wishing Gay on them, they had suggested it though so they were quite agreeable and Aunty said she would see Mr. Cornish to-night and try to get him to bring her out to-morrow after Gay. Fine a.m. Cloudy raw p.m.

Saturday April 18th

Owing to working rather late at night and not getting up extra early mornings I have neglected making daily entries so must sum up in a general way the doings of the week. The major portion of my time has been taken up working on the pea ground I got in very nice shape and went down Friday morning and got my seed from the factory, and Dad came out late in the afternoon and started to drill it for me. He quit about six and I went on till nearly dark with Queen & Belle but by then saw that I wasn't going to have enough

seed. I didn't know whether the drill was sowing to thick or whether there was more than 2 1/2 acres in the field so this morning I measured the field and found it was a scant 2 1/2 acres. The drill had nearly a bag of seed in it so I thought by shutting it down I could make it go over the field but it ran out when I just had about 2 rounds more to go, so I will have to leave that much till next week and get some more seed. I harrowed over what I had sowed and ran out the one long ditch & its one tributary. I had Dave's roller & harrows borrowed. Tuesday morning I went down to Sid's to have Queen shod as it rained a little Monday night and I thought was too wet to work on the land. Sid couldn't shoe her then as he was just starting out to post up Mrs. Marshall's sale bills so I drove out to Mattias Shiltz's to inquire about a girl that I heard was out there and that he was going to let go, but she was already spoken for. Ina came Wednesday to wash and Wednesday we got word from the Barnardo Home saying they had no girl available at present but advised us to send in an aplication to-gether with a fee of $3.00 and they would send one as soon as possible. Marj. filled up the application form but as we didn't have the $3.00 we didn't send it and to-day Mr. Carter telephoned down that there was an exceptionally bright looking Armenian girl 17 years old in Simcoe would go out for $3.00 a week, so I am to go up on Tuesday next to interview her. Marj. has got on very well all week with just the baby to look after. Gay has been good down at Aunty's, we went down town to-day and saw her. I brought Harry B over yesterday for Marj. to fit a coat on him that she was making and he is still here. Marj. thinks she can manage him now. Oliver Mann came over Tuesday afternoon and took down his radio aerial. I drove him back as I was going down to get some oat chop for the horses. Wednesday night I went down to band practice but got fooled again as there wasn't any. We have been watching the papers all week for the arrival of the Mont Royal which is supposed to have aboard her Mr. Parks and the news of the fortune. Dad. had a very nice personal handwritten letter from him this week saying he expected to sail on the 9th and would telegraph when he would arrive in Dover. The boat will dock at St. John and he said he would likely travel in the daytime as he wants to see the country

never having been to Canada before. He told Dad. that he would give him more details of the matter but that it was a long and complicated story and if he could get the proof he needed which he said he had very little doubt of, it would be as far as Dad was concerned a romance for he would be a very rich man. Marj. got word to-day from Mr. Stenson that they hoped to get Uncle George's affairs settled up very soon and that it would then be divided The weather all week has been for the most part dry cold and windy, although there was a shower Monday night & Tuesday night and Tuesday was quite warm and sultry. Friday was fairly warm but windy. Harry B. has come home with a very large repertoire of nursery rhymes which he recites when ever he has nothing else in particular to say. His favorite number is "Hing a hong of hic-huh", which he reels off at full length with great elecutionary expression and winds up dramatically snapping off his nose to illustrate the manner in which the maid lost hers.

Sunday April 19th

This has been a horrible day. It rained hard during the night and has been very cloudy with frequent showers and a few rolls of thunder all day together with a fierce north-east gale which is still raging to-night. We have had two fires going all day and then found it difficult to keep warm, in fact it wasn't as warm as it should have been when the baby had her bath to-night and she has seemed a little upset this evening from some cause or other, she is usually so good that we hardly know she exists. We got up very late this morning and just had two meals. I just did up the necessary chores and sat around the house for the rest of the time doing dishes, reading writing, snoozing & playing with H.B.

Monday April 20th

Frank came over soon after breakfast this morning to tell us that Mr. Parks sent a telegram last night to say that he would be in to day on the noon train from Hamilton. Aunty Alice walked over this morning before breakfast to tell Dad. I drove Frank home again and he went down town with me and I got another bushel of peas. We took Harry B with us and he came home again with me. This after noon Dave Lampkins and I drove out to Mrs. Marshalls

sale and I bought considerable stuff including a roller, set of harrows 17.50, hay 7.25, rope, double trees 2.25, high-chair .75, old table .10, patent bed 7.25 and some wood 1.25. Frank backed my note for 6 months. I went down to band-practice to-night and had a pretty good blow. I was the only bass there and we have a lot of heavy new music. Mr. Parks was at Aunty's when I went down. He was there for dinner and spent most of the after noon telling about the estate, and from what Quint told me, his story is more like a page from an Arabian Nights' Entertainment than cold facts & figures pertaining to us. Mr. Parks has no doubt what ever about Dad. being the legal heir and seems to have no doubt about him proving his claim although he says there are seven others in England who think they have a claim and they are wealthy & influential some of them peers. He said a rough estimate of the extent of the capital fund would be two and a half million dollars and that the annual income was about £20,000 after the 35% succession dues were subtracted. He had a book showing how it was all invested and it seems theres a thousand acres or so of land in Ireland and a block of land in the heart of London which is now under a sixty year lease. The leasee has built apartment houses on the land and they are yielding large rent and when the sixty years has expired they will come into the estate as well as the land. There is also a list of books pictures and plate 13 chests of it all valued at thousands of pounds. There is a list of securities a yard long including shares in the Bank of Ireland, Bank of England, various railway stocks and all manner of municipal & government bonds. We are all more or less excited over it of course but it is such a tremendous sum that we are dazed and don't begin to realize what it really means, and so far can't believe it is true, although Mr. Parks who appears to be very genial and talkative says that he is so sure that Dad. will get it that he is willing to advance him any money he needs now from his private account. Fine but very cold wind. I found Nellie with a heifer calf when I got home from the sale this after noon

Tuesday April 21st

I went to Simcoe on the nine car this morning to interview the Armenian that Mr. Carter telephoned

us about. I went to his store and he went with me to the girls home. We saw her, her mother and her step-father, and after a great deal of jabbering in Armenian she agreed to come down and try it for a week and said she would meet us at 11.30 at Mr. Carter's store. I got my hair cut and sat in the Battersby House reading the paper till the appointed time and then went down to the store. There was no sign of the girl and we waited for quite awhile before she showed up and I was beginning to think she had changed her mind but finally she and her father came along. We talked to them for awhile there trying to persuade him to hire out for the summer to Shands, but from what we could gather, he doesn't want to work on a farm through the summer as he thinks he can get work in town. He can't speak English but seems to understand it a little. We came back to Dover on the one o'clock car and Aunty Alice gave me a lunch. Zedwi as she pronounces her name said she had had her dinner. It was getting on for two when we got out here and Azadouhy Sarkisian as she spells her name got more homesick the farther out we got. She thought we were miles & miles away from Simcoe although I told her that we were going nearer to it after we left Dover. I gave Queen time enough to eat and then went back to the farm and Frank & I took Joe & Queen and the hay rack and went down to Crosbie's after my stuff. We got it all loaded on to the rack and hitched the roller behind but found it was too much of a load for the hill. Some fellow hauled it up the hill in the lane for us and we left the Roller in front of Billy Watson's rather than try {Name} Lambert's hill. We got home with the rest of the stuff but had to unload some of the wood in the lane here as one wheel got in a rut. Frank took the team home and took the four sections of harrows that I bought over there and brought the three sections out here as that will be all I will want to haul with Belle & Queen. It was pitiful to-night to see poor little Azadouhy as she was so homesick she couldn't eat any tea and couldn't keep the tears back She wrote a letter to her mother this after noon and told her she would come home on Saturday, so I am afraid she will never stay with us, although we think we would like her very much, she seems very bright and quick to learn. Still very cold wind but {f...}

I have let this lapse again for a week so these next few items will necessarily be brief and may be incomplete.

Wednesday April 22nd

I walked over home this morning to get Queen and Dad. wanted me to go down to Aunty's with him to get some wood and he wanted to take Joe & Queen so we didn't get home till noon as we had a little conversation with Mr. Parks who is at Aunty's most of the time working over the old papers. He had a stenographer there this morning and Aunty Alice was dictating to her. She is some friend of Quint's from Brantfield. Aunty Alice seems very much excited, worried and upset over the whole business. This afternoon I went up to Harvey Shand's right after dinner to tell him Herb. Brooks was up at Ham. Thompson's out of a job, then I came home and drilled in the rest of my peas and it took all of the bushel I got to do it. I took the drill back and came home and harrowed over the fresh drilled piece and took the harrows back to Dave, which made me rather late. Azadouhy seems to be getting more contented and likes the children. Much milder to-day.

Thursday April 23rd

Tom. Stone came into the school house while I was dusting this morning so I told him I wanted to scrape the road again. He was on his way to Jarvis but said he would come down after dinner. I spent the fore noon cleaning out the ditches in the pea field and about eleven went after my roller and brought it home. This after noon Tom. & I scraped the south end of the road and visited for a short time with old McPherson who was fishing at Biddy's Bend. Very warm.

Friday April 24th

Tom and I scraped the north end of the road this morning and had one round to make on Fred Misner's concession after dinner. Willard Butler is putting in the crop on the Henry Misner place. He & Charlie Challand have bought it from Julian for $2708 I heard. Azadouhy, Harry B and I went down town this after noon and did our trading and brought Gay home with us. Aunty and Aunty Alice hated to have her come away but they have enough to look after down there and they expected Roy to-night but he didn't come. Hot to-day

Saturday April 25th

I spent the forenoon hoeing one row of strawberries they should have been all cleaned out last fall but I didn't get it done and there is a considerable amount of grass in them. This after noon I drove Azadouhy down to catch the car, she promised to come back on the one car Monday. I spent an hour or so down at Aunty's talking with Mr. Parks and looking over the lists of property of the Dick estate. Aunty Alice & I marked several books in the library which we thought would be worth sending out. Mrs. Sidney McQueen ran into Elden Crosbie's buggy to-night and smashed it up a little and the horse ran away free of the buggy, no one was hurt.

Sunday April 26th

Marj. & I took things easy this morning but got all the chores done and dressed up after dinner as I thought that Tom. Snowden passed me on the road yesterday and said they would be up to-day. They all came with Mr. & Mrs. Will Ward about the middle of the after noon. They hadn't been here long when Dad. & Mr. Parks drove over. Soon after that we were threatened with a thunder-storm so the Nanticoke folk left in rather a hurry but Dad. & Mr. Parks waited till it was over, it soon was and it came out nice after it although it rained more later on. It was cooler after it and the wind got around to the north east. Dad. said they intended going to Port Rowan to-morrow and asked me if I could go as I had said I would like to when they went.

Monday April 27th

Harry B and I went over to the farm as early as we could get away as Dad. said they wanted to start about nine. Harry B was spending the day with "Gran". Dad. said we were going up in Quint's old car as they couldn't get another and Quint has been getting his all fixed up at Mr. Park's expense or rather the estate's for such occasions as this. Quint & Mr. Parks drove over about 10.30 and we got to Port Rowan soon after noon, but stopped in St. Williams for quite awhile for Dad. & Mr. Parks to interview Dr. Andrew McInnes who knew Great Grandfather & Uncle Quintin well and is going to Simcoe on Friday to make an affadavit for them

He had just heard from George Barret in California who said that he knew Dad. was the man they were after and hoped he would get a good fat slice of turkey out of it as he deserved it and he guessed he needed it. He told them about the time Uncle Joe married his sister and they all went up to Farm Leigh and celebrated for two days and three nights, but that was in the days when the best rye whiskey could be bought for 25 cts a gallon. We had dinner at the hotel in Port Rowan on Mr. Park's treat and then went to see Miss Wood and Mr. Jackson, who both remembered the old family well and were quite willing to make affadavits. Miss Wood also had the old church records kept by her father and his old diarys which told of several of the deaths, marriages and the christenings of Aunt Louisa's children. I think Mr. Parks considered it a very satisfactory trip. He will have to go up again when he gets his affadavits draughted out properly to haver them swear to them. We got back to the farm about six and Harry B and I came right home. Frank had gone down at noon and met Azadouhy and taken her out but I found her in a very worried mood. When she arrived home on Saturday, she found they had been threatening to arrest her step-father because he wasn't working on a farm and her brother was out of work too. She is bound to go back to-morrow to "explain" to her mother. I think she had an idea that Shands would give her father a job but they don't want him. Marj. got Mabel to drive her over to Tuppers after four to ask him but he didn't like the idea of a foreigner around. I went up to Shand's after tea and called up Carter and he said he would see Bramhill in the morning and that he was sure the fellow could get work. Azadouhy brought a lot of postcards of Constantinople which she showed us to-night. She said "Oh! dear, I do like that place." I asked her why her step-father ever left there if he liked it, and she said "He like it there, but oh the Turk her fight all the time. North east wind and much cooler to-day.

Tuesday April 28th

I told Dad I would go over to-day and help him get some hay and Azadouhy was determined to go back to Simcoe to "explain" she said to her

mother about getting work for her father. We did our best to persuade her to write instead but when Marj. asked her if she really thought she could be any help, and she answered "You bet your life," we thought we had better let her go, so I drove her down to catch the nine car and then I went over to Dad's. Ina was here before we left. Dad was busy writing to Aunt Ella when I got there and Enah wrote to Aunt Hattie and invited her over as Mr. Parks said he would sooner pay her fare over here than go to New York himself. We went over to Tuppers before dinner and got a load of hay and put part of it off in the horse stable and part in the barn. This after noon we ran out the ditches in the pea field and then hauled out a load or two of manure on the garden. Frank was ploughing all morning for Proper as Proper drilled in his peas for him yesterday. Frank and I went down town about five. Frank got some seed oats at Billy Langs and I was supposed to meet Azadouhy at the five car but it came in before we got started However we met Quint at the corner and he had Enah & Azadouhy with him and took her right on out home. Enah met her at the station. She told me to-night that she "fix things all right." She saw Bramhill and her father got work to morrow 10 miles from Simcoe but she didn't know where

Wednesday April 29th

I went over to the farm again this morning and helped Dad. get a couple more loads of manure out on the garden. I was there to dinner and then went down to get some corn meal at Billy Langs. I stopped in at Aunty's for a few minutes and got two more little maples to plant out. The after noon was pretty well worn out when I got home and then I went over to the Lampkin's to borrow the shovel to set out my trees. Still cold

Thursday April 30th

I spent most of the day fixing up some nests for {word cut off} setting hens as I have a lot of them and they should be {word cut off} I got 13 nests fixed. Quint & Roy came over for a very {word cut off} visit at noon. Roy came last night and can just stay {over?} to-day. Very cloudy and cold. Rained a little at intervals

Friday May 1st

I drove over to get some hatching eggs from Mrs. McBride this morning and was there quite awhile. She could only let me have four dozen and I wanted thirteen. I went from there over and got three more dozen from Mrs. Monroe. I spent most of the afternoon making a gate for the yard here so that I can straighten up the fence and yet have a way to drive in. Harry B & Zadouhy went over to the school house this afternoon to Arbour Day celebration. They had to celebrate inside as it has drizzled nearly all day and is still cold. The wind is now nor-west not east. Bobby had a heifer calf this after noon.

Saturday May 2nd

Tim came over this morning to get me to go over to help Frank as Dad. went to Port Rowan with Quint & Mr. Parks again. Miss Wood wrote and asked them up for dinner. I didn't get over in time to do much before dinner but right after we hooked up Joe & Queen and went down for some coal. I got the coal while Frank went up town and did the trading for both of us. We got back to the farm about four and then went over to Tupper's and got a small jag of hay. It was after six when we got back with it but as Dad. was home he helped Frank put it off and I came home. Zadouhy went down with the Lampkin's this afternoon and Marj. said she was quite peeved because Marj. wanted her to come back Sunday night instead of Monday. Very cold wind all day but milder to-night.

Sunday May 3rd

We got up late this morning and just did our usual chores in a leisurly way. We had such a late breakfast we didn't have dinner but gave the kids some & put them to sleep. I went to sleep for awhile and then Marj. made me get up and shave and proposed going over to see Winnie Shand. Just as we were starting out, the Doughty's & Mrs. Banfield drove so in so we didn't go. They hadn't been here long when Mrs. Martin and Mrs. McLaughlin came in, they brought Marj. two very nice little knitted jackets for the babies. We had tea as soon as they left and I helped Marj. get the kids to bed so was late getting through with my chores. It takes me quite awhile as I have to milk Bobbie out after I milk the others and feed Nellie's calf. Lovely day to-day in spite of cool wind.

Monday May 4th

It rained for about an hour this forenoon as well as during the night. While it was raining I patched up one of the old road danger signs which had got broken in some unaccountable way and then put in a post to hang my new gate on. I went down town right after dinner to see if Azadouhy came back but there was no sign of her. Marj. told her Saturday that she would like her to come back Sunday night and that if she came Monday she would have to walk out. She was quite peeved when she left Marj. said so we don't know what to think, whether she is not coming back or whether she thought it was too wet if she had to walk or whether she is too busy getting her father another job. I was down at Aunty's for awhile and by the time I got home the after noon was pretty well spent but I did put in a brace between the gate post & the gully fence. I got some brace wire in town Quint & Mr. Parks went to Windsor to-day to see Aunt Ella. It has been rather cloudy all the after noon and quite cold. It froze the night before last and will freeze again to-night. I don't know what effect it will have on the fruit blossoms as they are well advanced some of them.

Tuesday May 5th

I made a start this morning at ploughing the peice back of the barn where I hope to plant my small stuff I started on the old strawberry patch next the raspberries and it is quite heavy sod and had several furrows in and the old windrows of hay which we never did anything with so I made a terrible mess of it and rooted it up rather than ploughed it. Dad. came over just before noon to ask me if I could help him get a load of hay this after noon so I was over there all the after noon Frank was ploughing the corn stubble. It has been very raw and cold with showers at frequent intervals.

Wednesday May 6th

I went out to plough this fore noon but had to gather up some of the dead grass & burn it before I could do much, while I was at that it commenced to drizzle but I thought it would be a short shower so stayed out till it was raining hard and clouded up all over so brought the team in I had just nicely got in the house when the sun came out. I spent the rest of the morning at the fence. This after noon it was still threatening and showery so I didn't

take the team out but spread the manure that was piled out there. I went down to band practice to-night

Thursday May 7th

I ploughed this morning and this after noon rolled down the peas and what I had ploughed and got in about an hour's ploughing afterwards Mabel came over to tea, and Marj. walked part way home with her to-night and called on the Lampkins on her way back. I was dead sleepy. Still very cold, cloudy and showery. Rotten weather

Friday May 8th

I walked over to Tom. Stone's this morning to see if I could get a load of hay. I found I could and could have Tom's waggon & rack to haul it on. When I got home I found Aunty Alice & Quint here but they only stayed a very few minutes. It was about 11 o'clock when I got back to Tom's with the team and by the time we put the rack on the waggon & Tom. had put on a load it was after noon. I didn't unload it till after dinner and it took me about an hour to do it alone as I had to get up quite often to mow away. After I got it off we all went down town. Harry B. had gone down before with Quint & Aunty Alice. We had quite a load coming home as we all five got packed into the buggy but we got here safely, we had to leave the coal oil can at Aunty's but Quint brought it over after tea. We stopped in at the farm and I got $10. from Dad. to pay for the hay. Dad. got some of his fortune in advance from Mr. Parks. It has been a beautiful sunny day but cool wind.

Saturday May 9th

I took Tom's waggon and rack home this morning and spent the rest of the day ploughing getting a fair piece turned over. I am now nearly up to where the young orchard starts. Marj. Harry B & Gay went down after the mail this after noon just as Mrs. Perry, Bess & the kids came along in their car so they had quite a visit down there. It has been another beautiful day.

Sunday May 10th

We just chored around this morning and I swept the school house out. This after noon I shaved

we all had a snooze and read for awhile, then when the kids woke up, we all went over to see the Lampkin's, it looked very much like rain when we left home and we wouldn't have ventured if it hadn't been that Mrs. Lampkin's is laid up with a sore ankle the result of her fall in the winter and she told Marj. the other day, she was getting so homesick to see "them young ones." Flossie was there and we stayed quite awhile, before we left the sun was shining and it turned out a beautiful evening.

Monday May 11th

I ploughed this morning and got up to the little orchard where it was very hard to make a good job as the little trees are so low, just about noon Queen's whiffletree caught on a tree and she broke a short tug, so this after noon I had to take it down to be fixed. I tried to rivet it in home but couldn't so took it to Bridgwater and he advised me to take it to Hallam and he made a strong fix of it by riveting an iron strap down each side which looped through the home ring. I didn't get home till five and then had to hurry through the chores and go over home and milk as Dad. went to Toronto with Mr. Parks & Quint this morning to see Cousin Carrie and what papers she had. He milked before he left. I went on down to band practice and when I got through Dad. & Enah were still at Aunty's waiting for Tim who had gone with Aunty Alice to the picture show. Dad. got home at nine. Quint & Mr. Parks stayed down to go over to Niagara Falls to-morrow. Mr. Parks says if he went home with out seeing the Falls he would never hear the end of it. Fine day.

Tuesday May 12th

I finished the ploughing to-day a little after dinner but made rather a poor job of it in among the little apple trees. I spent the afternoon harrowing and rolling the ploughed ground. The part where the beans were required very little work to put it in nice shape and by working a little late to-night I got six furrows run out all ready to plant potatoes. Marj. cut some to-night. Ina was here washing to-day. Fair & warm.

Wednesday May 13th

I planted two rows of Early Rose potatoes this morning. Aunty Alice gave me the seed. Marj. cut up

nearly a bushel of the potatoes we had in the cellar and which I think Jim. Dixon said were Green Mountain and I planted them. I hoed the first ones that I planted in but the ones I put in this after noon I ploughed in and then gave them a good harrowing. I went down to-night to Aunty's and copied out a letter and signed it for Mr. Parks which was to authorize Arnold & Henry White to act in my interest in the Quintin Dick Trust case. Lord Cloncurry versus Fenton and to say that I was the eldest son of W.H. Barrett's heir of Mary Dick and that I was agreeable to any thing Mr. Walter F. Parks said or did. It seems that this Fenton who is solicitor for the other hopeful heirs is also a beneficiary under the will and agent for the Irish properties, succeeding his father in that capacity. Mr. Parks says he is an Irishman & a fighter & may cause trouble, but thinks when he shows him how strong Dad's claim is, and proposes to him that he can still retain the agency for the Irish business if he doesn't cause trouble, he will not show opposition. I went up town and got a lot of garden seeds at Reynolds and then came back to Aunty's and had ice cream, this being Mr. Park's last night here. Miss. Greenor the typist they had was there too so we had quite a party. All were down from home.

Thursday May 14th

I spent most of the day putting in the garden out this side of the young orchard. I sowed my experimental plots of mangolds first and then drilled in the other seeds with Charlie Quanbury's seed drill which I have had since last year. I also planted corn & beans and dug and set out over a hundred strawberry plants. Cooler.

Friday May 15th

This morning I dug about 250 more strawberry plants and it took awhile as the ground was very hard and dry. I didn't get them all set out before noon so covered them up in the shade and this after noon we all went down town to do our trading and Marj. went to the doctor's to ask him a few things about the children. We were for some time at Aunty's. Quint and Mr. Parks left last night for Montreal and Aunty & Aunty Alice have been busy ever since trying to get the smell of tobacco smoke out of the house. Mr. Parks found out from the postmaster at Sorel that he could get the birth certificate of Uncle Massey Uncle Tom and Aunt Louisa from there so he had them sent to the Windsor Hotel in Montreal. He is going to Huntingdon to get an affadavit from Cousin Lizzie Hyde and from there

to New York to get Aunt Hattie affadavit, then he has some other business to attend to in Boston, where Quint is most anxious to accompany him and he hopes to sail for home from Montreal on the Montroyal which is due to leave on the 22nd a week from to-day. Lovely day. Sunset clear.

Saturday May 16th

I put out the rest of the strawberry plants I had dug this morning and now have three rows across the triangular patch set out. I then moved the old hut bed frame around by the rhubarb bed and this after noon filled it with earth and transplanted out a lot of tomato plants. I put it over a thick mat of couch grass and spread manure over the grass to kill it but not enough to make much heat. I also dug a little patch out there for Marj. to plant some radish & spinach seed. The cows got out a couple of times, the old rail fence along the edge of the woods from the orchard to Davy's line is getting pretty poor in spots. It has looked very dark and thundery nearly all day and did rain a little this after noon and to-night there was a heavy downpour, which was much needed. It has been warm and rather sultry all day.

Sunday May 17th

I put in rather a busy day and broke the Sabbath at several points, but as Aunty Alice presented me with a new spade on Friday I found many occasions to use it around the place. I also had to fix the fence where the cows got out which I did with some green basswood poles I cut. I also put a heavy one across the creek at Davy's line as Bobby has been in there a couple of times, and it seems rather a pity for her to be stuffing herself on his pasture when the poor old fellow is nearly breaking his neck every day trying to get his own cows down to the creek and back without them getting a bite of grass. I went over there for a short time to return his shovel. Mrs. Lampkin said she was much better and gave me a pie to bring home. This after dinner I swept out the school house an cleaned out the calf pen. I suppose my Sunday activities would probably shock, grieve or anger some of our Puritan citizens provided they knew of it, but I sometimes think that possibly they forget that the first part of the 4th commandment requires us to work six days & do all that there is to do, and as that with me at this time of year is a physical impossibility since I am not equipped with all the man-servants, maid-servants, cattle and strangers within the gates as it is implied were at the command of those under

Moses' jurisdiction, I fail to see the enormity of the crime of doing a few odd jobs on Sunday. About four o'clock we all went down town as Marj. wanted to see Glad. Law Dr. Cook told her Glad. was going to Hamilton for treatment. We found when we got there that she had already left. We stopped in at the Bagley's for a few minutes and a few at Aunty's also at the farm where I arranged with Dad. & Frank to go over there to-morrow and shear sheep and let Frank plough corn ground, his own & mine. It has been getting colder all day and to-night when we came from town there was a very cold north wind.

Monday May 18th

It froze quite thick ice last night and has been quite cool all day but sunny. I went over to the farm this morning and we got seven sheep sheared. I did the shearing and Dad. turned the machine. Frank started to plough his corn ground this after noon. I went down to band-practice to-night. George Hallam came in just as we were about through to give Alex Spain some message and told him that Sam. Ross had just dropped dead. He had gone down as usual and brought mail up from the last train and put his horse away and gone in the house when he complained of a sharp pain and dropped dead.

Tuesday May 19th

Harry B and I were over at the farm all day again to-day and we finished shearing the sheep. Frank had sheared a couple when we got there and Dad. & I took turns with the other seven.They sheared one old ewe a month or so ago when she first had lambs. Soon after dinner Mr. Bagley, Marj. Gay & the baby all drove in in Mr. Bagley's new Star car. Ina didn't come to-day as Marj. had expected so she went up to the Shands and asked Mr. Bagley over the telephone if he could come out and take her down town. Frank went out with the tractor and plough just before dinner (he had to go down town first for oil) and he had the corn ground all ploughed when I got home to-night. He left the tractor here and is going to work up the piece north of the lane to-morrow with his spring tooth drags.

Wednesday May 20th

Dad. & Frank both came over this morning. Frank spent the fore noon going over the piece where I want to sow alfalfa and gave the couch grass a pretty good tearing up. Dad & I drove Josie over to Tom. Stone's to see if Dad. could get a load of hay. We took Harry B. & Gay with us. Gay went to sleep so we put her in Nina's charge and she slept all the time

we were there. Tom was at the back of the place fixing fence but came up and helped us put on a load of hay and agreed to haul it for Dad. after dinner. I started to roll down the freshly ploughed corn ground before dinner but didn't get much done. This after noon Frank and I both went back home, I drove Queen and we packed the wool and Dad. & I took it down to the station. Aunty & Aunty Alice came over to the farm after dinner and rode back with us on the wool sack. We had to stop at Uncle Ward's and wire up the waggon tongue as we noticed after we got started that the end of it was broken. It looks as if the tractor had gone over it. We saw Huby down at the station and he was telling us the trouble he had had with the inspector's. They accused him of being short of funds and Quint had to raise over $100. dollars for him on very short notice. He aparently didn't know that Quint borrowed it from Dad. Later they found they had made a mistake and told Huby they supposed he was agreeably surprised. Huby said not at all as he knew his books were all right. Huby said it was a hell of a rest he got, he was lucky they didn't arrest him and the expert who was here relieving left the books terribly muddled. He thinks they sent in a very bad report. By the time we stopped up town for some groceries and again at Billy Laings it was pretty late when we got back to the farm and later still when I got home. Sam Morris has let Cecil go from the printing office. Cecil ran a nail in his foot again last week and thought he had to stay home two or three days and nurse it so Sam. got peeved and fired him.

Thursday May 21st

I spent the day working on the corn ground. I finished rolling it then harrowed it lapping half and rolled it again. It seems to work up very nicely except down near the road where it is heavy red clay and very hard. Ina was here washing to-day and I drove her home to-night.

Friday May 22nd

Worked on the corn ground all day but didn't seem to get in a very good day. I disked it all lengthwise and got started crossing it. Marj. in a fit of house cleaning zeal took down the box stove pipe and we moved the stove back into the corner and Marj. covered it with a table cloth, so we are looking now for a cold snap. Fair and cool to-day.

Saturday May 23rd

Worked on the corn ground all day again. Finished cross

disking it harrowed it and rolled it. I was very disappointed in its appearance to-night as the disks pulled a lot of sods out along the finishes and the harrows raked a lot more out all over the field and it looks very fuzzy. The wind has been in the north and getting colder all day. I nearly perished on the roller late this after noon although I had my overcoat & mitts on. It has been thundering and threatening rain off and on all day. It did rain a little before dinner and I put the team in and made a couple of frames to tack screen on for the porch. I intended going to town to-night with eggs but the fireside was too cheerful to leave.

Sunday May 24th

This has been a miserable day. It was so cold that I put on a coal fire and we have lived shut in the kitchen all day and were none too warm at that. There was a very cold wind all day and this morning it snowed a little and has been cloudy all day. I just did the chores and sat around and wrote in this or read all day Marj. did the same and the kids tore around among us. We ate at intervals all day whenever we felt hungry and washed up the dishes to-night. Marj is reading Martin Chuzzelwit and we took turns reading it at each other.

Monday May 25th

I went over to the school house this morning and lit the fire and it was not till I began to wonder why no scholars were arriving that it dawned on me that it was a holiday. I did the same thing last Thanksgiving day. Before I left however Mabel and Muriel Monroe came and Mabel said she was going to have her Entrance Class. About this time I began to wonder if all the stores in town would be closed as I intended going down with the eggs and getting some oats at Billy Laings as I am right out. Marj. decided she would go with me so we all went and arrived at Aunty's in time for dinner. They had never dreamed of us coming in and had just painted the kitchen floor so in reality weren't very glad to see us although they said they were and insisted on our staying. Marj. and I went up before dinner but nearly all the stores were closed, but she got some groceries at W {illegible} Wicker's and some bread for Aunty Alice at Jimmie's and we took Mrs. Skey's eggs to her. We were very much astonished just as we were leaving there to see Miss Martin coming down the street so Marj. had quite a visit with her. She came up Saturday night and is going back to-night. We were down town most of the after noon. Aunty Alice took Gay & Harry B up to

Cousin Bessie's where they were much admired and Marj. went up to the Bagley's. The baby and I stayed at Aunty's. Aunty Alice got two letters from Mr. Park's, one written just as the boat was leaving asking her to ask Quint if he remembered where he last had his flask and if so to get it and keep it for him, and the second written on the boat and posted by the pilot to say that the steward or somebody had found the flask. We stopped in at the farm on our way home. Dad. & Frank were hauling out manure. He gave me $5.00 to give to Harvey Shand in payment for a jag of hay that he got there a year ago, so I walked up with it before tea. Not quite so cold but north wind and cloudy. Just as we were ready for bed to-night Harry B. gave two or three terrified yells and when Marj. picked him up he was in a shiver.

Tuesday May 26th

Harry B got into bed with us some time during the night and about 4.30 this morning Gay raised such a row that I had go and get her and put her in bed and as the baby had been there nearly all night, it was pretty filled with out me so I stayed up. I didn't gain much time though as I was so sleepy after dinner to-day that I lay down in the hay out in the barn and slept for I don't know how long. It froze very hard last night but has been a little milder to-day, but not warm by any means and quite cloudy. I spent the day disking on the field north of the lane. I didn't go all over it but got the worst of it gone over twice. The grass was pretty bad on the side hill. Ina was here all day. Harry B had another frightened & rather frightening shaking attack to-night.

Wednesday May 27th

I went out to look at the garden this morning and there was no sign of any thing up yet and a very hard crust on the ground so I took my little wheel hoe and went up and down each side of the rows to break the crust but I was afraid to break it right over the seeds. I then hoed another row of strawberries. About eleven I went down town as Dad. told me they would be through with the spreader to-day and if I would bring Queen over, he would come out with it and clean up my barnyard. I didn't get down soon enough to get all the things I wanted and get to Bill Laings before noon so I had dinner at Aunty's and got my hair cut right after I then went to Billy's and got some oats but by the time I got over home it was too late to take the spreader out. Carl Coleman and Billy Laings both mentioned hearing that Dad. had come in for $2 000 000 so I suppose it is all over town. Carl said he hoped it was true as there was no one he would sooner see get it.

Thursday May 28th

I got around in good time this morning and got over home soon after eight with Queen. We hooked up Queen, Joe & Pommers to the spreader and got six loads out before dinner. We only got about 14 loads out of the yard but by setting the spreader for 8 loads to the acre we got the field nearly covered. There is still a little left in the yard, but we didn't think it was enough for a load and I wanted a little any way to plant my melons & squash in. I went back with Dad. when he took the spreader and brought Queen home. Dad. says Pickford told Frank that Mrs. Leany told Alan Law that Dad. sailed for England on Monday and Henderson told Mrs. Brent that Dad. had come in for a title and a fortune, so it appears that Dover has some thing to talk about but we can't just figure out where they got it, as we have all kept quiet. It has been a little warmer to-day and didn't freeze last night.

Friday May 29th

This being Harry B's third birthday we celebrated the occasion with due ceremony. Marj. hustled and bustled and tore around all day yesterday and this morning baking cake, pies and bread and decorating the house and dressing up the kids so that every thing looked its best and the affair went off with great success. I got shaved up this morning and drove down for Aunty & Aunty Alice and Dad. & Enah drove out. Harry B and Gay had a fine time and so did the baby as Aunty or some body held her nearly all day. Aunty and Aunty Alice brought Harry B a beautiful little table and two little chairs and Gran. & Granddaddy brought him a lovely new hat. He also got a supply of stockings from Tim, Frank & David. Harry B. Gay Dad. & I all had a nice snooze this after noon which is a luxury for Dad. & me at any rate and the rest of them visited till about four when the party broke up. I drove Aunty & Aunty Alice home and went up to see Bill Lemmon as a tooth was sore all day but he said there was nothing much wrong with it but told me to come down in the morning and he would fill another one. Dad. & Enah took Harry B. & Gay home with them and I called for them on my way back. Beautiful day quite hot, rained last night

Saturday May 30th

I drove over and left Queen at the farm this morning as Dad. wanted her to put with Joe to

mark out the corn ground. They told me there that the band was going down to meet the "Colonial" which is the new passenger boat from Erie making its first trip to-day and which was due to arrive at noon. I went up to Bill's at ten as he told me yesterday but he had old Jack Cromwell in the chair and said he wouldn't be ready for me for another hour so I went down to Charlie Bridgewater's and he regaled me with tales of the war. I went back to the dentist at eleven but Bill said his wife wanted to go down and see the boat come in so I had better come back at two. I then went down to Aunty's & had dinner and then joined the band and went down to the dock to welcome the new boat, and when that affair was over Bill filled my tooth. It was rather late when I got over to the farm but Dad. had just finished marking and Frank had got a good start at planting. I helped him plant the rest and we finished soon after six and Harry B. & I came home.

Sunday June 21st

The past three weeks have been so crowded with activity that there has been little time and much less energy for recording it. The first week in June was the hottest on record for that time of year. It was next thing to unbearable in fact there were a good many fatal prostrations in the cities due to it. There was a good deal of breeze here all the time but it was of a hot drying nature that shriveled and blighted growth with its hot breath. It was so hot I hated to work the horses and didn't do much with them although I worked up the young orchard and hauled out the bottom of the old alfalfa stack to put around the little trees where I couldnt plough the sod down and I worked for a few hours one after noon on the summer fallow. Frank & I planted the corn on the 2nd of June. We would plant a few rows and then rest in the shade and drink cold water, on the 3rd Mr. Bagley came out and took Marj. & the children down town and Marj. had some work done at the dentists the 4th Marj. had Mrs. Dove come over and help her for the first. She liked her very much. the 5th I went over home and Dad. Frank & I got part of a load of old shingles that were ripped off the Sunday school. We also got a coal oil stove at Brogden's for $22.00 (a bargain) and some bread tickets from Dell's as Marj. bucks at

baking this hot weather. 6th - Dad. & Frank piled up all the shingles at the Sunday school and I planted my pumpkin seed also some squash, cucumber water melon & musk melon and some more corn. 7th Sunday. We went down town and Marj. took Effie Davison a wedding present as She was marrying Jim Davidson the next Wednesday and they are both ex-pupils and favorites of Marj's. We called on the Pickford's on our way home. Monday 8th we cleaned up the shingles at the Sunday school, brought one load out here and the rest to the farm. (9th) Frank came out and we snaked the logs that were strewed around the gully into one place where they would be handy to load and got the four in Dave's place in a handy location and took two of them over home on the old waggon, got the other waggon there and went over to Charlie Butler's and got the log that had floated down into his gully and took the three of them to the mill. 10th I went over and asked Harvey Shand if I could borrow his low truck and logging bunks and got his permission to get my one log that drifted into his woods in the after noon we all went to town and Marj. went to a party at Bessie Patterson's in honor of Amy Turner who was married this last week to Parker. 11th I went up to Shands and got the waggon and Dad came over before I got back with it. He helped me load the biggest log and a couple of smaller ones and we took them as far as the farm before dinner. We had dinner alone as Frank & Enah were both in Simcoe. In the after noon we loaded the log in Shand's woods and two smaller ones and I took them down alone. It was late when I got home and Mrs. Dove who had been here all day was starting to walk home although she looked like a ghost and I don't believe she ever could have made it so I told her to wait and I drove her home as soon as I could get the harness changed on Queen.

July 16th Thursday.

Since I last wrote in this Mrs. Dove's affairs have come to a head. Marj. gathered from what she told her and from what Ina has told her that the old man Dove has been very hard with her. They are like nearly every one else around in debt and he thinks they all should work day and night and do without sufficient food and clothing

in order to pull themselves out of the hole She apparently thought the same but she hasn't the strength to stand it and he being large and strong as a bull and like a bull being rather thick headed and unsympathetic has become impatient with her, till she through lonliness, home-sickness and general downheartedness decided the other day to leave the Dove-cote and so packed her grip and while he was off in the field walked out and he doesn't know where she is but Nina Stone thinks she has gone to her cousin's at Oshawa to wait there till her mother sends her money enough to return to England. I got my logs sawed the week after I took them to the mill and got over 1 {M?} of very nice lumber and only had to pay $7.35 for having it sawed. Dad. helped me take my peas to the factory and Frank helped me with my alfalfa. I just had 2700 lbs of shelled peas which was a pretty poor crop, I think the hot dry weather forced them on to fast as the straw was very short and the pods small. The alfalfa looked to be as heavy as usual but it doesn't take up much space in the barn. The last week or two I have been over home most of the time. Dad. and I got one field of hay in about 10 loads and he has more cut. I would have been over there now but it rained a little this morning and would be too wet. We also got all their peas down and they were no better than mine in fact I believe they were worse. Frank has been under the weather for the past week and the doctor told him he had a slight touch of pleurisy and must keep quiet for a few days so that has put us back. Band concerts have started again and I was down last night. We had a big celebration and an enormous crowd here on the first and they want us to go to Nanticoke on Tuesday next to play at the old boy's reunion. We went for a moon light excursion on the Colonial one moonless night in June and had a very enjoyable time besides swelling the band funds considerably as they gave us part of the proceeds and there was a large crowd on board. Roy. Vernon and the children came up a little before Zeitha's wedding which was on the 27th of June and Roy was here till after the First, and is coming back for his holidays about the 1st of August. D.V. Vernon

the kids and the car are staying here at Aunty's in the meantime. Zeitha's and Alan's wedding was one of the big "society" events of the age. Nothing approaching it in interest since Tiny's wedding which is close to 20 years ago. Marj. took it in and got Mr. Bagley to come out and get her and Bess. Patterson brought her home. I got out of going by having to stay home and mind the kids. They tried to concoct schemes whereby that necessity would be obviated, but I had another strong piece of defensive argument in the shape of a hole in the seat of my good pants, so consequently they decided the nuptials could be celebrated in my absence and still be just as valid and the matrimonial bond just as binding as if I was there along with the ninety nine other guests and the church full of interested populace to witness it and more over I got my hay raked. They all claimed they had a very nice time, the church was beautiful and the music entrancing and the joviality up at the house afterwards was immense, although as near as I could make out from Frank, Ade Millman was the only one had anything to drink and he had it beforehand. Dad. has been receiving three or four or more letters a week from Mr. Parks ever since he got home and they have all been encouraging and up to the 26th of June he had high hopes of getting the affair settled before the court rises at the end of July, but that day he had his third meeting with the master who said he wanted more affadavits from Dad. regarding us boys and Mr. Parks cabled Dad. that he would have to have another meeting on the 9th of July. Dad. got another cable after that meeting which read, "Progressing slowly, satisfactorily : No hope of settlement these sittings," which means that it will have to be held over now until October when the court next sits. Mr. Parks will be disappointed as he had the stage all set for Dad's arrival in England and was about to book his passage on the Mont Royal for August. He has seen Fenton & several others of the right heirs as he calls them and so far they have all seemed to be of his opinion about the legality of Dad's claim to the estate after they had seen the evidence. Mr. Parks doesn't think they will offer any opposition and Fenton said he wouldn't put up any money to fight it, and left Mr. Parks thanking him

after Mr. Parks told him that Dad. would continue to engage him at a liberal salary provided he acted decently now. Mr. Parks also tactfully intimated to the solicitors for the rest of the bunch that it would be well worth their while not to kick up any rumpus.

Thursday Friday July 17th

I cultivated my potatoes first thing this morning and then Harry B and I went over home where I cocked hay all day. Dad. finished cutting the meadow along the side road and raked up what was cut. Frank felt well enough to cock up this after noon. Marj. Gay & the baby went over to Mrs. Lampkin's for dinner. Quint brought a sign over for me to fix up for him, he says he is embroiled in a price cutting war with Ben Ivey et al and has issued an ultimatum to them which if they don't accept he will cut prices himself to such an extent as to wreck things. David came over to the farm to-day with Dr. Cook, he is to stay there till after the arrival of his sister which is scheduled for any day now. Dad. had two long letters from Mr. Parks to-day saying that everything was still satisfactory and enclosing a letter written by Hugh Massey Barrett to Quintin Dick in 1842 in which he stated that his three eldest sons had served in the Rebellion of '37 & '38. This letter was in the possession of Lord Long and Mr. Parks said that the fact that he had not handed it in before would go against him with the judge. The signature on this letter corresponded exactly with exhibit 6 in E.L.B's affadavit. Partly cloudy and very much cooler. North west wind.

Saturday July 18th

I went over home again to-day. Dad. finished raking what he cut yesterday and Dad & Frank and I cocked up and got it nearly up by noon. This after noon Frank who seems to feel none the worse for his labour of yesterday finished cocking and Dad. & I hauled in the hay north of the old garden. There were not quite 2 loads. Harry B. was over playing with David all day. Tim looks after them and apparently enjoys their company very much and they are very good with him. Jack King came after Dad. to-day to ask him to be a bearer at Miss Shand's funeral. Fine with cool west breeze

Sunday July 19th

Harry B. got me up a little after 4.30 this morning and as he got in our bed I though I might as well stay up, so I killed a hen that I shut up last night and had the milking done before six. I went at Quints sign before breakfast and again right after breakfast and worked at it till noon before I finished it. This after noon I shaved and lay around till about four and then we all went for a drive up the fourth concession and back the third We called in at the Smythe's but there was no one home except an eldery lady whom we did not know but who knew me when I was Harry B's size and who seemed very glad to see us and was delighted with the children, she was a very nice person to talk to and we learned later that she was Miss Walker, Mrs. Smythe's aunt. We stopped in too at Cam. McBride's and Marj. borrowed a couple more Saturday Evening Post's from Mrs. McBride. Herb. Law has been ploughing there for wheat. Hot, nice breeze

Monday July 20th

I went over home this morning with the team and waggon and Dad. & I took his yearling pig down & shipped him. He was a nice one and Jack McBride gave him full weight and allowed Dad. full price although he went 250 lbs. Dad. got over $31.00 for him, they were12.75, Dad. gave me $26.00 of it and I took it over and paid my bill at the planing mill We got back to the farm at noon and I came right on home. Frank cut the front field of wheat to-day with the tractor and had Tim on the binder to run the sheaf carrier. I guess that would be about all he would have to look after as the grain was so even. I went down to band practice to-night. Very hot, sultry.

Tuesday July 21st

We were late getting around this morning and I milked late purposely as I knew I would have to milk late to-night. I spent most of the forenoon cutting weeds that I couldnt get out with the mower the other day. Carl. Lemmons called for me at one o'clock and we went down and picked his Dad. up and then on to Nanti-coke where the Old Boys' Reunion was in full swing. We had a fine time down there as it was shady and they didn't work us too

hard. There was a good crowd there and there was plenty of entertainment. The big attraction was a horse race at least it was for us as we all had money up We paid a quarter apiece for a chance without seeing the horses and if we drew the head horse won half a dollar. Frankie Lemmons and I each drew Oh! Min! and Oh! Min came in about 25 yards ahead so nothing would do but Frankie & I had to treat the band with the winnings, accordingly we pooled our half dollars and got a dollar's worth of 5 ct cigars and as the band was by no means full strength everybody got one, and I found two in my hat when I got home. We got a good supper of ham sandwichs and pie & cake but there was no cream or sugar for our tea. We played a few pieces after tea but quit before our time was up as it started to sprinkle, it had been threatening all day but by now it looked as if it meant business and it did. By the time we got started it was raining nicely and Carl. got off the clay roads before it began hard but after we struck Mud. Street it came down by the tub-full. We could hardly see out of the windshield and the road began to take on the appearance of a young river. Carl turned into the shed when we got to the Dog's Nest and we found Carl. Coleman in there ahead of us. He had Harry Moon Harvey {Bace?} & Kenneth Steele in there ahead of with him. There was another car and a pea waggon in there to besides Win Law & Geln Ryerse. We stayed there for about two hours and saw one of the heaviest downpours I ever saw accompanied by some very respectable thunder & lightening Several claps & flashes came almost simultaniously and almost blinded us. Carl Coleman & his bunch pulled out before we did and just as they left another downpour came, finally they all left but us and Jim Ryerse came in. He had been down at Billy Fallon's. I crawled in the car and went to sleep for awhile. About quarter to ten it just about quit raining so we came home. Carl. & I came up the Plank through town and Jim & Frankie went down the Marburg road and Frank walked home from Welsh's corner. I heard later that Jim had to leave his car in the road all night as he couldn't get up Charlie Dixon's hill but there were a good many others in the ditch all night too. Ina stayed here all night. Everybody was overjoyed to see the rain and it did very little if any damage

Wednesday July 22nd

As it was much too wet to do anything much else to-day we all went to town. I took Ina down to Art. Quanbury's first. We got down town about the middle of the fore noon and as they rather expected us on account of the rain we stayed at Aunty's for dinner. I went up to Bill Lemmon's before dinner and he put another temporary filling in my tooth and after dinner I got my hair cut. Frank took Queen and the buggy and brought Will Cruise's short binder tongue for the tractor down to the Widespread for a pattern and had them cut one out for him. Quint was at Aunty's for dinner. Vernon has gone to Brantford for the rest of the week but Walter & Rebecca are still there. We got home about five o'clock and I did the chores up right away so as to be ready for Carl at seven o'clock. He Frank & Jim Ryerse came along before I had waited long and we went right up this road to Waterford. Mr. Bagley came in right after us and the rest of the boys came up on the radial. The concert went off without a hitch and we met the Waterford boys going and coming. I got home at eleven earlier than I usualy do from Dover Fine & cool.

Thursday July 23rd

As it was still too wet to-day to haul in anything over home I spent the day exploring among the weeds and discovering some of my garden. I got a lot of weeds slaughtered but didn't get a great deal of ground covered. Aunty & Aunty Alice Enah, Phoebe, Rebecca, Walter Tim & David all came out to-day for a picnic. They have been planning it ever since Vernon has been here with the car but as something has happened every week to prevent Marj. decided they had better not depend any longer on Vernon so asked Quint to bring them out which he did and had to make four trips to get them here and take them back. He didn't stay. We all had a fine picnic and the kids seemed to enjoy themselves. This evening Mr. & Mrs Bagley, Essie & a young damsel by the name of Helen Sanford from Buffalo came out for a very short visit. Mr. Bagley nearly had another accident. When he turned in our lane there was another car right behind him which not knowing he was going to turn attempted to pass just as Mr. Bagley pulled in front of him, however all he did was run into the mail box post and did no damage. Cool

Friday July 24th

I spent the day over home again. Dad. & Frank cut the barley yesterday so Frank and I shocked it up this morning while Dad. shook out the hay along the side road which he said was pretty badly soaked and blackened. This after noon he hauled the binder back across the gully for Frank to cut the wheat back there and Frank & Tim got started cutting. By the time they got the binder loaded and back there and up to the house again it was four o'clock so Dad. & I just got two loads of wheat off the front field and the last one we didn't haul in the barn. We had Dick McPherson helping in the mow. He was game although the sheaves weighed about as much as he did and he had to go through some awful contortions to move them.This was my 30th birthday and I am therefore richer by the possession of eleven dollars in cash, a pair of garters a film and a little gold horseshoe tie-pin with pearls in it which used to be Clarence's and which Aunty gave me, besides all kinds of good wishes and ice cream for dinner at noon and another dinner with some of Aunty Alice's new potatoes to-night. Fine, warm & nice breeze.

Saturday July 25th

Dad. & I hauled wheat all day but didnt quite clear the field. We got in seven good big loads and unloaded the one we put on last night. There are still about two loads out. It was certainly a fine stand of wheat, nothing in the bottom whatever, although the little alfalfa plants seem to be alive all over the field. Frank & Tim cut the back field. They hadn't quite finished when I left for home to-night but I suppose they did. Frank went over to Pickford's at noon and got him & Bob. to come over and cock up the hay along the side road that Dad. turned out. They were at it all the afternoon and finished it. Vernon & Aunty came over to the farm this morning to announce the arrival at 3 a.m. of Win's baby a nine pound boy. Vernon and Aunty and Rebecca came over here to-night to tell us that they would come out to-morrow if it was fine and take us all in to have Dorothy Mary christened. Cloudy and a little rain at noon, very threatening to-night.

Sunday July 26th

We started to get ready about six o'clock this morning

so by dint of much fussing & stewing and rushing and tearing around, we had the chores all done, breakfast over, dishes washed, kids washed, dressed, scolded and kept tolerably clean & tidy by eleven-thirty when Vernon arrived with the car to take us down to church. She was rather disappointed I think that we were ready as she thought she would be in time to help. We were in plenty of time and had to drive around town a lot to wait till church was out, and listen at the window to find out whether Mr. Cornish was through preaching or not. When we finally did go in most of the congregation departed and the christening ceremony went off very smoothly. Dorothy Mary didn't emit a whimper during the whole performance although Mr. Cornish fairly soused the water on her head, and she sat up on Vernons arm during the remainder of the service and gazed around the church looking very interested in what she saw. Harry B. & Gay were as quiet as mice. Harry B contentedly sucking his finger and holding his ear and Gay being a little too much amazed and all she saw to do anything rough. She was greatly admired by all who beheld her. Roy Vernon & Enah were god-parents and Vernon presented the baby with a very pretty little silver mug with her name & the date of her christening on it. We all stayed at Aunty's for dinner and all the after noon. The three kids and I all had a sleep and Marj. went over to Mrs. Lawson's to see the new baby & Win, Roy & Vernon drove us home just before tea. Mr. Lawrie died last night. Cool & cloudy

Monday July 27th

I was up before five this morning and got the cows up in a very subdued light. The sky was overcast but the natural shortening of daylight is becoming noticeable now anyway. I was hooked up ready to start for the farm by about half past seven when "down fell the pleasant rain" and continued to descend with varying degrees of volume for about an hour. I didn't unhook but sat out in the buggy and read the "Breeders Gazette" till it stopped and then went down town and got some groceries, coal oil & chicken feed and sold the eggs. I called in at the farm and Dad. thought we could haul wheat this after noon. I had to come home for dinner as I had a dozen Danish brown Leghorn eggs that Chris. gave me to put under hens and they are due to hatch Thursday so I didn't want to lose any time getting them under the sitting hens. I got back over home a little

two and we got in two loads of wheat in but another shower arrived just in time to prevent us getting the half load that is left in the field. Dad. has had several letters from Mr. Parks lately all assuring him that the fortune is now assured and it is only a matter of a few months when Dad. will be a millionaire, but its no use we can't realize it.

Tuesday July 28th

It started to rain before seven this morning and poured till about half past ten, then turned into a beautiful day with a cool breeze. I took the cream down to the corner and got pretty well soaked in spite of having my Hurly Hawkins rubber coat on. This after noon Marj. wanted to find out what Ina's plans were as this was her regular day but the rain prevented her coming, so we all drove over there and found she intended coming to-morrow and we then went on down town. Marj. just finished making a dress for Gay so she dressed her up in and took her down to show her off. Aunty was the only one home and she didnt seem to enthuse much over the dress. Marj. wasn't surprised however as she didn't like the colour of it herself but made it out of an old dress of her own.

Wednesday July 29th

I spent most of the fore noon fixing a coop to put my little chickens out in as they are starting to hatch and then hoed potatoes for about an hour before dinner. This after noon I drove over to see if the chickens over at Martin's were hatching and found they were, although the wyandottes set at the same time were not. Sid gave me the brown Leghorn chicks and I brought them home and put them under two hens. I had eight hatch out here from the eggs I brought home Monday so in all I had 37 chicks. I went down to band concert to-night.

Thursday July 30th

I went over home this morning to help them haul hay but we only got in about three loads. Dad. turned out a couple of loads this morning and Frank & I finished moving a fence to enlarge the boundary of the sheep pasture. My tooth was paining me before dinner but at noon I dug the temporary filling out and it felt better right away, but Dad. thought I had better go down this after noon and have it fixed up so I did and he and Frank hauled in a couple of loads by themselves so I wasn't very much help to them. We pitched one load off by hand in the horse stable. Breezy & sunny. Fine Hay day.

{This page, 92, and the following page, 93, display an original letter written to Toby from Mr. Parks. The original letter was folded in half and written on both sides. Toby inserted this letter into his diary.

However when the letter was digitized it was laid out and copied across 2 pages which means the order of the letter has become out of sequence, i.e. Page 92 RHS; Page 93 LHS; Page 93 RHS and Page 92 LHS.

The original letter is transcribed, below, in such a way as to make it clearer to the reader and is shown in its entirety.}

3 Moss Hall Crescent

Finchley

London N. 13

20th July 1925

My dear Toby,

As I have written to all the other folks I thought I would drop you a line. Am awfully sorry that I could not get a final decesion these Sittings of the Court but I suppose it was too much to expect from the old Master. He has a good deal of authority & you have to humour these fellows if you want to get on as they can make things very unpleasant if you upset them. I have had one or two tussels with

him but we are still very friendly. He wished me yesterday a pleasant holiday & said he was sorry he could not make his Certificate these Sittings but would do all he could to help next Sittings. He gave me an appointment on the 13th Oct, the day after he begins work again & another on the 24th when we hope to clear all questions up so that his Clerk can draw the Certificate which will be in favour of your Dad. He expressed his own satisfaction with the evidence but wants me to clear up one or two little things if I can. This I am now proceeding to do.

There is no question as to the result & I want you to persuade your Father to take things quietly & not work so hard. I can let him have some money. I would suggest him employing a man to help him so that he can take things easier. I think you can safely reckon on having money for the new Barns so you can amuse yourselves in seeing what you will do to improve the houses & farms & keep an eye open to purchase more land if you want it. I expect your Father will now consider what he will do

in the way of new Barns & house or alterations to the present one. You will all have to have things very nice but dont give up work as thats a source of health & pleasure when you have not to worry about want of money. You will have to come over with Mrs Barrett & see the old Country. Perhaps you would like to settle here but I expect the land of one's birth holds one. Well there is nothing to worry about & it is only a matter of time. Glad the Tree is flourishing Hope Mrs Barrett the children & you are all well & that poor old {Frank?} is better. Tell Tim to write to me & tell me how his stock is getting on

Kindest regards to all

Yours very sincerely

Walter Parks

{Please see the previous page, 92, for an explanation and transcription of the above letter.}

Friday July 31st

Dad and I finished hauling the hay to-day. I think we hauled in four loads. We put half of the last one in the big barn and the other half we pitched off in the old barn to cover the rails and top of the granary before putting the barley in. We also got in one good sized load of barley but didn't pitch it off. Frank came over here and ploughed the pea-stubble. He would have ploughed some on my alfalfa summer fallow but he put too much lubricating oil in his tractor and it didn't work right so that he was delayed. The summer fallow has been so neglected owing to my absence from here that it has grown thick with summer grass and thistles and ploughing again is the only remedy for it. I got home just about six and just as it began to rain hard. It has been very threatening all day with occasional sprinkles and an east wind and finally settled in to rain all night. Frank got pretty wet so changed in to some of my clothes and stayed all night. We had tea before I did the chores and sat around listening to a very comical story Marj. was reading from Saturday Evening Post called Sam in the Suburbs by P.G. Wodehouse that I did the milking in the dark as well as the rain.

Saturday August 1st

It was still raining this morning so we didn't get up very early. I milked and Frank took the cream to the corner before breakfast, after which he monkeyed with the governor on his tractor for awhile. Art Quanbury came over to return my brooder stove and hover. A little before noon Marj. & Frank drove down town and Marj. got some supplies and then dropped Frank at the farm. I gave the kids their dinner and put Gay to bed but Harry B wouldn't go to sleep. Marj. got home about one and we had dinner and sat around for awhile reading then Harry B and I went over to {Cour's?} and got a basket full of Astrakan apples. I put in the remainder of the after noon reading the paper and getting the broken axe handle out of the head and trying to dress down a new handle to go in but didn't finish. It cleared off this morning quite early and has been sunny & breezy since

Sunday August 2nd

This has been a beautiful day although quite hot. We didn't do anything much but what had to be done and sit around and read. Mrs. Smythe & Pud. came about four o'clock and stayed to tea. I had to go after the cows in the dark and hunted about an hour for them so was late milking.

Monday August 3rd

I spent the fore noon harrowing the pea stubble that Frank ploughed on Friday, and got over it both ways lapping half one way so that now it is in fairly nice shape Frank came over about eleven and said that the barley would be dry enough to haul this after noon, he said that Jack's men and Harvey Evans were out first thing this morning hauling wheat but that it is soaking wet. Frank did some more monkeying with the tractor and stayed to dinner after which we drove over home. I helped them get in two good loads of barley and a small load and put them off and then I went down town to get my sweet clover seed while they went after the last load. It was six o'clock when I started for town but Harry Misener was home so I got my seed. Fair, clear & warm

Tuesday August 4th

I sowed the sweet clover seed on the pea-stubble this morning and harrowed it in. Frank came over about 9.30 and ploughed on the piece north of the lane till noon. This after noon I went back to the farm and took the team as Cecil was over there and by getting Pickford's rack and hauling with both teams we got in four loads. Cecil and Dad. turned it out this morning so it was in pretty good shape. We didn't expect to get any more than than in off the back field and wouldn't have got that much if Cecil hadn't been there. I left old Belle over there all night and drove Queen home to Dad's buggy. Ina, Marj. & the kids were having tea when I got home, so I tied Queen up and had mine and then drove Ina home. I had a letter from Dick to-day for my birthday and the old son-of-agun enclosed $25.00 Fine & warm.

Wednesday August 5th

I drove back to the farm first thing this morning and we hauled in the rest of the wheat off the back field Cecil stayed there all night and helped us all day. We had to make seven trips but the last two were small jags. Pickford wanted his waggon this after noon but we borrowed another from Martin's. While Frank was changing waggons at noon Dad. & I got up a load. I helped them put on the last load in the field and then walked home through Cam's place and did my chores. Frank brought Harry B. home

after tea as I had taken him over this morning and I drove back to band concert with him and put Queen in at Aunty's. I drove Frankie Lemmon part way home to-night as he didn't want to wait for Carl. who was going to the dance. Fine day & beautiful night.

Thursday August 6th

I spent most of the morning writing a letter to Dick but hoed for a short time in the potatoes. We got all ready to drive down town this after noon but just as we were ready to start Vernon came out and drove Marj. & the kids in I drove in with Queen as I wanted to take Dad's buggy back and get the waggon. I drove up town first and gave Dick's birthday present to Brogden, who it appears has sold out to a man from Guelph. I got all of Marj's groceries and then went back to the farm harnessed Queen & Belle and went over to Jack's and got the waggon. Chris wanted me to take out another batch of Leghorn eggs which are due to hatch on Monday and I also got six chicks that had hatched from the last batch after I got the other chicks, I went down to Billy Langs & got some oats and then drove home in the waggon. Vernon brought the rest of the family home after they had visited the church bazaar. Dad. started to cut hay in the corner field this morning and has it about half down and Frank & Tim have been cutting oats in the back field all day. Hot, threatened rain & sprinkled a little.

Friday August 7th

I took the team over to the farm this morning but was late getting over as Charlie Munroe's horses had broken a piece of the line fence down and one of them was in here with Belle & Queen was over there with his horses. It was very foggy this morning and I was quite awhile locating them and there was a longer time getting them sorted into their proper pastures and finally had to make an attempt at repairing the worthless old fence. I got over home about ten but the fog was so heavy it was too wet to work at they hay earlier. I raked till noon while Dad. cut and I raked what he cut yesterday. This after noon I cocked up till Dad. finished cutting and then we both cocked up but it is such slow stuff to handle that we only got about half of it put up. Frank & Jim cut oats but didn't quite finish the back field. I walked home to-night so that the horses would be safe from mischief

Marj. got ready to go down and hear Mr. Hill the great English & Scotch evangelist which Mr. Robinson has here. Flossie told her this after noon that if they went they would call for her but they didn't call, so we supposed they worked late and Flossie must have been tired as he was at the Roy Hammond's garden party till one o'clock last night and down there again this morning to help clean up before Mrs. Roy was out of bed and she had been picking raspberries on the Wiggin's place all after noon.

Saturday August 8th

It rained in the night a little and has been muggy & damp all day, so that the hay didn't dry out at all. I walked over this morning and Dad. David & I drove down town as we each had to get some bread. Dad. & I cocked up the rest of the hay this after noon but decided it was too wet to rake. Frank & Tim cut the rest of the oats across the gully and Frank shocked some of them up Dad, Tim and I went for a swim just below Jack's place. I was going to bring the team home to-night, but Charlie Shand came along in the car just as I was ready to leave and so I rode home with him. Very hot and sultry and looks very much like a brewing storm.

Sunday August 9th

There was a regular deluge during the night and this morning the creek which which has been merely a chain of pools all summer was a turbid raging river. Fortunately the cows were on this side of it so I didn't have to swim it and to-night the water had gone down so that I could jump across. The calf was on the opposite shore this morning and made a comical crossing when she followed the cows up. She plunged straight into the flood aparently too inexperienced to know what the consequences would be as she made no hesitation whatever but went in over her head and presently emerged and clambered out a wetter and wiser calf. We haven't done anything much to-day but read and fool with the kids. I wrote to Mr. Parks this evening. It has been very hot and oppressive especially outdoors. Marj. has felt rather tough all day.

Monday August 10th

I didn't think there was any possibility of doing any thing with the hay to-day so I didn't go over but Dad. told me to-night that he raked and cocked some of it and would have done more of it hadn't looked so rainy and Frank shocked the oats. They wondered why I didn't

go over. I got Eph. Innus who is painting the school-house to mix up some of my white lead and oil and I started painting the house but didn't get much done. I walked down to band practice to-night at least I walked as far as the farm and got a ride from there with Mr. Cornish but I walked home again. They are getting ready for the big street Carnival on Wednesday and I went up after band practice to get some make up stuff from Harry Moon. Hot and sultry.

Tuesday August 11th

I didn't get up as early as usual this morning and Frank and Ina were both here before we were through breakfast. Frank brought the waggon over to borrow some of my plank to lay down on the barn floor for the seperator as they expected to thrash to-morrow but Alan came up to-day to tell them they had changed their plans and were going to trash their own oats out of the field before they moved out. I took 16 chicks out from the setting hens and put them in a coop and then helped Frank get the plank. We called in at Tupper's and got my ladder which has been there ever since I picked his apples two years ago. Frank & I then went down to get a load of soft coal for the engine. We had to go out along the pier after it and while trying to make Joe & Queen turn around out there Queen gave a ram back into a car and smashed the cracked end on the old waggon tongue. We backed the waggon up to the coal pile by hand and nailed some old slabs on the tongue so managed to get home without trouble. This after noon Dad. & I cocked the rest of the hay which Dad. raked up this morning and got a load in which we put over the horse stable. Frank spent the after noon fixing up the barn floor and granaries and changed the car from the barn to the horse stable. I rode Queen home tonight and drove Ina home after tea, and then let Queen out but as she headed straight for the line fence I was afraid to leave her so brought her back. She was opposed to being caught and as it was dark when I went after her I ran into the barbed wire fence myself while I was manoeuvering to catch her and cut my arm We sat up till about midnight for Marj. to get my costume completed and she made a horrible looking pirate out of me. Fine and much cooler

Wednesday August 12th

We all went down town this morning for Marj. to get her week's groceries. She thought Ina was coming and intended leaving Gay & the baby here with her but as she didn't show up we had to take the whole family with us. This after noon I cut the grass around the front of the house with the scythe and did the chores up early so as to get down to the carnival in good time but about four o'clock it began to drizzle and kept up with increasing force till far into the night so that all thought of carnival had to be abandoned. They made great preparations for it. Harry Moon and his gang were working tooth & nail this morning when we were down putting up a decorated stage and various booths and festoons but the rain was expected as there was an east wind all day.

Thursday August 13th

I was just getting ready to drive over home this morning to see what they were going to do when Frank came over to get me to thrash at Pickford's in Dad's place as he had to go down and have a tooth out, he said the machine had not moved up from Sam's yet so as I had promised Harry B. he could go with me I drove over home and then into Pickford's to see if he knew when the machine would be there and told him to have them whistle as soon as they arrived. I then came back home with Harry B. but as I came out of Pickford's lane I saw Sam & Alan at the top of Art's hill so I put Queen out and walked right back to Pickford's. They had started to thrash when I got back. I helped Frank & Bob bag up the grain and carry it to the granary. Billy Mills also helped when he arrived. The oats down in the now were pretty hot and we dumped them into all the bins & barrels around the place so as not to have too big a pile in one place and we bagged some of them up. I stayed for about an hour after dinner and then Dad. came over so I came home and started in early to do chores and prepare for the Carnival which was postponed till to-night. It looked very threatening again & about six o'clock poured rain but it cleared off again so I fixed up in my pirate costume & war paint, put Uncle William's old cutlass (which I borrowed from home) in my belt and sallied forth. I put Queen in at Aunties and Roy drove me up town in the car. They all thought I had a splendid costume and thought Marj. was due

a great deal of credit for rigging up so fine an outfit from such scanty material. I had on my everyday pants & an ordinary shirt, pants were rolled under and tied above my calves and my shirt was open at the neck and sleeves rolled up. A fancy handkerchief which had been part of a work bag was tied around my head and the mate to it which to make the work bag had a hole cut in the middle hund loosely around my neck with my head through the hole. Marj. arranged horse hair and curtain rings on an elastic band so that when I put it around my head I had wisps of coarse black hair a pigtail & ear rings to adorn my piratical visage. She cut the tops off an old pair of shoes and sewed on large cardboard buckles covered with tea lead and finally tied several coloured pieces of cloth around my waist for a sash. Then by blackening my eyebrows and adding some purpleish & red wax paint which Harry Moon gave me to my face, arms & legs, I think as far as appearance was concerned I was as repulsive as any buckaneer that ever sailed the Spanish Main. When I reached town I found the carnival in full swing Roy drove me up town in the car and later he, Vernon Aunty Alice, Rebecca & Walter came up Rebecca was in costume and got 1st prize for her class. I found the band and first of all we paraded all over town following the Fire Brigade and their equipment old and new, we then played a little more on the street and put our horns away in Coleman's house and spent the rest of the night with the crowd and let the jazz band & Hugh McPherson with his pipes do the rest. Enah played for Innes Coleman to dance several times and for some fellow to imitate Harry Lauder. Pete Shand & Bob. McPherson added considerably to the entertainment by their Scotch dancing & antics. There were thousands there and they were mostly sober and I think enjoyed themselves. They began to thin out fast after midnight and at three o'clock we started to take the stage to pieces There was a small crowd around and Frank Fields who was fairly well on seemed rather incensed that we were deliberately breaking up the show so early in the evening, but as it was it kept us going till nearly daylight. We had to put the piano back in the hall take all the stage scenery back to the hall, take all the seats back to the park and tear down the stage & booths and pile the lumber on the Widespread truck

We had a few delays. Robinson of "The Palms" invited us in there and treated us to all the 4 - 4 beer we could consume and we did our best to clean up some left over ice cream, pop. & buns. There wasn't a big gang wrecking a few of the band and a few others including Geo. Gamble, Al. Faulkner, Skinner and Shorty Patterson. I left when everything was done about half past four and as I thought there was no object in starting for home before daylight I lay down in the barn at Aunty's till then and had that much snooze, but I got home about six o'clock.

Friday August 14th

As soon as I got home I washed the make-up off had breakfast and milked and then drove over home to help thrash. They had started when I got there as it was a little after eight. Bob. Pickford and I carried away all day at last till they finished which was about three o'clock. There were about 225 bushels of wheat off the field back of the barn which would mean a yield of slightly over 40 bus. to the acre. The back field produced 180-odd bushels or about 20 to the acre but there was about 400 lbs of bluegrass seed from it There was not a particle of any thing but wheat in the front field. There were about 160 bushels of barley It was a pretty satisfactory thrashing and Dad. has a straw stack build higher than the barn. I don't know what he will do with the oat straw. Bob. Frank Tim and I went for a swim as soon as we finished and then Dad. and I put on a load of the loose straw around the bottom of the stack and I brought it home. Roy came over just as we got through and said he could take us to Simcoe in the morning. Fine & hot.

Saturday August 15th

I got up at five this morning to as to be ready when Roy called, and I had lots of time after I got ready to go down to the corner and get the cream can and sat for some little time under one of the maple trees on the road before they appeared. When they did come I found that the space reserved for me was what was left of the back seat after Enah & Vernon had sat on what they required which was considerable. However I sat several inches over on Enahs thigh and settled into place as we drove along. Dad. Roy & I went to Frank Reid's office directly and Dad. gave him a large budget of Mr. Park's

letters to peruse in which he was deeply interested & amused at the points where Mr. Park's personality displayed itself. He of course had no advice to offer but said that as far as anyone could see, prospects were very good. Enah & Vernon spent the time shopping, and Vernon picked out a set of dishes for Aunty & Aunty Alice which Roy had to pass on & pay for and arrange for delivery after we left Frank Reid's with the consequence that we didn't get away from Simcoe till about one o'clock much to Roy's discomfort as he had promised Aunty Alice to be back by half past twelve. Dad. got off here with me and had dinner after which he helped me put the load of straw off and I went back home with him and took the waggon back and drove home in my buggy. Marston was in just after dinner and said he wanted me to get some gravel on the roads and cut the weeds so I saw Joe Breen to-night and he said he would start cutting weeds on Monday. Hot.

Sunday August 16th

Marj. & Harry B. drove down to church this morning but Harry B. had a sore throat and felt so tough that Marj. had to take him out of church. They went to the doctor's after service and got some medicine. They stayed at Aunty's for dinner and Frank drove them home about three o'clock. Harry B. seemed very much indisposed when he got home but had not been lying on the sofa long when he was kicking up his heels and seemed quite recovered. I just lay around all day, the baby slept nearly all the time Marj. was gone, and Gay. from the time she left till about one when I gave her, her dinner, the baby woke up then too but before I got the water hot to give her, her bottle, she was asleep again so I let her go. I didn't milk till after sundown to-night as it was so unbearably hot & sultry. Frank told me & then Carl. Coleman came out to-night while I was seperating to tell me to be ready to-morrow night and Carl. & Frankie Lemmons would call for me to go to Jarvis as all the band was going down to a Carnival they are having down there. Looks very like rain.

Monday August 17th

I went down town first thing this morning as the dew was too heavy to get at the hay early and I had to get coal oil. I stopped in at Aunty's and said goodbye

before noon. Dad. drove over after dinner and helped me put the straw off. He said Frank was having trouble with the binder and had come over with Dad. to see Bill Donald and find out what was wrong. Dad. also wanted to find out from Bill how much gravel it took to build a water trough as Shoff has hauled him a couple of loads now. After we put the straw off and Dad. left I started to cut the alfalfa and got about 8 rounds cut but quit early and went down to band concert. I got a ride down with Charlie & Nellie Innes as they brought Lil. Ward otherwise known as Mrs. Leamon Turner out to see Marj. After band concert Harry Moon felt that it would be right & just to blow in the fifteen dollars which the band got for going to Jarvis as it was found money. They weren't engaged to go but their presence along with the rest of the Dover people turned the Jarvis carnival from a very tame affair into a great success so the committee forced them to accept the 3 x 5s. Cpnsequently we all repaired to Geo. Robinson's and had a glass of 4 - 4 after which Geo. treated us to another glass of the same. I rode home as far as the Winding Hill with the Lemmon's Carl. said he forgot all about going to Jarvis after he had decided himself not to go. Still very hot.

Thursday August 20th

I finished cutting the alfalfa this fore noon and got part way around the little timothy meadow by the school house with the scythe I don't know whether I will ever get it cut or not as it is so thick in the bottom I am sure I could not cut it with the mower and it will make a big job to do with a scythe. I went over to see Eph. Innes for a few minutes. He is nearly through painting the school house. They have had quite a time over it and now there is dissention in the section. Bill Donald got the paint in the first place with the sanction of the Board. and got white lead & oil and Eph put it on. Nothing was said until he got the belfry & the dormers on the north roof painted {illegible scored out} 2 coats and had to just about hang on with his teeth to do it, then Harvey Shand decided that he didn't like the white. Everybody else appeared to be satisfied but Harvey thought that clear white was awful and wanted some colour he didn't care what, so finally he went down town and got some more paint and poor old Eph had to go over it all again and now instead of fresh, clean, harmonious white the school is trimmed with yellow and an ugly dark brown consequently Bill Donald is mad at Harvey Shand.

This after noon we were preparing to go to town when a very heavy shower which lasted for about an hour prevented us. I went to sleep for awhile and about three o'clock when it had cleared off we set out for town. We left the children at Aunty's and Marj. & I had just nicely got up town when down came more rain I left Marj. in Coleman's and I drove around to Dick's barn and waited till it slackened a little, by that time Marj. had made her way to Sam Schram's and got her trading done so we went right to Aunty's. We just got in the barn when it started to rain harder than ever, so we stayed for tea at Aunty's and as it set in to be a wet night I came home and left all of them down there for the night. It spit rain all the way home and while I was doing the chores. It has been cooler all day.

Friday August 21st

I went back down to Aunty's for breakfast this morning and got there by half past seven but they had finished. Aunty Alice had got up early. I went up town right after breakfast to get my hair cut but Bobbie Leaney wasn't in his shop yet. I waited for about ten minutes and then went to the new man. I then went back and got the family and came home. Harry B and I then went over to Tom. Stone's, then Willie Shand's & finally Dove's to get a team to put on the road grader, so this after noon old Dove and I went one round full length of the beat at least as far back as Gifford's where they have gravelled to from the north. Marston is going to have trucks gravel it down this way two or three concessions with Townsend gravel and their own trucks. Fine day, cool breeze, feels like Fall.

Saturday August 22nd

I took the rack back over home this morning and brought the rake over here and raked my alfalfa and the weeds I cut several weeks ago back of the barn before dinner and this after noon cocked up my alfalfa. Ray came over with a fork to help me. Dad. & Frank were going to start shocking up oats. Dad. told me that Harvey Skey had been over to ask him about the fortune and had heard of it from his manager in Winnipeg Mr. Magahan who had gone over on the Mont Royal with Mr. Parks and Mr. Parks had "blabbed" absolutely everything he knew concerning it. Harvey had come straight to Dad

when he got here as when he heard that Mr. Parks was to get such a large commission he was afraid he might be a crook, however when Dad. had showed him some of his recent letters he was reassured. It gave Dad a little uneasiness though to think that Mr. Parks would tell a total stranger so much but I suppose, he is so full of the subject that he can't think of anything else. Dad. was down at the bank the other day and found that Mr. Parks had put £100. to his credit just as a gift to be paid back "if & when". though he says now there is no if about it. Fine, warm.

Sunday August 23rd

We all went down town this morning and Marj. Harry B. and I went to church and Gay & Baby Sister stayed with Aunty. We had a New York preacher that none of us cared for much. Harry B was very good. We stayed at Aunty's for dinner and this after noon I drove out to Edmond England's funeral, and I never saw such a big one. There were over 100 cars. I tied Queen in McPherson's lane and Enah drove Dad. out and as there were so many cars she drove Joe home again, so he went home with me. Marj had all the kids over seeing Mrs. Lawson when I got back, Aunty was with them too. We came home before tea and as they were all asleep by the time we got home Marj. & I went out into the wilderness, which under happier circumstances might have been our garden and got a pailful of overgrown cucumbers, some corn and I dug a few potatoes. Fine and hot.

Monday August 24th

I took the rake back this morning and got the rack and Dad. and we hauled in the alfalfa. We were delayed quite awhile at the mill as Dad took some barley down to trade for some oat chop and Frank took a sample of wheat down which Charlie said was very nice. It was a great wheat year. Jim Waddle thrashed 1047 bushels the other day from 40 loads in 9 hours which the "Maple Leaf" said was a record run for Sam Law. Charlie Ivey said George Law told him he had the best crop of wheat this year he ever had or ever would have. Arthur Preston beguiled away the time talking to me while I waited at the mill & in the course of his conversation informed me

quite seriously that I was a good judge of beauty or had been when I was married but if I would excuse him saying so it was more than my wife was, to which I heartily agreed. He is the limit. Dad. and I hauled the alfalfa in three jags & a lift but there wasn't more than two loads of it so maybe a good big load & a half, some of it wasn't fit to come in it was so green & tough but I thought it might better go in now than chance more rain on it. Dad. walked home and I drove down to-night to band practice. They are terribly upset down home over the news that came to-day that Mr. Millman is dead. He went up to Mitchell on Saturday alone on some business and was staying over Sunday with some friends up there. Sunday night while he was talking to them, he complained of a pain in his heart and died in a very few minutes. It is a terrible shock to us all and must be awful for Mrs. Millman. Still fine & warm.

Tuesday August 25th

I took the rack over home this morning and we got in 3 loads of oats from the back field. Dad. & Frank were down at the mill with some wheat when I got over there as it was too wet to do anything at the oats till about ten o'clock. I had to quit early as I went with the band to-night up to the Kiwanis kids camp, and played for them for an hour. Quint was over at noon to make arrangements with Dad. to go to Mr. Millman's funeral to-morrow. I walked home to-night from the back field and walked back to town and from the farm home again.

Wednesday August 26th

It looked so threatening and sprinkled a little that I didn't go over home till about ten o'clock and Frank was just coming into the back field when I got there. He had picked Elgie Cole up on the road so he helped us all day as Dad. left with Quint this morning on the nine car for Toronto. We just got in one load in before dinner but I helped them get two in and off this afternoon and they went back for another when I came home to get ready to go on the Colonial for the band's excursion. When I got here Marj. said Charlie Shand had come down and bought some tickets and said he would take her so I thought it was too good a chance for her to miss having an outing and I stayed home with the kids and she went with them. We also treated Ray & George

to the trip and Charlie took them down. I was over there telling them to watch for Charlie when Harvey & Mrs. Evans brought poor old Dove home, he went over there this morning to help them haul in oats & had worked all day and to-night fell off a load and struck his head & shoulders on the ground. He was badly shaken up and frightened and so was Mrs. Lampkins when she saw him. I spent a pleasant evening with the baby as she wouldn't sleep. I don't think there was any thing the matter with her but I had her up most of the time Marj. was away. Very hot & close all day, but much cooler to-night.

Thursday August 27th

Harry B. and I drove over home this morning and we hauled oats all day with two waggons as Cole was there and we got in 8 loads. We cleaned the back field in 6 and got a couple in off the field east of the old garden. Aunty, Aunty Alice & Phoebe were over there for dinner & tea and we stayed to tea. Dad. said he was very glad he went to Toronto yesterday as they all seemed so glad to see him. They all told him that a letter Aunty had written was the means of toning them all up. N.E. wind & cold.

Friday August 28th

We hauled oats all day with two waggons and cleaned the field east of the garden, there were 8 loads on it and we burned about a load that was principaly thistles. We got 3 loads in off the field west of the lane. I rode Queen home to-night and home after tea rode her down to a Horticultural meeting at which they decided to hold the Fair on the 14 & 15th of September. Fine & cool. Marj. had a visit from Mrs. Cam. McBride and picked about a bushel of beautiful looking crab apples.

Saturday August 29th

Harry B and I drove over to the farm this morning and got there just as they had the two last loads that were hauled last night pitched off. The boys helped them put them off. We got in four loads before dinner and I helped them put on two more after dinner and then I came home and got Marj. Gay & the baby and we went down town to do our trading. Enah & Harry B went down to see the deer and we picked him up on our way home after dark. There was one more load of oats out when I left but they got it in. I think that makes 32 loads in the barn and they would average good loads. Much warmer fine.

Sunday August 30th

It has been very hot and oppressive to-day and we have done very little but sit around. We just worked in two meals. I went out to the garden this morning and picked some cucumbers and dug some potatoes while Marj. was busy in the house. Late this after noon Harry B. and I walked over to see how poor old Mr. Lampkin was feeling. He is still very stiff and sore but thought he was better

Monday August 31st

I spent the whole day cleaning up the strawberry patch and then got very little more than a row cleaned as it is a slow job. Gibson was in this morning to renew my fire insurance policy. Mabel & her aunt were in late this after noon to see Marj. School starts again to-morrow. I have been working up a cold all day and feel like a boiled cabbage to-night. Hot

Tuesday September 1st

I have done a great deal of nothing to-day as I felt so tough with my cold. I went out and started to hoe strawberries this morning but the bending over seemed to make me sneeze, which I did to such an extent that I got dizzy. I lay around and slept most of the time but picked about a bushel & a half of crab apples. The tree is loaded this year and they are excellent quality sound & clean, all the fruit seems to be this year. Frank came over with his tractor and tried to plough the side hill by the school house but the summer grass balled up so on his skimmers that he couldn't do it. He ploughed the garden strip south of the house. Ina's "folks" called for her to-night on their way home from thrashing at Tom's and they told us that word had come this morning that the "Colonial" had burned to the water's edge at Crystal Beach and that there had been some fatalities. Beautiful day.

Wednesday September 2nd

I rode Queen over home this morning and brought Queen & Belle back with the waggon. I rolled down what Frank ploughed yesterday and disked what had been ploughed before, but it is so dry I hate to chance putting alfalfa seed on it. I went down to band concert to-night, the last one. It rained a little at intervals during the evening but I got home dry. Cloudy & cool all day. Flies are very bad.

[This page is a duplicate of yesterday's page 108.}

Thursday September 3rd

We all went down town this morning and spent the day at Aunty's Dad. & I bailed out the old well at the Shanty door and they think when it fills again they will be able to use the water Quint was there for dinner and he helped us after dinner for awhile. Marj. went up town and got orders for some crab apples. Dad. & I also patched up the barn bridge a little. I went down to Carl. Ryerse's after dinner with Quint and blew in 30 cts. on a corn cob pipe and a package of tobacco so that I can now appease my occasional hankering for a smoke. Marj. went over to the Lampkin's for awhile to-night and I had to prance with the baby nearly the whole time she was gone. Cloudy this morning clearing & sultry this after noon.

Friday September 4th

I went down to Sid's this morning and got Queen shod I was there till noon as there were two others ahead of me This afternoon I finished cleaning out another row of strawberries and hoed out some of the couch grass in the summer fallow. Marj. did up tomatoes. Very hot & dry

Saturday September 5th

I swept the school house first thing this morning and spent most of the remainder of the day hoeing strawberries finishing the job about four o'clock. I then picked some crab apples at at her suggestion Marj. & Harry B took them down and delivered them to Mesdames Marr & Gilbert, who ordered them the other day. Hary B. got out and knocked at the doors so that Marj. didn't have to tie Queen up. Gay and I washed up the dinner dishes cleaned up the kitchen and amused the baby and were down at the mailbox when Marj. & H.B. drove home. An otherwise happy day was somewhat marred by Willie Shand bringing us a telephone message from Mrs. Smythe inviting us to their cottage for dinner to-morrow. Cloudy & cool most of the day.

Sunday September 6th

The folly of anticipating evils was exemplified to-day as attendance at Mrs. Smythe's dinner party proved to be impossible owing to the fact that it rained nearly all day not very hard but steadily, so we spent a very comfortable and leisurly day at home. I didn't even have to change my old clothes although Marj. did make me shave.

Monday September 7th Labour Day

This being Labour Day I laboured at at a job that I have wanted to get at for a year, and now that I have started I will want to keep at it till I finish. I levelled down the pile of clay west of the kitchen and filled in the low places around the back door with it and I made an ash path from the kitchen door to the pump and got started on one to gate but haven't got the sod all cut out for it yet. There are still large heaps of clay south of the house and under the crab apple tree to be disposed of and I am anxious to get them levelled and seeded with lawn seed as at present the place looks like a mining shack or a shell crater but if it were trimmed up it would be an exceptionally pretty place, even now the vista that we see from the back door spreading out under the crab apple tree and the ash and disappearing gradually in the orchard is beautiful enough to make a fellow wish that Pegassus was not so particular who rode him. Mabel Mrs. Walker and Miss Cook all came up to-night and Mabel is staying all night. Marj. invited her when she thought she was going to be alone on account of my being with the Colonial excursion to Erie. Mostly cloudy & cooler.

Tuesday September 8th

I finished making the path to the gate this morning and dug potatoes and garnered various garden produce for dinner as Mabel came back for that. I picked the cucumbers which ranged in size from an inch long to that of a bologna sausage, in spite of Marj's assurances that as the seed was that of small pickling cucumbers they would not grow beyond the desired dimensions suitable for that purpose. Now when I bring her in a half a bushel of these cucumbrian monstrosities, she gnashes her teeth and hurls them at me. I also cut a water melon that looked ripe but when I dissected it I found it to be only pink in spots, however we ate the spots and they were delicious. This after noon I picked a few of the Bartlet pears and Dad. & Enah came over to get me to go thrashing tomorrow for a couple of hours at Art Quanbury's as Frank intends going to the Ex to-morrow with Jonas & Alex England. I got Dad. to help me fell the dead maple at the back door. Ina was here to-day. Mostly cloudy and sultry. Miss Battersby died last night.

Wednesday September 9th

I finished picking the pears and took two bushel hampers down and shipped one to Dorrie

and one to Phyl. I went down again to-night to the last band concert of the season. Ina was here again to-day ironing. Marj. got a cheque to-day for $250.00 as part of her share of Uncle George's estate. Frank left some time during last night for the fair and expected to get home some time during to-night. Threatening & hot.

Thursday September 10th

Dad. came over this morning to get some 14 ft boards to make the cribbing for his water trough but we could only find two long enough. He helped me saw up the butt of the maple tree and took Harry B & Gay back with him. I spent the remainder of the fore noon levelling clay and this after noon Marj. the baby and I drove down in the waggon. We left the baby at the farm and Dad. & I went down and got 5 bbls {barrels} of cement for the water trough and Marj. went up to the bank with her cheque. We waited till she got all through with her business & all came home in the waggon. Marj. went over to the Lampkin's to-night with some roses. Tim brought home all he could carry in his arms that he fished out of the pond by the greenhouse. Aunty & Aunty Alice are feeling very tired. Aunty Alice was up the other night with Miss Battersby. Very hot and sultry.

Friday September 11th

I rolled harrowed and disked the little piece of alfalfa ground along the lane to-day. It was very hot and sultry this after noon, the fore noon was not so bad. I spent about an hour or two after dinner cleaning up and cutting with the lawn mower the grass in front of the house so now have that corner of the yard looking as if it belonged to civilized people Marj. made twelve pints of tomato soup to-day and is all in. I had to parade around in my nightshirt last night and chase Bobbie back in the barn yard, she & Mary have been jumping the orchard fence regularly now for about 2 weeks every night and prowling around the door yard but last night Bobbie was determined to come in the house, she pushed the porch screen door open and upset a pail of potatoes and kicked up a great racket.

Saturday September 12th

It has rained or drizzled nearly all day so I haven't done much I spent the forenoon trying to paint SHANDS on some rubber balloons that Mabel wanted for her school fair but didn't make a very good job of it as they were hard to get in a good position. They had to be inflated to

to paint as if they werent the letters would pale into illegible streaks when they were blown up, and as it is if they aren't kept with the air in them, when they collapse the paint shrivels and falls off. I didn't do much this after noon but rock Harry B who has a very bad cough and help Marj. wash the dishes, she spent the morning making cookies. I intended going down to help them get the rink in shape for the Horticultural Show but the rain prevented me. I went over to the school house about five and swept. I nailed the porch door up to-night as I had to get up three times last night to chase the cows away from it.

Sunday September 13th

It has rained all day till about four o clock. We have done nothing but sit around and for the most part try to amuse Harry B to keep him in bed as Marj. is worried about his cough and ulcerated throat He seems to feel pretty well and rebels at staying in bed but the air is so damp and raw. Marj. insisted on me telephoning the doctor about four but he said he had ashma too badly to come out so I hooked up and went in and he gave me some pills for Harry B. I didn't get home till after dark and as it was spitting rain again I didn't hunt for the cows.

Monday September 14th

I spent nearly all day getting some stuff ready for the Horticultural Show and about five o'clock took down a buggy load of squash, a basket each of crab apples and pears and 1 watermelon. I didn't get them entered till about seven o'clock and as I went up town after some bread and took Cousin Phoebe a few crab apples and called in at Aunty's and at the farm it was late when I got home. I had tea and then as the cows were all in the door yard I milked about ten o'clock. Harry B's cold is still bad and to-night the baby is quite sick, she hasn't been able to keep her food down and Marj. is worried about them both. Beautiful day, fine and cooler.

Tuesday September 15th

I went over this morning to help run the cement for Dad's new water trough. Ot. Collin's is building it and had every thing ready last night. It looked very threatening and had spinkled a little but as we were all there we thought we would tackle it although it is one of the most important features of water trough building that the work is all done at one time before as if one batch of cement is allowed

to set at all before the next is put on it will cause a crack in the wall and will leak. We just nicely got started to work when it started to rain and the harder we worked the harder it rained, but we stayed with it and finished a little after twelve. Ot had his boy with him so there were four of us to mix grout and Ot to tramp it in and put in the reinforcements while Dad & the boys were running in a batch Frank and I were carrying gravel & cement for the next one. We just mixed one bag at a time and it took 16 bags. We had the drivehouse door for a mixing board and as it sagged in the center it made a good one. We all got soaked of course but Dad & I didn't have coats on so we got an extra soaking and we had to work like niggers to keep from getting very cold: so to-night I feel pretty stiff. We went in the house, built a fire and changed our clothes as soon as we finished and Frank got dinner as Enah was down judging at the flower show. It stopped raining for awhile about the middle of the after noon and I came home about four. Marj. has had a busy day with Harry B & the baby sick, but the baby is better to-night. I should have gone down to the show to look after my stuff to-night but as it was raining about seven o'clock and was so dark & muddy and I felt so tough I didn't go, but we all went to bed as soon as possible

Wednesday September 16th

I went down to the rink this morning to see what had happened to my exhibits and discovered that due to lack of competition more than excellence I had got second prize on my crab apples and one on my water-melon, 60 cts for each. I got nothing on my squash but I sold two to Jack King for 50 cts and left four at Sam Schram's for him to sell if he could and gave a couple to Mr. Bagley. I also gave my pears to Mrs. McBride I had to deliver my crab apples to Landon Ivey's and Uncle Ward got me to take some grapes of his to Cecil Schram and Harry Ivey. They then collared me to help load benchs and tables and take them back from where they had been borrowed some to the town hall and some to Buck's Park, so that it was about two o'clock when I got home to dinner and this after noon I drove up to {Schoffs?} and got the time of the team hauling gravel for 2 weeks The baby doesn't seem to be just right yet and as there is an epidemic of her complaint and Cam. Culvers lost their baby Marj. is still worried. Very cloudy all day clearing this evening.

Thursday September 17th

Dad. Frank and Aunty Alice all came over this morning with Tupper's flat rack to haul corn. I had a road cut through but as the dew was very heavy and as they had to go to the mill besides in to Tupper's for his rack, it was late in the forenoon before we got started and we worked till after noon putting on the load, so they stayed to dinner much against Aunty Alice's approval as they had told Enah they would be back for dinner. Ina was here too washing, so Marj. had quite a party. We all three went down to the factory with the corn but had to wait for some time to unload as things are jammed full down there. It is certainly a busy place just now. I walked home through {Con's?} and talked to him for awhile so that it was about six when I got home. I drove Ina home about nine o clock.

Friday September 18th

There was a heavy thunder storm early this morning so that every thing was too wet to do much to-day. Sam & Alan were thrashing over at Dove's this morning so I went over to see if he needed any more help but there were plenty of men. He tried to induce me to help Tom Aikens build the stack but it was a very dirty looking job so I told him I was afraid there wasn't room for more than one on the stack, which was true. I stuck around for awhile and then came home and spent the forenoon painting balloons for Mabel Frank came over after Aunty Alice's rubbers and stayed to dinner. We decided to go to town this afternoon as we had 14 dozen eggs to take down so we sent Frank over to the Lampkins to find out if she could keep Harry B & the baby for us and to signal us if she couldn't We drove in about three to find Frank, Trum. Walker and Bert all gathered to perform the last sad rites for poor old Florie. She had just died from a wound she gave herself the other day when she got caught in the fence. Mrs. Lampkin felt very badly as they had raised her and she was over twenty. We left the two kids and went down and did our trading and left Gay at the farm. Ot Collins was there taking the forms off the trough. Enah was sick with a cold. Archie McEwen had just been there with a French Canadian and bought the ram lambs for $16.00 apiece.

Saturday September 19th

I spent the day painting and got the priming coat

on nearly all the new part of the house. I walked down town to-night and got my hair cut and was measured for my new suit at Moses Fisher's. Partly cloudy, fair and cool. Mabel was in to tell us they got 1st prize on their parade to-day.

Sunday September 20th

I spent most of the day helping Marj. washing dishes and {Fly-Toxing?} flies. About four o clock we all drove down town as Marj. wanted to take Harry B to the doctor as his throat still looks sore and she is worried about him, he looks so peaky. The doctor wasn't home so we went up to the Smiths to see Nellie as she & Bill and all the kids are here. We left there a little before six and went back to the doctors but he was still away so we came straight home as it was getting chilly. It has been almost unbearably hot and sultry in spite of a very high west gale.

Monday September 21st

I met Trum. Walker on my way over to sweep the school this morning and he told me that Mabel had called up the Shand's to say that she wouldn't be here to-day as Mildred is off again and they had to take her away. Marj. said Saturday when they were in that she knew Mildred was not right and Mabel was worried about her Dad. & Frank came over and we finished pulling the second roadway of corn but only had 2280 on. I went down with them to the factory and we did think of putting on a load over home this after noon but Bond said they didn't want any more as they were hung up for cans. I had dinner over there and walked home this afternoon and cut the other two roads through my corn. Very cold north west wind to-day. We thought it would freeze to-night so Marj. & I went out after tea and picked the ripe tomatoes and put papers over the nasturtiums in the window boxes.

Tuesday September 22nd

Dad. & Frank came over this morning and we put on a big load of corn and took it over as far as the farm where we had dinner. Dad. & I took it to the factory after dinner but there were several loads ahead of us so by the time we got home it was after four. Frank had cut a roadway and pulled some there but we thought it to late to take it down and they are so filled up down there that they don't want it in too fast. It didn't freeze last night but feels like it to-night. Fine but very cool.

Wednesday September 23rd

I pulled corn here and piled it this morning while Dad. & Frank put on a load over home and took it down. Frank came out here this after noon and put on what I had pulled and helped me finish the field. We got down there about five and didn't have to wait very long to get unloaded but it was dark when I got home. We just had 2380 on. The field didn't turn out nearly as well as I thought it would before we started. There is still a patch back of the barn but we will leave that for a day or two. The Bagley's were over this after noon to invite Marj. to a party there on Friday. Marj. canned corn to-day. Froze slightly last night, no damage. Fine & cool to-night.

Thrusday September 24th

Marj. & I spent about an hour this morning stretching a couple of pieces of short woven wire around the end of the orchard to prevent the cows from getting into the dooryard and from there anywhere else in the country. We thought we had a cow proof fence but when I got home to-night I found Mary out. The fence kept the other two in the orchard and Mary must have jumped it. I put her in the barnyard and then drove the other two around and by the time I got them there Mary had disappeared. It was dark then and Marj. wanted to have tea so I let her go and when I went out after tea I found the horse stable door which I must have left unbarred had blown open and Mary was in there with my good harness down and in an awful mess. I was mad enough to kill her. I went over home about 10 a.m. and Frank and I pulled and piled corn till noon and loaded it and took it down this after noon. We had quite a long wait to get unloaded so it was fairly late when I got home, but I met Roy Hammond on the Winding Hill with a big load when I was coming home. Quint took Dad. & Enah up to Coulborne to-day to see if Dad. could get a certified copy of Fa's marriage certificate, but their church records don't go back far enough. Dad. didn't think it was vitally important as Mr. Parks has the original but it is not certified

Friday September 25th

Went over home this morning and pulled corn & Dad. & Frank took it down this afternoon. I drove down in the buggy and got some groceries and came straight home but it was five o'clock when I got here. Mr. Bagley came out and took Marj. & the baby down to a

party Essie was having for all her friends with babies. They left Harry B & Gay at Mrs. Lampkins. Mr. Bagley brought them home about dark. Fair and very cool all day.

Saturday September 26th

We thought that they would not allow us to haul corn in to the factory to-day, so Frank worked up his pea stubble and sowed it and I disked over my little summer fallow and the garden south of the house and also cut the lawn. About four o'clock we all drove down town and Marj. took Harry B to the doctor. He said he had tonsilitis and that we must be very careful of him. I noticed a few teams putting corn off at the factory when we went by this after noon but Frank was anxious to get his wheat in any way. Mabel had school to-day on account of not having it on Monday and this after noon Mrs. Walker brought some more balloons over for me to paint as Mabel has a chance to try for the phonograph which is first prize at the Simcoe Fair on Tuesday. Fine and warmer

Sunday September 27th

It rained a little this fore noon and we didn't get up early nor hurry much when we did get up so that it was about ten o'clock when we finished breakfast. I was sitting around reading and and playing with the kids and Marj. doing odd jobs around the house when Cory Butler appeared to spend the d{ay?} Charlie was out in the buggy but had been over to Mel's to buy little pigs and as he was in his old clothes had to go home to change. I drove over with him and viewed his recent achievements in cabinet making. Marj. managed to scare up a very respectable dinner and we had an enjoyable after noon during which I painted 12 more balloons for Mabel. They left about five and I helped Dave Lampkins chase two of his cows out of my corn as it had rained we got pretty wet doing it.

Monday September 28th

I didn't go over home to pull corn to-day as I thought that the very heavy rain we had during the night w{ould?} make the field too soft. Dad. & Frank did pull some though but didn't take the waggon out. I picked apples this morning. We have three or four trees with beau{tiful?} big sound apples and they are dropping. I don't know what to do with them but I hate to see them

waste so I picked a bushel or so off one tree and put them down cellar. I think they ar Colverts. This after noon I went up to Shoffs and got the time of the gravel teams for the last two weeks. I came back through town. I went down to band practice to-night. The band put in a tender to play at the Simcoe Fair but as they expected were turned down and Waterford has it for two days. Cloudy and cool.

Tuesday September 29th

I went over to the farm this morning but didn't get over very early as I had to fix up the fence again where Mary broke it down jumping it. We pulled a little more than what was pulled yesterday and took it down to the factory before dinner. Frank and I went down with it and had to wait for over an hour to get unloaded. It was three o'clock when we got out again after dinner but there was only half a roadway left so we pulled it. Tim came home from school this forenoon with a free ticket to the Fair so he and Dad. went up on the one o'clock car. I {to}ok Harry B over there with me. I drove Ina home {after?} tea to-night. Cloudy with cold north east breeze.

Wednesday September 30th

I cut a road through my little patch of corn back of the barn this morning and pulled one side of it. It was an awkward job as it was not planted in rows crosswise and the summer grass & thistles were very rank. Dad. & Frank came out after dinner and got it and I went down with them. Frank and I took it to the factory and Dad. stopped at the Woodson's to get some old boards out for us to load on. Mrs. Woodson told Aunty they could have it for firewood but Aunty said they didn't need it so told me to get it. There is a lot of good stuff for kindling in it. We had 1210 lbs of corn on which brings my total up to within 140 lbs of 6 tons. Dad. & I put the load of wood on and Frank went home to get fixed up to go to the Simcoe Fair to {night} with Miss Lundy, a girl he has picked up as a {sort?} of spare till Irene gets back from England I suppos{e.} I walked home from the farm and Dad. is going to bring the wood over when he takes the waggon home to Tupper

Thursday October 1st

I went over and lit the fire at the school house this morning forgetting that Tim had told me there {is?}

to be no school to-day or to-morrow on account of teacher's convention. Dad. & Frank came over with the load of wood and said one of them would come out after dinner and drill my wheat in. We all went down to Aunty's for dinner but I came home right after and harrowed the field and Frank came out and drilled it and helped me run the ditches out. Marj. & the children stayed down for the after noon and Quint brought them home about five. Aunty came out with them. Dad got his affadavits concerning Dick's and Frank's birth certificates so had to go down and swear to them and post them this after noon. Lovely day, milder

Friday October 2nd

I cleaned out the cross ditches in my wheat this morning and about half past ten went down to Aunty's and got some raspberry roots. I stayed there to dinner and came home early after dinner and set out the raspberries. I got them all out just as it began to rain. I put them back of the barn just at the head of the wheat. It has been very dark and threatening all day and very much milder and we had quite a thunderstorm this after noon.

Saturday October 3rd

I spent nearly the whole day leveling down the big pile of earth south of the house and made a considerable hole in it but have about half of it to dispose of yet but I think I can get rid of it and the pile under the crab apple tree by filling in uneven and low spots around the yard. I went out to the shed this morning after the rake and heard what I thought was one of the little leghorn chickens cheeping as if it was caught some place, but on investigation found eight young rooks just hatched in a box of shav{ings?} up overhead, so I had to get them down and put them & their mother in a coop. I don't know what {will?} happen to them. The cows have been in the orchard all day and consequently have had very little to eat. They won't jump out the way they jump in unless {they want?} to but late this after noon managed to break down the fence into the yard so I put them right in the {word obscured}

Sunday October 4th

I got Marj. to go out and help me fix the fence that the cows broke after she got her dishes washed this morning and then we took a walk through

the gully. It was after noon before we got back and I let the cows out.They didn't come near the orchard all after noon. I sat around and read Herbert Spencer all the remainder of the day and didn't go to sleep in spite of the lack of moisture in my reading matter I felt rather tough around noon so Marj. didnt have dinner and we had a combination meal about four after which I felt better, shaved & milked. Cloudy & cold all day. Raining hard to-night.

Monday October 5th

I levelled down more earth this morning but we had an early dinner and all went down town {word obscured} after noon. Marj. wanted to take Harry B to the {do}ctor again for him to look at his throat and she wanted to get some groceries. We were disappointed again though in seeing the doctor as he was away and we entirely forgot the fact that this was Dover's civic holiday, so all the stores were closed. Marj. was able {to?} get into the drug-store and Billy Langs, who thinks that {an}other holiday this time of year after all the holidays there {ha}ve been during the summer is a farce. We went down to {word obscured} for awhile and came home about four. Fine but cold wind.

Tuesday October 6th

It has been cloudy and threatening rain all day but it didn't do much more than sprinkle every now and then till to-night when it rained hard. We decided we had better put the box-stove up as Aunty & Aunty Alice are coming out to-morrow if it is fine, so as Marj. wanted to trim the edges of the dining room oil-cloth and turn it around, we had to tee that room all up and neither of us got much else done except working in there, but we got the stove up and the dining room house cleaned, and I killed a chicken and went down to the corner for the cream-can

Wednesday October 7th

I spent most of the fore-noon doing odd jobs & chores. I ha{d} to straighten up another panel of fence that Mary went o{ver?} last night and I fly-toxed flies in the house for M{arj.?} and had a shave. There was no sign of Quint bringing Aunty & Aunty Alice out at 11 o'clock so I drove down {after?} them as that was the arrangement. Quint had gone to Pt. R{yerse?} and had not returned. This after noon I levelled a little m{ore?} earth and then we all went for a walk through the gully which is very pretty now, the grass is so green since the rains and the trees are just beginning to turn. Beautiful day, frost last night but no damage was done. Milder to-night.

Thursday October 8th

I made an attempt this morning to patch the north side of the barn roof which has some very bad holes in it I got some of the worst covered up but couldn't make a very good job as I couldn't sit on the roof without sliding I had a rope over the peak and snubbed to a post but as I had to take one hand to hold it I couldn't do much with the other alone. Right after dinner I drove Aunty Alice {do}wn town, as Mrs. Skey had issued her an invitation to {a?} bridge party and she didn't dare refuse. I got some {co}al oil and flour and stopped in at the farm to see {if?} they had any word yet of Shoff & his corn binder but {they?} hadn't. I put the cows in when I got home and then {got?} ready to go down with Marj. to see the collection of {pi}ctures and have tea in the hall. I got my new suit from Fisher this afternoon. Mabel called for us after four and took us and her Aunt down and Aunty stayed here with the children. We had a very nice tea and the pictures were good but most of them were in a poor light. We got home about half past eight {or?} nine and Mabel & Mrs. Walker came on for awhile Aunty said the children had been very good and the baby slept till after they left. Sid told me to-day {that?} Norman Holden had the Customs Office.

Friday October 9th

This has been a most horrible day. It rained most of the night and all day till about four o'clock and there has been a cold north wind with it and part of the time snow. It has cleared off to-night and will freeze hard I think. I took Aunty home just before dinner as she had to go to look after some Auxillary business. It wasn't bad going in to town and we had waterproofs on but I just about froze coming home. We met Dad. coming out with the covered buggy to get Aunty. I didn't do any thing all after noon but sit around the stove and read.

Saturday October 10th

Sun-up to-day brought the sad revelation of our fi{rst?} killing frost and for the first one it was unusually severe. Water in a pail on the back porch was frozen and had not thawed a bit by noon, and the ground was so hard I could not dent it with my heel. {It?} has been mostly sunny all day but a biting blast from some arctic region in the north-west has made me {hunch?} my shoulders and shiver in spite of my arming my{self?} against it with my complete outfit of winter clot{hes?}

I went out this morning to examine the pumpkins and squash and as far as I can tell they are not injured I brought them up to the house after dinner in the waggon and Marj. & I carried them into the house to-night. I hooked up the team after dinner and went down and got a couple of parcels at the station that had come for Marj. from Eaton's. I also got some lumber to board up the back porch. It is Marj's idea and she is footing the bill. Tim went down with me to watch the horses while I was in the station. It is milder to-night as the wind has gone down but it is freezing a little.

Sunday October 11th

It must have turned milder during the night as there was no sign of frost this morning. It has been cloudy with a raw wind all day and rain this afternoon Harry B. and I drove down this morning to take Mrs. Williams 3 doz. eggs. We just got there as she was leaving to catch the one car. She is so impressed with the real or imaginary quality of our eggs that she wants me to send her 12 dozen right away to Buffalo. I haven't done any thing else all day but read & do chores. Marj. feels quite miserable to-night with a pain in her "infernal regions."

Monday October 12th

Dug potatoes this morning and was disappointed at the turnout of the first row, but I am quite sure the rest of the patch will be better. I only got a little more than half a bushel. This after noon I had to go to Shoffs to get the road time, and as it seemed a beautiful fore-noon I persuaded Marj. to come too, but it clouded up soon after dinner and the wind was cold, however none of them seemed to mind it much. I dropped Ma{rj.?} and the children off at the Smythe's while I went on up to Schoff's and I stopped in for a short time at the {Smythe's?} on my way back. Mrs. Smythe seemed overjoyed to see me and invited us up a week from Sunday. Dave. Shoff {wasn't?} home so I didn't get my time but he is going to bring it {down?}. We came home through town by the Radical Road & st{opped?} at Aunty's for a few minutes getting home about five and picked up the potatoes I had dug. I walked in to town to-night to hear Mr. Stansell the Conservative member in the last house for Elgin and the nominee for the new riding of Norfolk & Elgin. Frank and I stopped in at Auntys on our way home and Bill Barwell drove us home. Mrs Barwell & Miss Cope were there playing bridge with Aunty A{lice?} & Quint and Bill came to get them so took us too.

Tuesday October 13th

I spent most of the day digging potatoes and have about one row to dig yet. They are not turning out anything like as well as I expected. Mr. Bagley & Essie came over this forenoon to pick the Tolman Sweets on shares. They picked about five bushels and left us three and there are a lot on the tree yet which Essie says they will come out and get another time. Beautiful day.

Wednesday October 14th

Bill Donald brought Ina over this morning, she was here yesterday but as there was so much ironing she promised Marj. another day to make up for the one she lost last week. I rode down to the corner with Bill to get my {cre}am can which I forgot yesterday. When I got back to the {g}ate Charlie Shand was just issuing from it with his ladder which I borrowed some time ago from the schoolhouse, so I helped Charlie carry it home. Harry Blake was at the schoolhouse putting up the revised voter's list for No 3 polling division. Young Shoff came to cut the corn about nine o'clock. Dad. brought the binder over and waited till he finished but as Shoff brought his team {he di}dn't have to move him to-night. He started to cut with Pommers, old Charlie & little Joe but Pom{mers?} had trouble with his wind so they had to put hi{s horse?} in instead. He was nearly all day cutting as I got {him?} to cut the little strip back of the barn and the sum{mer?} grass in it bothered a great deal. He brought down {the?} time of the gravel haulers so I made it up and sen{t} direct to Marston with the other brother who came {with?] this one for some thing. Dad. put on a load of c{ement?} and took it home to-night to fill in around the w{ater?} trough. I went as far as Evan's with him and {took?} my little plough over to have the shear sharpened {and?} the coulter set up. I drove Ina home to-night and intended going on down to band practice but it {started?} drizzling rain so I came home and washed the d{ishes?}

Thursday October 15th

I frogot to wake up this morning so got a very late {start?} but managed to get the nearly all the corn set up except {word is obscured} of the barn. I persuaded Marj. to come out and help me th{is?} morning and I washed the dishes for her this after noon {illegible} I lost time on the deal but it was such a beautiful day I knew she would enjoy being outdoors. I had to go over to Charlie Munroe's to get butter this after noon as I forgot to order it on Tuesday.

Friday October 16th

This being the 5th anniversary of our wedding, we all went down to Aunty's for dinner to celebrate it, and as it seems when people have been married for the length of time we have they are eligible for wooden wedding presents, the family presented us with a cord of stove wood and good hardwood at that. Dad. & Frank brought it out this morning just before we left for town. Quint and Frank were down for dinner. I spent most of the after noon in Bob Leaney's barber shop and we came home fairly early. Lovely day raining to-night.

Saturday October 17th

We have been celebrating again to-day over at the Farm this time in honor of our wedding & Frank's birthday (Which is tomorrow) combined. Quint brought Aunty & Aunty Alice over and we had a bang-up chicken dinner and just sat around this after noon except Quint, Frank & Tim who went shooting. Mr. Cornish came over about four o'clock to wonder what was going to be done about decorating the church for the Thanksgiving Service to-morrow, just why he came over to the Farm to wonder about it I didn't quite make out. We came home fairly early and I went over to Mrs. McBride's afterwards and got 5 doz. eggs for {illegible}. Cloudy & quite cool.

Sunday October 18th

We just puttered around all morning and this aft{er} noon I went over and swept the school house and then we all drove down to Aunty's as Marj. wanted to {word obscured} Aunty Alice a pattern. Dad. & Enah were there. We {didn't?} stay long. Froze hard last night very cloudy fore noon but nice

Monday October 19th

I went down town this morning to ship Mrs. W{illiams?} eggs to her and get some meat for dinner. I went to {the?} bank to revew the Mrs. Marshall sale note which {is?} due to-morrow and Fuernan asked me if I w{anted?} to borrow any more so I said if he had no {word obscured} I would take another hundred for a couple of mo{nths?} "Shure" he said "I'll let you have all you want {word obscured} prospects are useful anyway. I was late getting home {for?] dinner but Marj. couldn't have it till I came as {words obscured} meat but forgot to get bread so had to go over to Mrs {word obscured} and borrow a loaf. I spent the after noon making on {word obscured} shutters to enclose the porch. Ina was here to{day as?} she intends going to Simcoe to-morrow so {I drove?} her home after tea and went on down to band {practice?} Very high and cold gale from nor'west all day {word obscured} a little to-night and cold.

Tuesday October 20th

Dave Lampkins came over this morning to ask me if I would take Queen over to put with Dan. & help him haul in his corn stalks so I have been over there all day. He started out by hauling a load of about six shocks in on the stone boat but I persuaded him to hook to the waggon and then he wanted to only haul about {illegible} shocks to a load, but after dinner it was too windy for him up on the load so I loaded and kept him pitching till we had a decent load on and so we got the corn all in, but didn't unload the last load but I said I would help him with it in the morning. Marj. said when I got home that Charlie Shand was down this morning to tell me to go up and call up Marston, so I went up to-night but no-one was home at Harvey's so I didn't get him. Young Dove was in and said they had closed the pit to clean it. Still cold windy and cloudy. Miserable weather.

Wednesday October 21st

I went over and helped Dave unload his corn stalks this fore noon and then dug the rest of the potatoes. This after noon I set up the corn back of the barn and picked the Rebston pippins. Betsy Paterson and Amy Harper Parker were out this after noon to see Marj. I went up to Shand's again and called up Marston and he told me he had written me and wanted the teams all laid off. When I got his letter I discovered my services were no longer required but no explanation as to what was the matter. I am glad to be relieved of the job but don't like such a summary dismissal.

Thursday October 22nd

I picked about 5 bushels of russets this morning and just got about half of one tree picked but unless we c{an?} sell some soon I won't bother with any more as we {don't?} care much for them. This after noon I went up to {Shoff's?} and got the time for the teams up to when they we{re?] {laid?} off. I went around by town and got some gro{ceries?} Marj. intended going too but the wind was so cold {she?} was afraid to take the children out as they have ba{d} {word obscured}

Friday October 23rd

Dave Lampkin came over this morning before {word obscured} breakfast to ask me if I would help him {word obscured} his hay in. Evan's helped him get two {word obscured} yesterday but they didn't finish, so I told him I

would if I got home in time. I went over home as soon as I could which wasn't very early and on my way I took Harry B & Gay over to the Lampkins and Marj. went over later with the baby and stayed all after noon. Dad. & I went down to the box factory and got on a waggon load of ends and edgings. There is an enormous pile there that the boss told Dad. he could have for $10.00 and it looks to be worth the money. We had dinner over there Enah was down at her mother's who is in bad shape. We got out here with our load about three o'clock and after we put it off I harnessed Queen and went over to Dave's. We got a fair load of hay on but didn't quite clean the field so I left Queen there all night and told him I would be back in the morning. I then helped Marj. bring the children home by putting Gay in the buggy with the baby. They took some pushing up the hill. Fine day and much milder but east wind.

Saturday October 24th

I went over to Dave's this morning and helped him get the load off, he had half of it off alone, and we got {the?} rest of it in and pitched off. We also went over to Cam's and got a ladder that Cam. gave him. What he is going to do with it I don't know because he can't climb {word obscured} the only way he can elevate himself is to pull him{self?} up as he cant seem to lift his one foot at all, and {word obscured} to me dangerous for him to try to get off the ground. {word obscured} home about eleven and as we didn't have dinner {word obscured} I got about four bushels of Spys picked, there are {four?} or five bushels more on the tree and some of {word obscured} nice ones. It was raining by that time and ha{s} {word obscured} hard ever since. I helped Marj. wash the dishes {word obscured} dinner and then got mad at her because she {word obscured} at me so while I was trying to read so I went {word obscured} to the school-house and swept out. She said it {word obscured} good riddance and hasn't asked me to do {any?} thing since, consequently I had a peaceful {word obscured} after the dishes were washed. Much milder to-{day?}

Sunday October 25th

Our plans for going to the Smythe's were again {word obscured} by the weather as it has been a very disagreeable {word obscured} It was raining and very dark early in the fo{re-noon?]} and then the wind got around to the west and {word obscured} blowing hard all day and getting a little colder {word obscured} noon, the sun shone at intervals through the rifts of

{word obscured} {?}ing clouds and would be immediately followed {word obscured} accompanied by driving showers more like {word obscured} than rain. I have sat around the house all {word obscured} {read?}ing, drawing and playing with the kids except {word obscured} {do?}ing the chores and going out every hour or so {word obscured} a basketfull of box-factory wood, with which {word obscured} kept both stoves stoked all day. It makes {word obscured} {qu?}ick hot fire but has to be watched closely {word obscured} replenished frequently. Marj. & Harry B started out {word obscured} four o'clock to go to wee Winnie Shand who has {word obscured} {re?}turned from the Simcoe Hospital. They just got {word obscured} when they met Dad. & Tim so came back with {word obscured} Dad. came over to tell me to go over home first thing {word obscured} morning as there was a load of chestnut coal in. {word obscured} said that Mrs. James is dying having been furiously {word obscured} so that it took four of them to keep her in bed. {word obscured} a cablegram yesterday from Mr. Parks saying that {word obscured} the Master's certificate and only awaits the judge's {word obscured}. Marj. & Harry B. went up to the Shand's when Dad. {word obscured} {a} nd got home about six. Winnie is doing well.

{Mon}day October 26th

{I?} went over home this morning about 8 o'clock but Dad. and I didn't get started down for the coal very {word obscured} he had a lot of chores to do. Enah has been down town {word obscured} mothers all night and Frank had to go thrashing at Martins. We went around by the mill {word obscured} a grist and I went to the Planing Mill and got {word obscured} storm sash and took them up to Hall to gla{?} {word obscured} as we were delayed a little down at the coal car {word obscured} McBride was telling us what a time they {word obscured} getting the voter's lists fixed up as they had {word obscured} on Jim Dixon looking after some of it but {word obscured} had stolen Jim's hounds and he was out with {word obscured} constable looking for them and neglecting the {word obscured} it was just noon when we got back to the f{arm?} we put the team in there and Dad. & I had {word obscured} It began to rain just about noon and soon turned {word obscured} snow and snowed hard all the after noon {word obscured} for awhile after dinner to see if it would slacken off but as it didn't I bundled up in Dad's mackinaw and came home with the coal. I had to move a whole pile of the old Sunday school shingles before I could unload the coal then I took the team back home and got Dads chop at the mill I was pretty cold and tired by the time I finally got home to stay. Mrs. James is still alive and the doctor says now she may live for quite awhile yet.

{Tuesd}ay October 27th

{Trum?} Walker came in this morning to ask me if I {word obscured} {thrash?} for him to-day if he needed me. I told {word obscured} so young John came in to tell me to go over {word obscured} and Trum told me he had told George {word obscured} to tell me not to come so I came home again {word obscured} apples the rest of the day and got all my {word obscured}{p}icked about 12 bushels tree-run and some {word obscured} and some nice looking apples that {I don't?} {k}now the name of. Fine day but cool wind.

{Wednes}day October 28th

{It beg?}an to snow about day break this morning and {word obscured} up till after noon. It then partly cleared up but {word obscured} cold and is freezing hard to-night. The landscape {word obscured} a wintry aspect with all the beauty of fresh snow {word obscured} trees with the added colouring of the red green {word obscured} brown oak & beech leaves and a few yellow maples {word obscured} have not dropped yet; which with the after noon sun {word obscured} on and through it gave a picturesque effect that {word obscured} description. I spent the whole day cleaning and {word obscured} the storm windows. I took them down cellar to do. {word obscured} McDonald was in to-night to see if the road cheques had come yet and told me that he heard that {word obscured} had seen Dave & Kelly on the road and that their {gravel?} boxes wouldn't hold a yard of gravel and they {word obscured} supposed to draw 1 1/4 yds at a trip. Some say Tup{per?} {word obscured} the new foreman but Bill said he wasn't yet but they wan{ted?} {word obscured}

Thursday October 29th

As I hadn't heard anything from home since Monday {word obscured} to go over this morning to see if they were going to thrash {word obscured} so what arrangements we could make about votin{g} just as I was ready to start Jack & Albert McB{ride?} {word obscured} in with Dad. & Frank headed for the polls. Jack offer{ed?} {word obscured} the kids while Marj. went out and voted and Marj. {word obscured} surprise consented, so we four went with Albert {word obscured} marked our ballots for Stansell. There were {word obscured} voters out at Wiggin's so we weren't long gone {word obscured} been very successful with the children {word obscured} sober so drove carefully. Dad. told us {word obscured} died on Tuesday and was to be buried this after noon {word obscured} up my former plan of going down this fore noon after the storm windows and some groceries but thought I could get them this afternoon when I went to the funeral. It turned out a nice sunny day and Marj. said if Mrs. Lampkins was

{word obscured} the kids she would go down with me and not {words obscured} go down to-morrow as we had intended. I went {words obscured} Mrs. Lampkin but she was going to Simcoe {word obscured} noon but just at noon Ina came in on her {word obscured} from the poll and said she would come to wash {word obscured} if it was a fine day so she stayed for the {word obscured} with the children and Marj. & I went to the {word obscured}. We got some groceries and sold our 4 1/2 doz {words obscured} customers at 50 cts a dozen and I got {words obscured} -sash at Hall's and left it down at Aunty's. {word obscured} home about five and I drove Ina home. {words obscured} I walked into town to hear election returns {words obscured} in till midnight, but the returns were of course {word obscured} complete when I left, but the Conservatives {words obscured} lead. Ontario & the Maritimes were almost solid {words obscured} wormed out 4 seats in Quebec but there was {word obscured} word from the West, so it is hard to say how {words obscured} stand ultimately. There were a good many polls {word obscured} from in Meighan's own riding at Portage la Prairie {word obscured} was behind about 300, and it looked when {word obscured} as if King was beaten in North York. We were getting {words obscured} Radio set in the Town Hall all at intervals {words obscured} street noises in Toronto around the Star office, and it was quite {evident?} Toronto was wild. The Q.O.R. band was out accompanied by a deafening din of cheering yelling & singing etc.The broadcaster described {word obscured} scene to us and said King St. West was {word obscured} with the biggest election crowd in History. Cloudy to-night but it has been sunny with a short {word obscured}

Friday October 30th

I spent the day cleaning out the chicken ho{use?} but didn't work very swiftly as I felt rather {word obscured} Dad. came over late this after noon to say the {word obscured} was over home ready to thrash in the morning {word obscured} up to Shands this after noon and called up {words obscured} in Simcoe to find out the latest election returns {word obscured} of them knew much more than what was in the {word obscured} was incomplete giving the Conservatives 112. Lib{erals?} {word obscured} others 9 with a good many places to hear from {word obscured} Meighan was elected in his own riding but {word obscured} of his ministers were defeated. Marj. went over {words obscured} Hallowe'en concert at the school house {word obscured} as a wich and tell fortunes. She made up {word obscured} fortunes beforehand. Cloudy and snow{y}

{Saturday} October 31st

{words obscured} home first thing to thrash and we had {words obscured} run finishing about four o'clock. Bob. Pickford {words obscured} {ca}rried away 965 bushels most of it straight {words obscured} the field on the west side of the lane was partly {words obscured}. Dad. built another straw stack just west {words obscured} straw stack and he put some of the nicest {words obscured} in the mow over the granary. Ina was here {words obscured} I drove her home after tea and took Bill {words obscured} of my cockrels which he spoke for to mate {words obscured} hens. We weighed the two of them in a bag & {words obscured} 14 lbs. I had told him he could have them {words obscured} market price, but I hadn't figured on it being {words obscured} as 16 cts which he said was all they could get {words obscured} alive so I said that would be the price but {words obscured} me 18 so I got 1.25 apiece for them. The {words obscured}-day are still incomplete but the probable division {words obscured} the new House will be 117 Conservative 102 {words obscured} 22 Progressive 2 Labour & 1 Independant and Queen's {words obscured} I is tied.They are in a quandry as to how to proceed {words obscured} probable that King by uniting with the {words obscured} as long as he can which {words obscured} with the Opposition so strong.

Sunday October November 1st

This has been a beautiful genuine Indian Summer day. It froze quite hard last night but has been mild and sunny to-day, with a hazy smoky air. We all went for a walk in the gully this morn{ing} and Harry B & Gay had a fine time throwing {word obscured} in the water although Marj. nearly fainted every ti{me} {word obscured} went close enough to the creek to do it. This after {noon} we all drove down around by Marburg to {word obscured} Karl & Frankie about going to Mr. Bagley's {word obscured} to-morrow night. It was dark & quite chilly {words obscured}

Monday November 2nd

I went over home this morning and Frank & I {word obscured} Queen & old Charlie to the waggon and went {words obscured} We took a grist to the mill first and then went down to the station and got the baskets Dorrie sent for her apples and I got the storm windows that were at Aunty's besides doing other errands up town. It was after one o'clock when we got back to the farm for dinner and I went home right after with the waggon and then went back to the farm around by the mill and got Dad's chop. I then drove back here in the buggy. I did my chores as fast as

possible and drove back after tea to go with the band {words obscured} {Ba}gley's serenade. I called in at the farm for Aunty {words obscured} {Au}nty Alice who walked over this after noon. I found {words obscured} the band up in the room and Harry Moon gave {words obscured} for my share in last summer's activities {words obscured} up to Mr. Bagley's about nine o'clock and {word obscured} him by surprise when we started to play on the {words obscured}. We took Ed. Moon up with us to present him {words obscured} band's name with a gold headed cane with his {word obscured} and 50 years service engraved on it. He hardly {word obscured} what to say but was very pleased. He said he didnt {word obscured} because he wanted to but he made himself because {words obscured} he wasn't going justice to the horn. Mr. Smith {words obscured} and told us about the early days of the {word obscured} as he was a member 60 years ago. He said it {words obscured} about 1860 the same time that the town {word obscured} their town bell which is the same bell that is {words obscured} clock tower now. At that time Dover had several {word obscured} industries including a boot & shoe {word obscured} and a waggon factory, and the mecanics in them {words obscured} most of the band boys. He told us about {words obscured} Petit the world renowned cornetist who was {words obscured} here in Dover by one of the first leaders. Lovely day.

Tuesday November 3rd

I spent the day over at Trum. Walker's ploughing. He would have hired me for two or three days but I didn't want to take the time. Ina came to help Marj. {words obscured} this morning and is staying all night. Cecil Lam{pkin} {word obscured} after me to paint an enlarged label on one of their {words obscured} mash bags to take down to the Royal Fair but I {words obscured} I hadn't better take the time to do it. Another beauti{ful} {words obscured}

Wednesday November 4th

I went over home this fore noon to see if I could {word obscured} some of them to help me haul off my cornstalks {words obscured} & Enah were off looking for potatoes which are {words obscured} and going up in price and Frank was away {words obscured} tractor getting something done to it. I waited till {words obscured} home and read a batch of letters from Mr. Parks {words obscured} to get before the judge soon now and expects {words obscured} the judge wants an extended argument on {words obscured} He has a counsel appointed for me and {words obscured} it would be the duty of my counsel to {words obscured} breaking of it; but Mr. Parks instructed him {words obscured} not my wish and I had to write him {words obscured} him evidence in writing. He says the ship {words obscured}

{words obscured} yet. This afternoon Dad. & I cleaned up the barn {words obscured} I telephoned Marston this morning to ask if he {word obscured} why the last road cheques hadn't come yet and {words obscured} they had gone through his office so I called up {word obscured} and he said they were mailed on Monday but they {word obscured} came again to-day so I don't know what to make {words obscured} {Ma}rston said when I asked him what the {word obscured} was down here that he just thought it was {words obscured} make a change and when pinned down said {words obscured} teams weren't making enough trips. Still fine & mild

{Thursday} November 5th

{words obscured} Aunty Alice's birthday and we had intended {word obscured} down but it has rained all day, a fine drizzle {words obscured} strong south west wind but not cold. I {words obscured} day painting storm windows in the cellar {words obscured} to sort out some apples for Dorrie. Ina has {words obscured} for three days and I drove her home to-night before {words obscured} & Marj. have the house spick & span, their most {spect}acular achievement having been the cleaning of the {word obscured} hands & pendulum of the clock but the treatment seems {words obscured} been too drastic as it has gone only spasmodically since. {words obscured} was held up last night night before last on her way home through the {words obscured} and robbed of $4.50 all she had with her

Friday November 6th

Dad. came over to-day with little Joe & old Charlie {words obscured} me haul in the corn stalks. We put part of them in {words obscured} and part in two big shocks back of the barn. {word obscured} got the ones that were on the strip out by Willie {word obscured} I started to make another shutter for the {words obscured} Dad. came this morning and I put the {words obscured} on the kitchen & nursery this after noon after {words obscured} washed the outside of the windows so was {words obscured} the others on although they should have had {words obscured} of paint. It has been another Indian Summer {words obscured}

Saturday November 7th

I did up all the chores this morning and {word obscured} out the school-house, then finished {words obscured} the porch that I started yesterday. It was {words obscured} and before noon began to rain and {words obscured} after noon and evening. We intended {words obscured} some groceries and when it began to {words obscured} but Marj. thought of telephoning so I {words obscured} and asked Jackson's to send what {words obscured} Aunty's, Marj. was nearly out of condensed {words obscured} as Monday will be a holiday didn't {words obscured} I spent most of the after noon out {words obscured}

Sunday November 8th

As we had to go down some time to-day to get our groceries at Aunty's and as the baby's cold is too bad for her to be taken out Marj. decided that Harry B and I ought to go to church. It was a very gloomy morning and I didn't think much of the idea but thought that by going before dinner I might have a peaceful after noon (vain & foolish hope) so we went. We put Queen in at Aunty's and were just starting down the lane when it began to snow hard. Harry B had no rubbers so instead of going to church we went in to the house and waited till they got home. They were rather late as Winnie's baby was christened, and when they discovered us, were very surprised and delighted and insisted on our staying to dinner. We didn't raise any objection as it was still snowing. It partly cleared up soon after dinner so we struck for home but stopped in at the farm for a few minutes where I got some wheat and read Mr. Parks last letter, he has sent Dad another £100. It was after four when we got home and as I had forgotten to borrow a loaf of bread down town I had to go over and get part of a one from Dave. He had very little on hand and Mrs. Lampkin is in Hamilton for Thanksgiving but he said he was sure he would have enough. I milked after tea and spent the evening reading the Talisman between snoozes. Windy and getting colder

Monday November 9th

I drove over home first thing this morning to {words obscured} double-trees which were on the waggon over there {words obscured} find either of my sets around here and Dad. {words obscured} sure that there was only one set of mine over there {words obscured} know what has become of the light set. Harry. {words obscured} went with me but has to bundle up well as it {words obscured} bitter north west wind. When I got home I drove {words obscured} and got a couple of bushels of corn which he {words obscured} for helping him and brought over some dahlia & {word obscured} roots to put in the cellar for them. I took the {words obscured} for about an hour before dinner and got {words obscured} plough in the strip of sod back of the barn. It {word obscured} all right but I was afraid the side hill would {words obscured} much frost in it. I tried it this after noon but {words obscured} rounds as I couldn't turn the long summer {words obscured}The ground was loose & wet and the stuff {words obscured} and shoved ahead of the coulter and would {words obscured} out so I quit trying to plough it and {words obscured} Bright & sunny all day but very cold wind. {words obscured} Marj. has felt very miserable all {words obscured} suffering for a week or so now {words obscured} pain across her abdomen. This was {words obscured}

{Tuesday} November 10th

{words obscured} over home this morning and Dad. & I went {words obscured} in the waggon and I got a cider barrel at Dell's {words obscured} got Dad's cider at Charlie Quanbury's. Frank took {words obscured} over yesterday. This after noon we went down to the {words obscured} and got a load of blocks and took them down {words obscured} We saw Mrs Lawrie on the street this morning. {words obscured} just come up for the day to visit old friends {words obscured} at Auntys for dinner and went back at 4 3. {words obscured} I walked home and got here about six and had {words obscured} home after tea. Much milder and very nice day.

{Wednes}day November 11th

{words obscured} to town to-day. Aunty wanted us to get down in {words obscured} the Armistice Day service in the church but {words obscured} make it, but got down about half past eleven. Marj. {words obscured} this after noon and called in on Cousin Bessie who {words obscured} a knitted sweater. I went up to Doc. Lemmon's {words obscured} another temporary filling in my tooth which made {words obscured} for the rest of the day. I then went up {words obscured} about an hour in the Library, the first time {words obscured} since they reopened it. Joe. Waldick dropped {words obscured} the fish shanties yesterday. Beautiful day, cool wind

Thursday November 12th

I had to go over home this morning to get a {words obscured} and as we forgot our meat yesterday I went on {word obscured} to Aunty's and got it. I helped Dad. get his cider {word obscured} on end and by the time I got home it was nearly {words obscured} and raining. It rained all the after noon and {word obscured} the night. I took the head out of the barrel I got {words obscured} and Marj. washed it out as well as she {words obscured} I washed the dishes. As it was such a bad {words obscured} sent me over to invite Mabel over for tea and {words obscured}. We had a hot supper of roast mutton {illegible} Mabel {words obscured}

Friday November 13th

There has been a strong westerly gale all day with {words obscured} rain most of the time. I spent the day sorting apples. I want to get Dorrie's ready to send to her as soon as possible. Mabel came back for dinner. Not much colder

Saturday November 14th

I ploughed to-day but didn't get started very early this morning, however I got all the sod I had turned under and the stubble is too wet I am afraid, although I made one strike-out in the corn stubble back of the

barn. I quit about four o'clock and killed and picked an old hen for to-morrow's dinner and it was long after dark when I got through with the chores Marj. and I were both dead-tired to-night. She hasn't been feeling at all well lately. I went down to the brow of the hill below the orchard and cut a poplar that I noticed had the top broken, and carried it up on my shoulder's and my back has ached ever since

Sunday November 15th

I didn't do any thing much to-day but a few chores inside the house and outside including sweeping out the school house and lay around most of the after noon. I was up with the kids three or four times during the night so didn't feel very energetic, but it was a horrible day anyway, cloudy and drizzly though not cold. Dad. came over late this after noon to tell me that Niel Elliot had offered him sixty dollars for old Elgitha but he thought may be Carl. would give more but if Niel sends over in the morning offering sixty-five he says he will have to take her down as he put that price on her. Poor old Elgitha, our first pure bred and we were proud of her, the herd shows her blood at a glance.