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.