LIFE IN THE BACKWOODS, A SEQUEL TO

ROUGHING IT IN THE BUSH. 

BY SUSANNA MOODIE, Author of "LIFE IN THE CLEARINGS, " "FLORA LYNDSAY, ""GEOFFREY MONCTON, " etc. , etc. 

I sketch from Nature, and the picture's true;Whate'er the subject, whether grave or gay, Painful experience in a distant landMade it mine own. 

NEW YORK:

JOHN W. LOVELL COMPANY, 14 AND 16 VESEY STREET. 

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I. --A Journey to the Woods--Corduroy Roads--No Ghosts in CanadaCHAPTER II. --The Wilderness and our Indian Friends--The House on Fire--NoPapoose; the Mother all aloneCHAPTER III. --Running the Fallow--A Wall of Fire--"But God can save usyet. "CHAPTER IV. --Our Logging Bee--"Och! my ould granny taught me. "--SignalMerciesCHAPTER V. --A Trip to Stony Lake--A Feast in an Outhouse--The Squatter'sLog HutCHAPTER VI. --Disappointed Hopes--Milk, Bread and Potatoes our only Fare--The Deer HuntCHAPTER VII. --The Little Stumpy Man--Hiding from the Sheriff--Anill-natured volunteerCHAPTER VIII. --The Fire--"Oh, dear Mamma, do save Papa's Flute"--"No timeto be clane!"CHAPTER IX. --The Outbreak--Moodie joins the Volunteers--"Scribblin' andScrabblin' when you should be in bed"CHAPTER X. --The Whirlwind--Two Miles of Trees Levelled to the Ground--SickChildrenCHAPTER XI. --The Walk to Dummer--Honest, Faithful Jenny--A sad History--Tried and Found most FaithfulCHAPTER XII. --A Change in our Prospects--In a Canoe--Nearing the Rapids--Dandelion CoffeeCHAPTER XIII. --The Magic Spell--"The Sleighs are Come!"--Leaving theBush--End of Life in the Backwoods

LIFE IN THE BACKWOODS

A SEQUEL TO

ROUGHING IT IN THE BUSH. 

 * * * * *

CHAPTER I. 

A JOURNEY TO THE WOODS. 

 'Tis well for us poor denizens of earth That God conceals the future from our gaze; Or Hope, the blessed watcher on Life's tower, Would fold her wings, and on the dreary waste Close the bright eye that through the murky clouds Of blank Despair still sees the glorious sun. 

It was a bright, frosty morning when I bade adieu to the farm, thebirthplace of my little Agnes, who, nestled beneath my cloak, was sweetlysleeping on my knee, unconscious of the long journey before us into thewilderness. The sun had not as yet risen. Anxious to get to our place ofdestination before dark, we started as early as we could. Our own fineteam had been sold the day before for forty pounds; and one of ourneighbours, a Mr. D____, was to convey us and our household goods to Dourofor the sum of twenty dollars. During the week he had made severaljourneys, with furniture and stores; and all that now remained was to beconveyed to the woods in two large lumber-sleighs, one driven by himself, the other by a younger brother. 

It was not without regret that I left Melsetter, for so my husband hadcalled the place, after his father's estate in Orkney. It was a beautiful, picturesque spot; and, in spite of the evil neighbourhood, I had learnedto love it; indeed, it was much against my wish that it was sold. I had agreat dislike to removing, which involves a necessary loss, and is apt togive to the emigrant roving and unsettled habits. But all regrets were nowuseless; and happily unconscious of the life of toil and anxiety thatawaited us in those dreadful woods, I tried my best to be cheerful, and toregard the future with a hopeful eye. 

Our driver was a shrewd, clever man, for his opportunities. He took chargeof the living cargo, which consisted of my husband, our maid-servant, thetwo little children, and myself--besides a large hamper, full of poultry--a dog, and a cat. The lordly sultan of the imprisoned seraglio thought fitto conduct himself in a very eccentric manner, for at every barnyard wehappened to pass, he clapped his wings, and crowed so long and loud thatit afforded great amusement to the whole party, and doubtless was veryedifying to the poor hens, who lay huddled together as mute as mice. 

"That 'ere rooster thinks he's on the top of the heap, " said our driver, laughing. "I guess he's not used to travelling in a close conveyance. Listen! How all the crowers in the neighbourhood give him back a note ofdefiance! But he knows that he's safe enough at the bottom of the basket. "

The day was so bright for the time of year (the first week in February), that we suffered no inconvenience from the cold. Little Katie wasenchanted with the jingling of the sleigh-bells, and, nestled among thepackages, kept singing or talking to the horses in her baby lingo. Trifling as these little incidents were, before we had proceeded ten mileson our long journey, they revived my drooping spirits, and I began to feela lively interest in the scenes through which we were passing. 

The first twenty miles of the way was over a hilly and well-clearedcountry; and as in winter the deep snow fills up the inequalities, andmakes all roads alike, we glided as swiftly and steadily along as if theyhad been the best highways in the world. Anon, the clearings began todiminish, and tall woods arose on either side of the path; their solemnaspect, and the deep silence that brooded over their vast solitudes, inspiring the mind with a strange awe. Not a breath of wind stirred theleafless branches, whose huge shadows, reflected upon the dazzling whitecovering of snow, lay so perfectly still, that it seemed as if Nature hadsuspended her operations, that life and motion had ceased, and that shewas sleeping in her winding-sheet, upon the bier of death. 

"I guess you will find the woods pretty lonesome, " said our driver, whosethoughts had been evidently employed on the same subject as our own. "Wewere once in the woods, but emigration has stepped ahead of us, and madeour'n a cleared part of the country. When I was a boy, all this country, for thirty miles on every side of us, was bush land. As to Peterborough, the place was unknown; not a settler had ever passed through the greatswamp, and some of them believed that it was the end of the world. "

"What swamp is that?" asked I. 

"Oh, the great Cavan swamp. We are just two miles from it; and I tell youthe horses will need a good rest, and ourselves a good dinner, by the timewe are through it. Ah! Mrs. Moodie, if ever you travel that way in summer, you will know something about corduroy roads. I was 'most jolted to deathlast fall; I thought it would have been no bad notion to have insured myteeth before I left C____. I really expected that they would have beenshook out of my head before we had done manoeuvring over the big logs. "

"How will my crockery stand it in the next sleigh?" quoth I. "If the roadis such as you describe, I am afraid that I shall not bring a whole plateto Douro. "

"Oh! the snow is a great leveller--it makes all rough places smooth. Butwith regard to this swamp, I have something to tell you. About ten yearsago, no one had ever seen the other side of it; and if pigs or cattlestrayed away into it, they fell a prey to the wolves and bears, and wereseldom recovered. 

"An old Scotch emigrant, who had located himself on this side of it, sooften lost his beasts that he determined during the summer season to tryand explore the place, and see if there were any end to it. So he takes anaxe on his shoulder, and a bag of provisions for the week, not forgettinga flask of whiskey, and off he starts all alone, and tells his wife thatif he never returned, she and little Jock must try and carry on the farmwithout him; but he was determined to see the end of the swamp, even if itled to the other world. He fell upon a fresh cattle-track, which hefollowed all that day; and towards night he found himself in the heart ofa tangled wilderness of bushes, and himself half eaten up with mosquitoesand black-flies. He was more than tempted to give in, and return home bythe first glimpse of light. 

"The Scotch are a tough people; they are not easily daunted--a fewdifficulties only seem to make them more eager to get on; and he feltashamed the next moment, as he told me, of giving up. So he finds out alarge, thick cedar-tree for his bed, climbs up, and coiling himself amongthe branches like a bear, he was soon fast asleep. 

"The next morning, by daylight, he continued his journey, not forgettingto blaze with his axe the trees to the right and left as he went along. The ground was so spongy and wet that at every step he plunged up to hisknees in water, but he seemed no nearer the end of the swamp than he hadbeen the day before. He saw several deer, a raccoon, and a groundhog, during his walk, but was unmolested by bears or wolves. Having passedthrough several creeks, and killed a great many snakes, he felt so wearytowards the second day that he determined to go home the next morning. Butjust as he began to think his search was fruitless, he observed that thecedars and tamaracks which had obstructed his path became less numerous, and were succeeded by bass and soft maple. The ground, also, became lessmoist, and he was soon ascending a rising slope, covered with oak andbeech, which shaded land of the very best quality. The old man was nowfully convinced that he had cleared the great swamp; and that, instead ofleading to the other world, it had conducted him to a country that wouldyield the very best returns for cultivation. His favourable report led tothe formation of the road that we are about to cross, and to thesettlement of Peterborough, which is one of the most promising newsettlements in this district, and is surrounded by a splendid backcountry. "

We were descending a very steep hill, and encountered an ox-sleigh, whichwas crawling slowly up it in a contrary direction. Three people wereseated at the bottom of the vehicle upon straw, which made a cheapsubstitute for buffalo robes. Perched, as we were, upon the crown of theheight, we looked completely down into the sleigh, and during the wholecourse of my life I never saw three uglier mortals collected into such anarrow space. The man was blear-eyed, with a hare-lip, through whichprotruded two dreadful yellow teeth which resembled the tusks of a boar. The woman was long-faced, high cheek-boned, red-haired, and freckled allover like a toad. The boy resembled his hideous mother, but with theaddition of a villainous obliquity of vision which rendered him the mostdisgusting object in this singular trio. 

As we passed them, our driver gave a knowing nod to my husband, directing, at the same time, the most quizzical glance towards the strangers, as heexclaimed, "We are in luck, sir! I think that 'ere sleigh may be calledBeauty's egg-basket!"

We made ourselves very merry at the poor people's expense, and Mr. D____, with his odd stories and Yankeefied expressions, amused the tedium of ourprogress through the great swamp, which in summer presents for severalmiles one uniform bridge of rough and unequal logs, all laid looselyacross huge sleepers, so that they jumped up and down, when pressed by thewheels, like the keys of a piano. The rough motion and jolting occasionedby this collision is so distressing that it never fails to entail upon thetraveller sore bones and an aching head for the rest of the day. The pathis so narrow over these logs that two wagons cannot pass without greatdifficulty, which is rendered more dangerous by the deep natural ditcheson either side of the bridge, formed by broad creeks that flow out of theswamp, and often terminate in mud-holes of very ominous dimensions. Thesnow, however, hid from us all the ugly features of the road, and Mr. D____ steered us through it in perfect safety, and landed us at the doorof a little log house which crowned the steep hill on the other side ofthe swamp, and which he dignified with the name of a tavern. 

It was now two o'clock. We had been on the road since seven; and men, women, and children were all ready for the good dinner that Mr. D____ hadpromised us at this splendid house of entertainment, where we weredestined to stay for two hours, to refresh ourselves and rest the horses. 

"Well, Mrs. J____, what have you got for our dinner?" said the driver, after he had seen to the accommodation of his teams. 

"Pritters and pork, sir. Nothing else to be had in the woods. Thank God, we have enough of that!"

D____ shrugged up his shoulders, and looked at us. 

"We've plenty of that same at home. But hunger's good sauce. Come, bespry, widow, and see about it, for I am very hungry. "

I inquired for a private room for myself and the children, but there wereno private rooms in the house. The apartment we occupied was like thecobbler's stall in the old song, and I was obliged to attend upon them inpublic. 

"You have much to learn, ma'am, if you are going to the woods, " said Mrs. J____. 

"To unlearn, you mean, " said Mr. D____. "To tell you the truth, Mrs. Moodie, ladies and gentlemen have no business in the woods. Eddicationspoils man or woman for that location. So, widow (turning to our hostess), you are not tired of living alone yet?"

"No, sir; I have no wish for a second husband. I had enough of the first. I like to have my own way--to lie down mistress, and get up master. "

"You don't like to be put out of your _old_ way, " returned he, with amischievous glance. 

She coloured very red; but it might be the heat of the fire over which shewas frying the pork for our dinner. 

I was very hungry, but I felt no appetite for the dish she was preparingfor us. It proved salt, hard, and unsavoury. 

D____ pronounced it very bad, and the whiskey still worse, with which hewashed it down. 

I asked for a cup of tea and a slice of bread. But they were out of tea, and the hop-rising had failed, and there was no bread in the house. Forthis disgusting meal we paid at the rate of a quarter of a dollar a-head. 

I was glad when, the horses being again put to, we escaped from the rankodour of the fried pork, and were once more in the fresh air. 

"Well, mister; did not you grudge your money for that bad meat?" saidD____, when we were once more seated in the sleigh. "But in these parts, the worse the fare the higher the charge. "

"I would not hare cared, " said I, "if I could have got a cup of tea. "

"Tea! it's poor trash. I never could drink tea in my life. But I likecoffee, when 'tis boiled till it's quite black. But coffee is not goodwithout plenty of trimmings. "

"What do you mean by trimmings?"

He laughed. "Good sugar, and sweet cream. Coffee is not worth drinkingwithout trimmings. "

Often in after years have I recalled the coffee trimmings, whenendeavouring to drink the vile stuff which goes by the name of coffee inthe houses of entertainment in the country. 

We had now passed through the narrow strip of clearing which surroundedthe tavern, and again entered upon the woods. It was near sunset, and wewere rapidly descending a steep hill, when one of the traces that held oursleigh suddenly broke. D____ pulled up in order to repair the damage. Hisbrother's team was close behind, and our unexpected stand-still broughtthe horses upon us before J. D____ could stop them. I received so violenta blow from the head of one of them, just in the back of the neck, thatfor a few minutes I was stunned and insensible. When I recovered, I wassupported in the arms of my husband, over whose knees I was leaning, andD____ was rubbing my hands and temples with snow. 

"There, Mr. Moodie, she's coming to. I thought she was killed. I have seena man before now killed by a blow from a horse's head in the like manner. "As soon as we could, we resumed our places in the sleigh; but allenjoyment of our journey, had it been otherwise possible, was gone. 

When we reached Peterborough, Moodie wished us to remain at the inn allnight, as we had still eleven miles of our journey to perform, and thatthrough a blazed forest-road, little travelled, and very much impeded byfallen trees and other obstacles; but D____ was anxious to get back assoon as possible to his own home, and he urged us very pathetically toproceed. 

The moon arose during our stay at the inn, and gleamed upon the stragglingframe houses which then formed the now populous and thriving town ofPeterborough. We crossed the wild, rushing, beautiful Otonabee river by arude bridge, and soon found ourselves journeying over the plains or levelheights beyond the village, which were thinly wooded with picturesquegroups of oak and pine, and very much resembled a gentleman's park athome. Far below, to our right (for we were upon the Smith-town side) weheard the rushing of the river, whose rapid waters never receive curb fromthe iron chain of winter. Even while the rocky banks are coated with ice, and the frost-king suspends from every twig and branch the most beautifuland fantastic crystals, the black waters rush foaming along, a thick steamrising constantly above the rapids, as from a boiling pot. The shoresvibrate and tremble beneath the force of the impetuous flood, as it whirlsround cedar-crowned islands and opposing rocks, and hurries on to pour itstribute into the Rice Lake, to swell the calm, majestic grandeur of theTrent, till its waters are lost in the beautiful bay of Quinté, andfinally merged in the blue ocean of Ontario. 

The most renowned of our English rivers dwindle into little muddy rillswhen compared with the sublimity of the Canadian waters. No languagecan adequately express the solemn grandeur of her lake and river scenery;the glorious islands that float, like visions from fairy land, upon thebosom of these azure mirrors of her cloudless skies. No dreary breadthof marshes, covered with flags, hide from our gaze the expanse ofheaven-tinted waters; no foul mud-banks spread their unwholesomeexhalations around. The rocky shores are crowned with the cedar, thebirch, the alder, and soft maple, that dip their long tresses in the purestream; from every crevice in the limestone the harebell and Canadian rosewave their graceful blossoms. 

The fiercest droughts of summer may diminish the volume and power of theseromantic streams, but it never leaves their rocky channels bare, norchecks the mournful music of their dancing waves. Through the openings inthe forest, we now and then caught the silver gleam of the river tumblingon in moonlight splendour, while the hoarse chiding of the wind in thelofty pines above us gave a fitting response to the melancholy cadence ofthe waters. 

The children had fallen asleep. A deep silence pervaded the party. Nightwas above us with her mysterious stars. The ancient forest stretchedaround us on every side, and a foreboding sadness sunk upon my heart. Memory was busy with the events of many years. I retraced step by step thepilgrimage of my past life, until arriving at that passage in its sombrehistory, I gazed through tears upon the singularly savage scene around me, and secretly marvelled, "What brought me here??"

"Providence, " was the answer which the soul gave. "Not for your ownwelfare, perhaps, but for the welfare of your children, the unerring handof the great Father has led you here. You form a connecting link in thedestinies of many. It is impossible for any human creature to live forhimself alone. It may be your lot to suffer, but others will reap abenefit from your trials. Look up with confidence to Heaven, and the sunof hope will yet shed a cheering beam through the forbidden depths of thistangled wilderness. "

The road became so bad that Mr. D____ was obliged to dismount, and leadhis horses through the more intricate passages. The animals themselves, weary with their long journey and heavy load, proceeded at foot-fall. Themoon, too, had deserted us, and the only light we had to guide us throughthe dim arches of the forest was from the snow and the stars, which nowpeered down upon us through the leafless branches of the trees, withuncommon brilliancy. 

"It will be past midnight before we reach your brother's clearing, " (wherewe expected to spend the night, ) said D____. "I wish, Mr. Moodie, we hadfollowed your advice, and staid at Peterborough. How fares it with you, Mrs. Moodie, and the young ones? It is growing very cold. "

We were now in the heart of a dark cedar swamp, and my mind was hauntedwith visions of wolves and bears; but beyond the long, wild howl of asolitary wolf, no other sound awoke the sepulchral silence of that dismallooking wood. 

"What a gloomy spot, " said I to my husband. "In the old country, superstition would people it with ghosts. "

"Ghosts! There are no ghosts in Canada!" said Mr. D____. "The country istoo new for ghosts. No Canadian is afeard of ghosts. It is only in oldcountries, like your'n, that are full of sin and wickedness, that peoplebelieve in such nonsense. No human habitation has ever been erected inthis wood through which you are passing. Until a very few years ago, fewwhite persons had ever passed through it; and the Red Man would not pitchhis tent in such a place as this. Now, ghosts, as I understand the word, are the spirits of bad men, that are not allowed by Providence to rest intheir graves, but, for a punishment, are made to haunt the spots wheretheir worst deeds were committed. I don't believe in all this; but, supposing it to be true, bad men must have died here before their spiritscould haunt the place. Now, it is more than probable that no person everended his days in this forest, so that it would be folly to think ofseeing his ghost. "

This theory of Mr. D____'s had the merit of originality, and it is notimprobable that the utter disbelief in supernatural appearances, which iscommon to most native-born Canadians, is the result of the same veryreasonable mode of arguing. The unpeopled wastes of Canada must presentthe same aspect to the new settler that the world did to our first parentsafter their expulsion from the garden of Eden; all the sin which coulddefile the spot, or haunt it with the association of departed evil, isconcentrated in their own persons. Bad spirits cannot be supposed tolinger near a place where crime has never been committed. The belief inghosts, so prevalent in old countries, must first have had its foundationin the consciousness of guilt. 

After clearing this low, swampy portion of the wood, with much difficulty, and the frequent application of the axe, to cut away the fallen timberthat impeded our progress, our ears were assailed by a low, roaring, rushing sound, as of the falling of waters. 

"That is Herriot's Falls, " said our guide. "We are within two miles of ourdestination. "

Oh, welcome sound! But those two miles appeared more lengthy than thewhole journey. Thick clouds, that threatened a snow-storm, had blotted outthe stars, and we continued to grope our way through a narrow, rocky path, upon the edge of the river, in almost total darkness. I now felt thechillness of the midnight hour, and the fatigue of the long journey, withdouble force, and envied the servant and children, who had been sleepingever since we left Peterborough. We now descended the steep bank, andprepared to cross the rapids. 

Dark as it was, I looked with a feeling of dread upon the foaming watersas they tumbled over their bed of rocks, their white crests flashing, life-like, amid the darkness of the night. 

"This is an ugly bridge over such a dangerous place, " said D____, as hestood up in the sleigh and urged his tired team across the miserable, insecure log-bridge, where darkness and death raged below, and one falsestep of his jaded horses would have plunged us into both. I must confess Idrew a freer breath when the bridge was crossed, and D____ congratulatedus on our safe arrival in Douro. 

We now continued our journey along the left bank of the river, but when insight of Mr. S____'s clearing, a large pine-tree, which had newly fallenacross the narrow path, brought the teams to a stand-still. The mightytrunk which had lately formed one of the stately pillars in the sylvantemple of Nature, was of too large dimensions to chop in two with axes;and after half-an-hour's labour, which to me, poor, cold, weary wight!seemed an age, the males of the party abandoned the task in despair. To goround it was impossible; its roots were concealed in an impenetrable wallof cedar-jungle on the right-hand side of the road, and its huge brancheshung over the precipitous bank of the river. 

"We must try and make the horses jump over it, " said D____. "We may get anupset, but there is no help for it; we must either make the experiment, orstay here all night, and I am too cold and hungry for that--so here goes. "He urged his horses to leap the log; restraining their ardour for a momentas the sleigh rested on the top of the formidable barrier, but so nicelybalanced, that the difference of a straw would almost have overturned theheavily-laden vehicle and its helpless inmates. We, however, cleared it insafety. He now stopped, and gave directions to his brother to follow thesame plan that he had adopted; but whether the young man had lesscoolness, or the horses in his team were more difficult to manage, Icannot tell: the sleigh, as it hung poised upon the top of the log, wasoverturned with a loud crash, and all my household goods and chattels werescattered over the road. Alas, for my crockery and stone china! Scarcelyone article remained unbroken. 

"Never fret about the china, " said Moodie; "thank God, the man and thehorses are uninjured. "

I should have felt more thankful had the crocks been spared too; for, likemost of my sex, I had a tender regard for china, and I knew that no freshsupply could be obtained in this part of the world. Leaving his brother tocollect the scattered fragments, D____ proceeded on his journey. We leftthe road, and were winding our way over a steep hill, covered with heapsof brush and fallen timber, and as we reached the top, a light gleamedcheerily from the windows of a log house, and the next moment we were atmy brother's door. 

I thought my journey was at an end; but here I was doomed to freshdisappointment. His wife was absent on a visit to her friends, and it hadbeen arranged that we were to stay with my sister, Mrs. T____, and herhusband. With all this I was unacquainted; and I was about to quit thesleigh and seek the warmth of the fire when I was told that I had yetfurther to go. Its cheerful glow was to shed no warmth on me, and, tiredas I was, I actually buried my face and wept upon the neck of a houndwhich Moodie had given to Mr. S____, and which sprang up upon the sleighto lick my face and hands. This was my first halt in that wearywilderness, where I endured so many bitter years of toil and sorrow. Mybrother-in-law and his family had retired to rest, but they instantly roseto receive the way-worn travellers; and I never enjoyed more heartily awarm welcome after a long day of intense fatigue, than I did that night ofmy first sojourn in the backwoods. 

CHAPTER II. 

THE WILDERNESS, AND OUR INDIAN FRIENDS. 

The clouds of the preceding night, instead of dissolving into snow, brought on a rapid thaw. A thaw in the middle of winter is the mostdisagreeable change that can be imagined. After several weeks of clear, bright, bracing, frosty weather, with a serene atmosphere and cloudlesssky, you awake one morning surprised at the change in the temperature;and, upon looking out of the window, behold the woods obscured by amurky haze--not so dense as an English November fog, but more blackand lowering--and the heavens shrouded in a uniform covering ofleaden-coloured clouds, deepening into a vivid indigo at the edge of thehorizon. The snow, no longer hard and glittering, has become soft andspongy, and the foot slips into a wet and insidiously-yielding mass atevery step. From the roof pours down a continuous stream of water, and thebranches of the trees collecting the moisture of the reeking atmosphere, shower it upon the earth from every dripping twig. The cheerless anduncomfortable aspect of things without never fails to produce acorresponding effect upon the minds of those within, and casts such a dampupon the spirits that it appears to destroy for a time all sense ofenjoyment. Many persons (and myself among the number) are made aware ofthe approach of a thunder-storm by an intense pain and weight about thehead; and I have heard numbers of Canadians complain that a thaw alwaysmade them feel bilious and heavy, and greatly depressed their animalspirits. 

I had a great desire to visit our new location, but when I looked out uponthe cheerless waste, I gave up the idea, and contented myself with hopingfor a better day on the morrow; but many morrows came and went before afrost again hardened the road sufficiently for me to make the attempt. 

The prospect from the windows of my sister's log hut was not veryprepossessing. The small lake in front, which formed such a pretty objectin summer, now looked like an extensive field covered with snow, hemmed infrom the rest of the world by a dark belt of sombre pine-woods. Theclearing round the house was very small, and only just reclaimed from thewilderness, and the greater part of it covered with piles of brushwood, tobe burned the first dry days of spring. The charred and blackened stumpson the few acres that had been cleared during the preceding year wereevery thing but picturesque; and I concluded, as I turned, disgusted, fromthe prospect before me, that there was very little beauty to be found inthe backwoods. But I came to this decision during a Canadian thaw, be itremembered, when one is wont to view every object with jaundiced eyes. 

Moodie had only been able to secure sixty-six acres of his governmentgrant upon the Upper Kutchawanook Lake, which, being interpreted, means inEnglish, the "Lake of the Waterfalls, " a very poetical meaning, which mostIndian names have. He had, however, secured a clergy reserve of twohundred acres adjoining; and he afterwards purchased a fine lot whichlikewise formed a part of the same block, one hundred acres, for £150. [Footnote: After a lapse of fifteen years, we have been glad to sellthese lots of land, after considerable clearings had been made upon them, for less than they originally cost us. ] This was an enormously high pricefor wild land, but the prospect of opening the Trent and Otonabee for thenavigation of steamboats and other small craft, was at that period afavourite speculation, and its practicability, and the great advantages tobe derived from it, were so widely believed, as to raise the value of thewild lands along these remote waters to an enormous price; and settlers inthe vicinity were eager to secure lots, at any sacrifice, along theirshores. 

Our government grant was upon the lake shore, and Moodie had chosen forthe site of his log house a bank that sloped gradually from the edge ofthe water, until it attained to the dignity of a hill. Along the top ofthis ridge, the forest-road ran, and midway down the hill, our humblehome, already nearly completed, stood, surrounded by the eternal forest. A few trees had been cleared in its immediate vicinity, just sufficient toallow the workmen to proceed, and to prevent the fall of any tree injuringthe building, or the danger of its taking fire during the process ofburning the fallow. 

A neighbour had undertaken to build this rude dwelling by contract, andwas to have it ready for us by the first week in the new year. The want ofboards to make the divisions in the apartments alone hindered him fromfulfilling his contract. These had lately been procured, and the house wasto be ready for our reception in the course of a week. Our trunks andbaggage had already been conveyed by Mr. D____ hither; and in spite of mysister's kindness and hospitality, I longed to find myself once moresettled in a home of my own. 

The day after our arrival, I was agreeably surprised by a visit fromMonaghan, whom Moodie had once more taken into his service. The poorfellow was delighted that his nurse-child, as he always called littleKatie, had not forgotten him, but evinced the most lively satisfaction atthe sight of her dark friend. 

Early every morning, Moodie went off to the house; and the first fine day, my sister undertook to escort me through the wood, to inspect it. Theproposal was joyfully accepted; and although I felt _rather_ timid when Ifound myself with only my female companion in the vast forest, I kept myfears to myself, lest I should be laughed at. This foolish dread ofencountering wild beasts in the woods, I never could wholly shake off, even after becoming a constant resident in their gloomy depths, andaccustomed to follow the forest-path, alone, or attended with littlechildren, daily. The cracking of an old bough, or the hooting of the owl, was enough to fill me with alarm, and try my strength in a precipitateflight. Often have I stopped and reproached myself for want of faith inthe goodness of Providence, and repeated the text, "The wicked are afraidwhen no man pursueth: but the righteous are as bold as a lion, " as if toshame myself into courage. But it would not do; I could not overcome theweakness of the flesh. If I had one of my infants with me, the wish toprotect the child from any danger which might beset my path gave me for atime a fictitious courage; but it was like love fighting with despair. 

It was in vain that my husband assured me that no person had ever beenattacked by wild animals in the woods, that a child might traverse themeven at night in safety; whilst I knew that wild animals existed in thosewoods, I could not believe him, and my fears on this head rather increasedthan diminished. 

The snow had been so greatly decreased by the late thaw, that it had beenconverted into a coating of ice, which afforded a dangerous and slipperyfooting. My sister, who had resided for nearly twelve months in the woods, was provided for her walk with Indian moccasins, which rendered her quiteindependent; but I stumbled at every step. The sun shone brightly, the airwas clear and invigorating, and, in spite of the treacherous ground and myfoolish fears, I greatly enjoyed my first walk in the woods. Naturally ofa cheerful, hopeful disposition, my sister was enthusiastic in heradmiration of the woods. She drew such a lively picture of the charms of asummer residence in the forest that I began to feel greatly interested inher descriptions, and to rejoice that we too were to be her nearneighbours and dwellers in the woods; and this circumstance not a littlereconciled me to the change. 

Hoping that my husband would derive an income equal to the one he hadparted with from the investment of the price of his commission in thesteamboat stock, I felt no dread of want. Our legacy of £700 had affordedus means to purchase land, build our house, and give out a large portionof land to be cleared, and, with a considerable sum of money still inhand, our prospects for the future were in no way discouraging. 

When we reached the top of the ridge that overlooked our cot, my sisterstopped, and pointed out a large dwelling among the trees. "There, S____, "she said, "is your home. When that black cedar swamp is cleared away, thatnow hides the lake from us, you will have a very, pretty view. " Myconversation with her had quite altered the aspect of the country, andpredisposed me to view things in the most favourable light. I found Moodieand Monaghan employed in piling up heaps of bush near the house, whichthey intended to burn off by hand previous to firing the rest of thefallow, to prevent any risk to the building from fire. The house was madeof cedar logs, and presented a superior air of comfort to most dwellingsof the same kind. The dimensions were thirty-six feet in length, andthirty-two in breadth, which gave us a nice parlour, a kitchen, and twosmall bedrooms, which were divided by plank partitions. Pantry orstoreroom there was none; some rough shelves in the kitchen, and a dealcupboard n a corner of the parlour, being the extent of our accommodationsin that way. 

Our servant, Mary Tate, was busy scrubbing out the parlour and bedroom;but the kitchen, and the sleeping-room off it, were still knee-deep inchips, and filled with the carpenter's bench and tools, and all ourluggage. Such as it was, it was a palace when compared to Old Satan's loghut, or the miserable cabin we had wintered in during the severe winter of1833, and I regarded it with complacency as my future home. 

While we were standing outside the building, conversing with my husband, ayoung gentleman, of the name of Morgan, who had lately purchased land inthat vicinity, went into the kitchen to light his pipe at the stove, and, with true backwood carelessness, let the hot cinder fall among the drychips that strewed the floor. A few minutes after, the whole mass was in ablaze, and it was not without great difficulty that Moodie and Mr. R____succeeded in putting out the fire. Thus were we nearly deprived of ourhome before we had taken up our abode in it. 

The indifference to the danger of fire in a country where most of thedwellings are composed of inflammable materials, is truly astonishing. Accustomed to see enormous fires blazing on every hearth-stone, and tosleep in front of these fires, his bedding often riddled with holes madeby hot particles of wood flying out during the night, and igniting beneathhis very nose, the sturdy backwoodsman never dreads an enemy in theelement that he is used to regard as his best friend. Yet what awfulaccidents, what ruinous calamities arise, out of this criminal negligence, both to himself and others!

A few days after this adventure, we bade adieu to my sister, and tookpossession of our new dwelling and commenced "a life in the woods. "

The first spring we spent in comparative ease and idleness. Our cows hadbeen left upon our old place during the winter. The ground had to becleared before it could receive a crop of any kind, and I had little to dobut to wander by the lake shore, or among the woods, and amuse myself. These were the halcyon days of the bush. My husband had purchased a verylight cedar canoe, to which he attached a keel a sail; and most of ourleisure hours, directly the snows melted, were spent upon the water. 

These fishing and shooting excursions were delightful. The pure beauty ofthe Canadian water, the sombre but august grandeur of the vast forest thathemmed us in on every side and shut us out from the rest of the world, soon cast a magic spell upon our spirits, and we began to feel charmedwith the freedom and solitude around us. Every object was new to us. Wefelt as if we were the first discoverers of every beautiful flower andstately tree that attracted our attention, and we gave names to fantasticrocks and fairy isles, and raised imaginary houses and bridges on everypicturesque spot which we floated past during our aquatic excursions. Ilearned the use of the paddle, and became quite a proficient in the gentlecraft. 

It was not long before we received visits from the Indians, a people whosebeauty, talents, and good qualities have been somewhat overrated, andinvested with a poetical interest which they scarcely deserve. Theirhonesty and love of truth are the finest traits in characters otherwisedark and unlovely. But these are two God-like attributes, and from themspring all that is generous and ennobling about them. 

There never was a people more sensible of kindness, or more grateful forany little act of benevolence exercised towards them. We met them withconfidence; our dealings with them were conducted with the strictestintegrity; and they became attached to our persons, and in no singleinstance ever destroyed the good opinion we entertained of them. 

The tribes that occupy the shores of all these inland waters back of thegreat lakes, belong to the Chippewa or Missasagua Indians, perhaps theleast attractive of all these wild people, both with regard to theirphysical and mental endowments. The men of this tribe are generally smallof stature, with very coarse and repulsive features. The forehead is lowand retreating, the observing faculties large, the intellectual onesscarcely developed; the ears large, and standing off from the face; theeyes looking towards the temples, keen, snake-like, and far apart; thecheek-bones prominent; the nose long and flat, the nostrils very round;the jaw-bone projecting, massy, and brutal; the mouth expressing ferocityand sullen determination; the teeth large, even, and dazzilngly white. Themouth of the female differs widely in expression from that of the male;the lips are fuller, the jaw less projecting, and the smile is simple andagreeable. The women are a merry, light-hearted set, and their constantlaugh and incessant prattle form a strange contrast to the irontaciturnity of their grim lords. 

Now I am upon the subject, I will recapitulate a few traits and sketchesof these people, as they came under my own immediate observation. 

A dry cedar swamp, not far from the house, by the lake shore, had beentheir usual place of encampment for many years. The whole block of landwas almost entirely covered with maple-trees, and had originally been anIndian sugar-bush. Although the favourite spot had now passed into thehands of strangers, they still frequented the place, to make canoes andbaskets, to fish and shoot, and occasionally to follow their oldoccupation. Scarcely a week passed away without my being visited by thedark strangers; and as my husband never allowed them to eat with theservants, but brought them to his own table, they soon grew friendly andcommunicative, and would point to every object that attracted theirattention, asking a thousand questions as to its use, the material ofwhich it was made, and if we were inclined to exchange it for theircommodities? With a large map of Canada, they were infinitely delighted. In a moment they recognized every bay and headland in Ontario, and almostscreamed with delight when, following the course of the Trent with theirfingers, they came to their own lake. 

How eagerly each pointed out the spot to his fellows; how intently theirblack heads were bent down, and their dark eyes fixed upon the map! Whatstrange, uncouth exclamations of surprise burst from their lips as theyrapidly repeated the Indian names for every lake and river on thiswonderful piece of paper!

The old chief, Peter Nogan, begged hard for the coveted treasure. He wouldgive "Canoe, venison, duck, fish, for it; and more, by and by. "

I felt sorry that I was unable to gratify his wishes; but the map had costupwards of six dollars, and was daily consulted by my husband, inreference to the names and situations of localities in the neighbourhood. 

I had in my possession a curious Japanese sword, which had been given tome by an uncle of Tom Wilson's--a strange gift to a young lady; but it wason account of its curiosity, and had no reference to my warlikepropensities. This sword was broad, and three-sided in the blade, and inshape resembled a moving snake. The hilt was formed of a hideous carvedimage of one of their war-gods; and a more villainous wretch was neverconceived by the most distorted imagination. He was represented in asitting attitude, the eagle's claws, that formed his hands, resting uponhis knees; his legs terminated in lion's paws; and his face was a strangecompound of beast and bird--the upper part of his person being coveredwith feathers, the lower with long, shaggy hair. The case of this awfulweapon was made of wood, and, in spite of its serpentine form, fitted itexactly. No trace of a join could be found in this scabbard, which was ofhard wood, and highly polished. 

One of my Indian friends found this sword lying upon the book-shelf, andhe hurried to communicate the important discovery to his companions. Moodie was absent, and they brought it to me to demand an explanation ofthe figure that formed the hilt. I told them that it was a weapon thatbelonged to a very fierce people who lived in the East, far over the GreatSalt Lake; that they were not Christians, as we were, but said theirprayers to images made of silver, and gold, and ivory, and wood, and thatthis was one of them; that before they went into battle they said theirprayers to that hideous thing, which they had made with their own hands. The Indians were highly amused by this relation, and passed the sword fromone to the other, exclaiming, "A god!--Owgh!--A god!"

But, in spite of these outward demonstrations of contempt, I was sorry toperceive that this circumstance gave the weapon a great value in theireyes, and they regarded it with a sort of mysterious awe. 

For several days they continued to visit the house, bringing alongwith them some fresh companion to look at Mrs. Moodie's _god!_--until, vexed and annoyed by the delight they manifested at the sight of theeagle-beaked monster, I refused to gratify their curiosity by notproducing him again. 

The manufacture of the sheath, which had caused me much perplexity, wasexplained by old Peter in a minute. "'Tis burnt out, " he said. "Instrumentmade like sword--heat red-hot--burnt through--polished outside. "

Had I demanded a whole fleet of canoes for my Japanese sword, I am certainthey would have agreed to the bargain. The Indian possesses great taste, which is displayed in the carving of his paddles, in the shape of hiscanoes, in the elegance and symmetry of his bows, in the cut of hisleggings and moccasins, the sheath of his hunting-knife, and in all thelittle ornaments in which he delights. It is almost impossible for asettler to imitate to perfection an Indian's cherry-wood paddle. Myhusband made very creditable attempts, but still there was somethingwanting--the elegance of the Indian finish was not there. If you showthem a good print, they invariably point out the most natural and thebest-executed figure in the group. They are particularly delighted withpictures, examine them long and carefully, and seem to feel an artist-likepleasure in observing the effect produced by light and shade. 

I had been showing John Nogan, the eldest son of old Peter, some beautifulcoloured engravings of celebrated females; and to my astonishment hepounced upon the best, and grunted out his admiration in the most approvedIndian fashion. After having looked for a long time at all the picturesvery attentively, he took his dog Sancho upon his knee, and showed him thepictures, with as much gravity as if the animal really could have sharedin his pleasure. The vanity of these grave men is highly amusing. Theyseem perfectly unconscious of it themselves; and it is exhibited in themost childlike manner. 

Peter and his son John were taking tea with us, when we were joined by mybrother Mr. S____. The latter was giving us an account of the marriage ofPeter Jones, the celebrated Indian preacher. 

"I cannot think, " he said, "how any lady of propeity and education couldmarry such a man as Jones. Why, he's as ugly as Peter here. "

This was said, not with any idea of insulting the red-skin on the score ofhis beauty, of which he possessed not the smallest particle, but in totalforgetfulness that our guest understood English. Never shall I forget thered flash of that fierce, dark eye as it glared upon my unconsciousbrother. I would not have received such a fiery glance for all the wealththat Peter Jones obtained with his Saxon bride. John Nogan was highlyamused by his father's indignation. He hid his face behind the chief; andthough he kept perfectly still, his whole frame was convulsed withsuppressed laughter. 

A plainer human being than poor Peter could scarcely be imagined; yet hecertainly deemed himself handsome. I am inclined to think that their ideasof personal beauty differ very widely from ours. Tom Nogan, the chief'sbrother, had a very large, fat ugly squaw for his wife. She was a mountainof tawny flesh; and, but for the innocent, good-natured expression, which, like a bright sunbeam penetrating a swarthy cloud, spread all around akindly glow, she might have been termed hideous. 

This woman they considered very handsome, calling her "a fine squaw--clever squaw--a much good woman;" though in what her superiorityconsisted, I never could discover, often as I visited the wigwam. She wasvery dirty, and appeared quite indifferent to the claims of common decency(in the disposal of the few filthy rags that covered her). She was, however, very expert in all Indian craft. No Jew could drive a betterbargain than Mrs. Tom; and her urchins, of whom she was the happy motherof five or six, were as cunning and avaricious as herself. One day shevisited me, bringing along with her a very pretty covered basket for sale. I asked her what she wanted for it, but could obtain from her nosatisfactory answer. I showed her a small piece of silver. She shook herhead. I tempted her with pork and flour, but she required neither. I hadjust given up the idea of dealing with her, in despair, when she suddenlyseized upon me, and, lifting up my gown, pointed exultingly to my quiltedpetticoat, clapping her hands, and laughing immoderately. 

Another time she led me all over the house, to show me what she wanted inexchange for _basket_. My patience was well nigh exhausted in followingher from place to place, in her attempt to discover the coveted article, when, hanging upon a peg in my chamber, she espied a pair of trowsersbelonging to my husband's logging-suit. The riddle was solved. With ajoyful cry she pointed to them, exclaiming "Take basket. --Give them!" Itwas with no small difficulty that I rescued the indispensables from hergrasp. 

From this woman I learned a story of Indian coolness and courage whichmade a deep impression on my mind. One of their squaws, a near relation ofher own, had accompanied her husband on a hunting expedition into theforest. He had been very successful, and having killed more deer than theycould well carry home, he went to the house of a white man to dispose ofsome of it, leaving the squaw to take care of the rest until his return. She sat carelessly upon the log with his hunting-knife in her hand, whenshe heard the breaking of branches near her, and, turning round, beheld agreat bear only a few paces from her. 

It was too late to retreat; and seeing that the animal was very hungry, and determined to come to close quarters, she rose, and placed her backagainst a small tree, holding her knife close to her breast, and in astraight line with the bear. The shaggy monster came on. She remainedmotionless, her eyes steadily fixed upon her enemy, and as his huge armsclosed around her, she slowly drove the knife into his heart. The bearuttered a hideous cry, and sank dead at her feet. When the Indianreturned, he found the courageous woman taking the skin from the carcassof the formidable brute. 

The wolf they hold in great contempt, and scarcely deign to consider himas an enemy. Peter Nogan assured me that he never was near enough to onein his life to shoot it; that, except in large companies, and when greatlypressed by hunger, they rarely attack men. They hold the lynx, orwolverine, in much dread, as they often spring from trees upon their prey, fastening upon the throat with their sharp teeth and claws, from which aperson in the dark could scarcely free himself without first receiving adangerous wound. The cry of this animal is very terrifying, resembling theshrieks of a human creature in mortal agony. 

My husband was anxious to collect some of the native Indian airs, as theyall sing weil, and have a fine ear for music, but all his efforts provedabortive. "John, " he said to young Nogan (who played very creditably onthe flute, and had just concluded the popular air of "Sweet Home"), "cannot you play me one of jour own songs?"

"Yes, --but no good. "

"Leave me to be the judge of that. Cannot you give me a war-song?"

"Yes, --but no good, " with an ominous shake of the head. 

"A hunting-song?"

"No fit for white man. "--with an air of contempt. --"No good, no good!"

"Do, John, sing us a love-song, " said I, laughing, "if you have such athing in your language. "

"Oh! much love-song--very much--bad--bad--no good for Christian man. Indian song no good for white ears. " This was very tantalizing, as theirsongs sounded very sweet from the lips of their squaws, and I had a greatdesire and curiosity to get some of them rendered into English. 

To my husband they gave the name of "the musician, " but I have forgottenthe Indian word. It signified the maker of sweet sounds. They listenedwith intense delight to the notes of his flute, maintained a breathlesssilence during the performance; their dark eyes flashing in fierce lightat a martial strain, or softening with the plaintive and tender. 

The affection of Indian parents to their children, and the deferencewhich they pay to the aged, is a beautiful and touching trait in theircharacter. 

One extremely cold, wintry day, as I was huddled with my little ones overthe stove, the door softly unclosed, and the moccasined foot of an Indiancrossed the floor. I raised my head, for I was too much accustomed totheir sudden appearance at any hour to feel alarmed, and perceived a tallwoman standing silently and respectfully before me, wrapped in a largeblanket. The moment she caught my eye she dropped the folds of hercovering from around her, and laid at my feet the attenuated figure of aboy, about twelve years of age, who was in the last stage of consumption. 

"Papouse die, " she said, mournfully, clasping her hands against herbreast, and looking down upon the suffering lad with the most heartfeltexpression of maternal love, while large tears trickled down her darkface. "Moodie's squaw save papouse--poor Indian woman much glad. "

Her child was beyond all human aid. I looked anxiously upon him, and knew, by the pinched-up features and purple hue of his wasted cheek, that he hadnot many hours to live. I could only answer with tears her agonizingappeal to my skill. 

"Try and save him! All die but him. " (She held up five of her fingers. )"Brought him all the way from Mutta Lake [Footnote: Mud Lake, or Lake_Shemong_, in Indian. ] upon my back, for white squaw to cure. "

"I cannot cure him, my poor friend. He is in God's care; in a few hours hewill be with Him. "

The child was seized with a dreadful fit of coughing, which I expectedevery moment would terminate his frail existence. I gave him atea-spoonful of currant-jelly, which he took with avidity, but could notretain a moment on his stomach. 

"Papouse die, " murmured the poor woman; "alone--alone! No papouse; themother all alone. "

She began re-adjusting the poor sufferer in her blanket. I got her somefood, and begged her to stay and rest herself; but she was too muchdistressed to eat, and too restless to remain. She said little, but herface expressed the keenest anguish; she took up her mournful load, pressedfor a moment his wasted, burning hand in hers, and left the room. 

My heart followed her a long way on her melancholy journey. Think whatthis woman's love must have been for that dying son, when she had carrieda lad of his age six miles, through the deep snow upon her back, on such aday, in the hope of my being able to do him some good. Poor heartbrokenmother! I learned from Joe Muskrat's squaw some days after that the boydied a few minutes after Elizabeth Iron, his mother, got home. 

They never forget any little act of kindness. One cold night, late in thefall, my hospitality was demanded by six squaws, and puzzled I was how toaccommodate them all. I at last determined to give them the use of theparlour floor during the night. Among these women there was one very old, whose hair was as white as snow. She was the only gray-haired Indian Iever saw, and on that account I regarded her with peculiar interest. Iknew that she was the wife of a chief, by the scarlet embroideredleggings, which only the wives and daughters of chiefs are allowed towear. The old squaw had a very pleasing countenance, but I tried in vainto draw her into conversation. She evidently did not understand me; andthe Muskrat squaw, and Betty Cow, were laughing at my attempts to draw herout. I administered supper to them with my own hands, and after I hadsatisfied their wants, (which is no very easy task, for they have greatappetites, ) I told our servant to bring in several spare mattresses andblankets for their use. "Now mind, Jenny, and give the old squaw the bestbed, " I said; "the others are young and can put up with a littleinconvenience. "

The old Indian glanced at me with her keen, bright eye; but I had no ideathat she comprehended what I said. Some weeks after this, as I wassweeping over my parlour floor, a slight tap drew me to the door. Onopening it I perceived the old squaw, who immediately slipped into my handa set of beautifully-embroidered bark trays, fitting one within the other, and exhibiting the very best sample of the porcupine-quill work. While Istood wondering what this might mean, the good old creature fell upon myneck, and kissing me, exclaimed, "You remember old squaw--make hercomfortable! Old squaw no forget you. Keep them for her sake, " and beforeI could detain her she ran down the hill with a swiftness which seemed tobid defiance to years. I never saw this interesting Indian again, and Iconcluded that she died during the winter, for she must have been of agreat age. 

A friend was staying with us, who wished much to obtain a likeness ofOld Peter. I promised to try and make a sketch of the old man the nexttime he paid us a visit. That very afternoon he brought us some ducks inexchange for pork, and Moodie asked him to stay and take a glass ofwhiskey with him and his friend Mr. K____. The old man had arrayed himselfin a new blanket-coat, bound with red, and the seams all decorated withthe same gay material. His leggings and moccasins were new, andelaborately fringed; and, to cap the climax of the whole, he had a bluecloth conical cap upon his head, ornamented with a deer's tail dyed blue, and several cock's feathers. He was evidently very much taken up with themagnificence of his own appearance, for he often glanced at himself in asmall shaving-glass that hung opposite, with a look of grave satisfaction. Sitting apart that I might not attract his observation, I got a tolerablyfaithful likeness of the old man, which, after sightly colouring, to showmore plainly his Indian finery, I quietly handed over to Mr. K____. Sly asI thought myself, my occupation and the object of it had not escaped thekeen eye of the old man. He rose, came behind Mr. K____'s chair, andregarded the picture with a most affectionate eye. I was afraid that hewould be angry at the liberty I had taken. No such thing! He was aspleased as Punch. 

"That Peter?" he grunted. "Give me--put up in wigwam--make dog too!Owgh! owgh!" and he rubbed his hands together, and chuckled with delight. Mr. K____ had some difficulty in coaxing the picture from the old chief;so pleased was he with this rude representation of himself. He pointed toevery particular article of his dress, and dwelt with peculiar glee on thecap and blue deer's tail. 

A few days after this, I was painting a beautiful little snow-bird, thatour man had shot out of a large flock that alighted near the door. I wasso intent upon my task, to which I was putting the finishing strokes, thatI did not observe the stealthy entrance (for they all walk like cats) of astern-looking red man, till a slender, dark hand was extended over mypaper to grasp the dead bird from which I was copying, and which asrapidly transferred it to the side of the painted one, accompanying theact with the deep guttural note of approbation, the unmusical, savage"Owgh. "

My guest then seated himself with the utmost gravity in a rocking-chair, directly fronting me, and made the modest demand that I should paint alikeness of him, after the following quaint fashion:

"Moodie's squaw know much--make Peter Nogan toder day on papare--makeJacob to-day--Jacob young--great hunter--give much duck--venison--tosquaw. "

Although I felt rather afraid of my fierce-looking visitor, Icould scarcely keep my gravity; there was such an air of pompousself-approbation about the Indian, such a sublime look of conceit in hisgrave vanity. 

"Moodie's squaw cannot do every thing; she cannot paint young men, " saidI, rising, and putting away my drawing materials, upon which he kept hiseye intently fixed, with a hungry, avaricious expression. I thought itbest to place the coveted objects beyond his reach. After sitting for sometime, and watching all my movements, he withdrew, with a sullen, disappointed air. This man was handsome, but his expression was vile. Though he often came to the house, I never could reconcile myself to hiscountenance. 

Late one very dark, stormy night, three Indians begged to be allowed tosleep by the kitchen stove. The maid was frightened out of her wits at thesight of these strangers, who were Mohawks from the Indian woods upon theBay of Quinté, and they brought along with them a horse and cutter. The night was so stormy, that, after consulting our man--Jacob Faithful, as we usually called him--I consented to grant their petition, althoughthey were quite strangers, and taller and fiercer-looking than our friendsthe Missasaguas. 

I was putting my children to bed, when the girl came rushing in, out ofbreath. "The Lord preserve us, madam, if one of these wild men has notpulled off his trowsers, and is a-sitting mending them behind the stove!and what shall I do?"

"Do?-why, stay with me, and leave the poor fellow to finish his work. "

The simple girl had never once thought of this plan of pacifying heroutraged sense of propriety. 

Their sense of hearing is so acute that they can distinguish sounds atan incredible distance, which cannot be detected by a European at all. I myself witnessed a singular exemplification of this fact. It wasmid-winter; the Indians had pitched their tent, or wigwam, as usual, inour swamp. All the males were absent on a hunting expedition up thecountry, and had left two women behind to take care of the camp and itscontents, Mrs. Tom Nogan and her children, and Susan Moore, a young girlof fifteen, and the only truly beautiful squaw I ever saw. There wassomething interesting about this girl's history, as well as herappearance. Her father had been drowned during a sudden hurricane, whichswamped his canoe on Stony Lake; and the mother, who witnessed theaccident from the shore, and was near her confinement with this child, boldly swam out to his assistance. She reached the spot where he sank, andeven succeeded in recovering the body; but it was too late; the man wasdead. 

The soul of an Indian that has been drowned is reckoned accursed, and heis never permitted to join his tribe on the happy hunting-grounds, but hisspirit haunts the lake or river in which he lost his life. His body isburied on some lonely island, which the Indians never pass without leavinga small portion of food, tobacco, or ammunition, to supply his wants; buthe is never interred with the rest of his people. His children areconsidered unlucky, and few willingly unite them selves to the females ofthe family, lest a poition of the father's curse should be visited onthem. 

The orphan Indian girl generally kept aloof from the rest, and seemed solonely and companionless, that she soon attracted my attention andsympathy, and a hearty feeling of good-will sprang up between us. Herfeatures were small and regular, her face oval, and her large, dark, loving eyes were full of tenderness and sensibility, but as bright and shyas those of the deer. A rich vermilion glow burnt upon her olive cheek andlips, and set off the dazzling whiteness of her even and pearly teeth. Shewas small of stature, with delicate little hands and feet, and her figurewas elastic and graceful. She was a beautiful child of nature, and herIndian name signified "the voice of angry waters. " Poor girl, she had beena child of grief and tears from her birth! Her mother was a Mohawk, fromwhom she, in all probability, derived her superior personal attractions;for they are very far before the Missasaguas in this respect. 

My friend and neighbour, Emilia S____, the wife of a naval officer, wholived about a mile distant from me, through the bush, had come to spendthe day with me; and hearing that the Indians were in the swamp, and themen away, we determined to take a, few trifles to the camp, in the way ofpresents, and spend an hour in chatting with the squaws. 

What a beautiful moonlight night it was, as light as day!--the greatforest sleeping tranquilly beneath the cloudless heavens--not a sound todisturb the deep repose of nature but the whispering of the breeze, which, during the most profound calm, creeps through the lofty pine tops. Webounded down the steep bank to the lake shore. Life is a blessing, aprecious boon indeed, in such an hour, and we felt happy in the mereconsciousness of existence--the glorious privilege of pouring out thesilent adoration of the heart to the Great Father in his universal temple. 

On entering the wigwam, which stood within a few yards of the clearing, inthe middle of a thick group of cedars, we found Mrs. Tom alone with herelvish children, seated before the great fire that burned in the centre ofthe camp; she was busy boiling some bark in an iron spider. The littleboys, in red flannel shirts, which were their only covering, weretormenting a puppy, which seemed to take their pinching and pommelling ingood part, for it neither attempted to bark nor to bite, but like the eelsin the story, submitted to the infliction because it was used to it. Mrs. Tom greeted us with a grin of pleasure, and motioned us to sit down upon abuffalo skin, which, with a courtesy so natural to the Indians, she hadplaced near her for our accommodation. 

"You are all alone, " said I, glancing round the camp. "Ye'es; Indian awayhunting--Upper Lakes. Come home with much deer. "

"And Susan, where is she?"

"By and by, " (meaning that she was coming). "Gone to fetch water--icethick--chop with axe--take long time. "

As she ceased speaking, the old blanket that formed the door of the tentwas withdrawn, and the girl, bearing two pails of water, stood in the openspace, in the white moonlight. The glow of the fire streamed upon herdark, floating locks, danced in the black, glistening eye, and gave adeeper blush to the olive cheek! She would have made a beautiful picture;Sir Joshua Reynolds would have rejoiced in such a model--so simplygraceful and unaffected, the very _beau idéal_ of savage life andunadorned nature. A smile of recognition passed between us. She put downher burden beside Mrs. Tom, and noiselessly glided to her seat. 

We had scarcely exchanged a few words with our favourite, when the oldsquaw, placing her hand against her ear, exclaimed, "Whist! whist!"

"What is it?" cried Emilia and I, starting to our feet, "Is there anydanger?"

"A deer--a deer--in bush!" whispered the squaw, seizing a rifle that stoodin a corner. "I hear sticks crack--a great way off. Stay here!"

A great way off the animal must have been, for though Emilia and Ilistened at the open door, an advantage which the squaw did not enjoy, wecould not hear the least sound: all seemed still as death. The squawwhistled to an old hound, and went out. 

"Did you hear any thing, Susan?"

She smiled, and nodded. 

"Listen; the dog has found the track. "

The next moment the discharge of a rifle, and the deep baying of the dog, woke up the sleeping echoes of the woods; and the girl started off to helpthe old squaw to bring in the game that she had shot. 

The Indians are great imitators, and possess a nice tact in adopting thecustoms and manners of those with whom they associate. An Indian isNature's gentleman--never familiar, coarse, or vulgar. If he take a mealwith you, he waits to see how you make use of the implements on the table, and the manner in which you eat, which he imitates with a grave decorum, as if he had been accustomed to the same usage from childhood. He neverattempts to help himself, or demand more food, but waits patiently untilyou perceive what he requires. I was perfectly astonished at this innatepoliteness, for it seems natural to all the Indians with whom I have hadany dealings. 

There was one old Indian, who belonged to a distant settlement, and onlyvisited our lakes occasionally on hunting parties. He was a strange, eccentric, merry old fellow, with a skin like red mahogany, and a wiry, sinewy frame, that looked as if it could bid defiance to every change oftemperature. Old Snow-storm, for such was his significant name, was rathertoo fond of the whiskey-bottle, and when he had taken a drop too much, hebecame an unmanageable wild beast. He had a great fancy for my husband, and never visited the other Indians without extending the same favour tous. Once upon a time, he broke the nipple of his gun; and Moodie repairedthe injury for him by fixing a new one in its place, which little kindnessquite won the heart of the old man, and he never came to see us withoutbringing an offering of fish, ducks, partridges, or venison, to show hisgratitude. 

One warm September day, he made his appearance bareheaded, as usual, andcarrying in his hand a great checked bundle. 

"Fond of grapes?" said he, putting the said bundle into my hands. "Finegrapes--brought them from island, for my friend's squaw and papouses. "

Glad of the donation, which I considered quite a prize, I hastened intothe kitchen to untie the grapes and put them into a dish. But imagine mydisappointment, when I found them wrapped up in a soiled shirt, onlyrecently taken from the back of the owner. I called Moodie, and begged himto return Snow-storm his garment, and to thank him for the grapes. 

The mischievous creature was highly diverted with the circumstance, andlaughed immoderately. 

"Snow-storm, " said he, "Mrs. Moodie and the children are obliged to youfor your kindness in bringing them the grapes; but how came you to tiethem up in a dirty shirt?"

"Dirty!" cried the old man, astonished that we should object to the fruiton that score. "It ought to be clean; it has been washed often enough. Owgh! You see, Moodie, " he continued, "I have no hat--never wear hat--wantno shade to my eyes--love the sun--see all around me--up and down--muchbetter widout hat. Could not put grapes in hat--blanket-coat too large, crush fruit, juice run out. I had noting but my shirt, so I takes offshirt, and brings grape safe over the water on my back. Papouse no carefor dirty shirt; their _lee-tel bellies have no eyes_. "

In spite of this eloquent harangue, I could not bring myself to use thegrapes, ripe and tempting as they looked, or give them to the children. Mr. W____ and his wife happening to step in at that moment, fell into suchan ecstacy at the sight of the grapes, that, as they were perfectlyunacquainted with the circumstance of the shirt, I very _generously_gratified their wishes by presenting them with the contents of the largedish; and they never ate a bit less sweet for the novel mode in which theywere conveyed to me!

The Indians, under their quiet exterior, possess a deal of humour. Theyhave significant names for every thing, and a nickname for every one, andsome of the latter are laughably appropriate. A fat, pompous, ostentatioussettler in our neighbourhood they called _Muckakee_, "the bull-frog. "Another, rather a fine young man, but with a very red face, they named_Segoskee_, "the rising sun. " Mr. Wood, who had a farm above ours, was aremarkably slender young man, and to him they gave the appellation of_Metiz_, "thin stick. " A woman, that occasionally worked for me, had adisagreeable squint; she was known in Indian by the name of _Sachábó_, "cross-eye. " A gentleman with a very large nose was _Choojas_, "big, orugly nose. " My little Addie, who was a fair, lovely creature, they viewedwith great approbation, and called _Anoonk_, "a star;" while the rosyKatie was _Nogesigook, _ "the northern lights. " As to me, I was_Nonocosiqui_, a "humming-bird;" a ridiculous name for a tall woman, butit was reference to the delight I took in painting birds. My friend, Emilia, was "blue cloud;" my little Donald, "frozen face;" young C____, "the red-headed woodpecker, " from the colour of his hair; my brother, _Chippewa_, and "the bald-headed eagle. " He was an especial favouriteamong them. 

The Indians are often made a prey of and cheated by the unprincipledsettlers, who think it no crime to overreach a red skin. One anecdote willfully illustrate this fact. A young squaw, who was near becoming a mother, stopped at a Smith-town settler's house to rest herself. The woman of thehouse, who was Irish, was peeling for dinner some large white turnips, which her husband had grown in their garden. The Indian had never seen aturnip before, and the appearance of the firm, white, juicy root gave hersuch a keen craving to taste it that she very earnestly begged for a smallpiece to eat. She had purchased at Peterborough a large stone-china bowl, of a very handsome pattern, (or, perhaps, got it at the store in exchangefor a _basket_, ) the worth of which might be half-a-dollar. If the poorsquaw longed for the turnip, the value of which could scarcely reach acopper, the covetous European had fixed as longing a glance upon the chinabowl, and she was determined to gratify her avaricious desire and obtainit on the most easy terms. She told the squaw, with some disdain, that herman did not grow turnips to give away to "Injuns, " but she would sell herone. The squaw offered her four coppers, all the change she had about her. This the woman refused with contempt. She then proffered a basket; butthat was not sufficient; nothing would satisfy her but the bowl. TheIndian demurred; but opposition had only increased her craving for theturnip in a tenfold degree; and, after a short mental struggle, in whichthe animal propensity overcame the warnings of prudence, the squaw gave upthe bowl, and received in return _one turnip_. The daughter of this womantold me this anecdote of her mother as a very clever thing. What ideassome people have of moral justice!

I have said before that the Indian never forgets a kindness. We had athousand proofs of this, when, overtaken by misfortune, and witheringbeneath the iron grasp of poverty, we could scarcely obtain bread forourselves and our little ones; then it was that the truth of the Easternproverb was brought home to our hearts, and the goodness of God fullymanifested towards us, "Cast thy bread upon the waters, and thou shaltfind it after many days. " During better times we had treated these poorsavages with kindness and liberality, and when dearer friends lookedcoldly upon us they never forsook us. For many a good meal I have beenindebted to them, when I had nothing to give in return, when the pantrywas empty, and "the hearth-stone growing cold, " as they term the want ofprovisions to cook at it. And their delicacy in conferring these favourswas not the least admirable part of their conduct. John Nogan, who wasmuch attached to us, would bring a fine bunch of ducks, and drop them atmy feet "for the papouse, " or leave a large muskinonge on the sill of thedoor, or place a quarter of venison just within it, and slip away withoutsaying a word, thinking that receiving a present from a poor Indian mighthurt our feelings, and he would spare us the mortification of returningthanks. 

When an Indian loses one of his children, he must keep a strict fast forthree days, abstaining from food of any kind. A hunter, of the name ofYoung, told me a curious story of their rigid observance of this strangerite. 

"They had a chief, " he said, "a few years ago, whom they called 'HandsomeJack'--whether in derision, I cannot tell, for he was one of the ugliestIndians I ever saw. The scarlet fever got into the camp--a terribledisease in this country, and doubly terrible to those poor creatures whodon't know how to treat it. His eldest daughter died. The chief had fastedtwo days when I met him in the bush. I did not know what had happened, butI opened my wallet, for I was on a hunting expedition, and offered himsome bread and dried venison. He looked at me reproachfully. 

"Do white men eat bread the first night their papouse is laid in theearth?"

"I then knew the cause of his depression, and left him. "

On the night of the second day of his fast another child died of thefever. He had now to accomplish three more days without tasting food. It was too much even for an Indian. On the evening of the fourth, he wasso pressed by ravenous hunger, that he stole into the woods, caught abull-frog, and devoured it alive. He imagined himself alone, but one ofhis people, suspecting his intention, had followed him, unperceived, tothe bush. The act he had just committed was a hideous crime in their eyes, and in a few minutes the camp was in an uproar. The chief fled forprotection to Young's house. When the hunter demanded the cause of hisalarm, he gave for answer, "There are plenty of flies at my house. Toavoid their stings I came to you. "

It required all the eloquence of Mr. Young, who enjoyed much popularityamong them, to reconcile the rebellious tribe to their chief. 

They are very skilful in their treatment of wounds, and many diseases. Their knowledge of the medicinal qualities of their plants and herbs isvery great. They make excellent poultices from the bark of the bass andthe slippery-elm. They use several native plants in their dyeing ofbaskets and porcupine quills. The inner bark of the swamp-alder, simplyboiled in water, makes a beautiful red. From the root of the black brionythey obtain a fine salve for sores, and extract a rich yellow dye. Theinner bark of the root of the sumach, roasted, and reduced to powder, is agood remedy for the ague; a tea-spoonful given between the hot and coldfit. They scrape the fine white powder from the large fungus that growsupon the bark of the pine into whiskey, and take it for violent pains inthe stomach. The taste of this powder strongly reminded me of quinine. 

I have read much of the excellence of Indian cookery, but I never couldbring myself to taste any thing prepared in their dirty wigwams. Iremember being highly amused in watching the preparation of a mess, whichmight have been called the Indian hotch-potch. It consisted of a strangemixture of fish, flesh, and fowl, all boiled together in the same vessel. Ducks, partridges, muskinonge, venison, and muskrats, formed a part ofthis delectable compound. These were literally smothered in onions, potatoes, and turnips, which they had procured from me. They veryhospitably offered me a dishful of the odious mixture, which the odour ofthe muskrats rendered every thing but savoury; but I declined, simplystating that I was not hungry. My little boy tasted it, but quickly leftthe camp to conceal the effect it produced upon him. 

Their method of broiling fish, however, is excellent. They take a fish, just fresh out of the water, cut out the entrails, and, without removingthe scales, wash it clean, dry it in a cloth, or in grease, and cover itall over with clear hot ashes. When the flesh will part from the bone, they draw it out of the ashes, strip off the skin, and it is fit for thetable of the most fastidious epicure. 

The deplorable want of chastity that exists among the Indian women of thistribe seems to have been more the result of their intercourse with thesettlers in the country than from any previous disposition to this vice. The jealousy of their husbands has often been exercised in a terriblemanner against the offending squaws; but this has not happened of lateyears. The men wink at these derelictions in their wives, and share withthem the price of their shame. 

The mixture of European blood adds greatly to the physical beauty of thehalf-race, but produces a sad falling off from the original integrity ofthe Indian character. The half-caste is generally a lying, vicious roguel, possessing the worst qualities of both parents in an eminent degree. Wehave many of these half-Indians in the penitentiary, for crimes of theblackest dye. 

The skill of the Indian in procuring his game, either by land or water, has been too well described by better writers than I could ever hope tobe, to need any illustration from my pen, and I will close this longchapter with a droll anecdote which is told of a gentleman in thisneighbourhood. 

The early loss of his hair obliged Mr. ____ to procure the substitute of awig. This was such a good imitation of nature, that none but his intimatefriends and neighbours were aware of the fact. It happened that he had hadsome quarrel with an Indian, which had to be settled in one of the pettycourts. The case was decided in favour of Mr. ____, which so aggrieved thesavage, who considered himself the injured party, that he sprang upon himwith a furious yell, tomahawk in hand, with the intention of depriving himof his scalp. He twisted his hand in the locks which adorned the craniumof his adversary, when--horror of horrors!--the treacherous wig came offin his hand, "Owgh! owgh!" exclaimed the affrighted savage, flinging itfrom him, and rushing from the court as if he had been bitten by arattlesnake. His sudden exit was followed by peals of laughter from thecrowd, while Mr. ____ coolly picked up his wig, and dryly remarked that ithad saved his head. 

CHAPTER III. 

BURNING THE FALLOW. 

It is not my intention to give a regular history of our residence in thebush, but merely to present to my readers such events as may serve toillustrate a life in the woods. 

The winter and spring of 1834 had passed away. The latter was uncommonlycold and backward; so much so that we had a very heavy fall of snow uponthe 14th and 15th of May, and several gentlemen drove down to Cobourg in asleigh, the snow lying upon the ground to the depth of several inches. 

A late, cold spring in Canada is generally succeeded by a burning, hotsummer; and the summer of '34 was the hottest I ever remember. No rainfell upon the earth for many weeks, till nature drooped and witheredbeneath one bright blaze of sunlight; and the ague and fever in the woods, and the cholera in the large towns and cities, spread death and sicknessthrough the country. 

Moodie had made during the winter a large clearing of twenty acres aroundthe house. The progress of the workmen had been watched by me with thekeenest interest. Every tree that reached the ground opened a wider gap inthe dark wood, giving us a broader ray of light and a clearer glimpse ofthe blue sky. But when the dark cedar swamp fronting the house fellbeneath the strokes of the axe, and we got a first view of the lake my joywas complete: a new and beautiful object was now constantly before me, which gave me the greatest pleasure. By night and day, in sunshine or instorm, water is always the most sublime feature in a landscape, and noview can be truly grand in which it is wanting. From a child, it alwayshad the most powerful effect upon my mind, from the great ocean rolling inmajesty, to the tinkling forest rill, hidden by the flowers and rushesalong its banks. Half the solitude of my forest home vanished when thelake unveiled its bright face to the blue heavens, and I saw sun and moonand stars and waving trees reflected there. I would sit for hours at thewindow as the shades of evening deepened round me, watching the massyfoliage of the forests pictured in the waters, till fancy transported meback to England, and the songs of birds and the lowing of cattle weresounding in my ears. It was long, very long, before I could discipline mymind to learn and practise all the menial employments which are necessaryin a good settler's wife. 

The total absence of trees about the doors in all new settlements hadalways puzzled me, in a country where the intense heat of summer seems todemand all the shade that can be procured. My husband had left severalbeautiful rock-elms (the most picturesque tree in the country) near ourdwelling, but, alas! the first high gale prostrated all my fine trees, andleft our log cottage entirely exposed to the fierce rays of the sun. Theconfusion of an uncleared fallow spread around us on every side. Hugetrunks of trees and piles of brush gave a littered and uncomfortableappearance to the locality, and as the weather had been very dry for someweeks, I heard my husband daily talking with his choppers as to theexpediency of firing the fallow. They still urged him to wait a littlelonger, until he could get a good breeze to carry the fire well throughthe brush. 

Business called him suddenly to Toronto, but he left a strict charge withold Thomas and his sons, who were engaged in the job, by no means toattempt to burn it off till he returned, as he wished to be upon thepremises himself in case of any danger. He had previously burnt all theheaps immediately about the doors. While he was absent, old Thomas and hissecond son fell sick with the ague, and went home to their own township, leaving John, a surly, obstinate young man, in charge of the shanty, wherethey slept, and kept their tools and provisions. Monaghan I had sent tofetch up my three cows, as the children were languishing for milk, andMary and I remained alone in the house with the little ones. The day wassultry, and towards noon a strong wind sprang up that roared in the pinetops like the dashing of distant billows, but without in the least degreeabating the heat. The children were lying listlessly upon the floor forcoolness, and the girl and I were finishing sun-bonnets, when Marysuddenly exclaimed, "Bless us, mistress, what a smoke!" I ran immediatelyto the door, but was not able to distinguish ten yards before me. Theswamp immediately below us was on fire, and the heavy wind was driving adense black cloud of smoke directly towards us. 

"What can this mean?" I cried, "Who can have set fire to the fallow?"

As I ceased speaking, John Thomas stood pale and trembling before me. "John, what is the meaning of this fire?"

"Oh, ma'am, I hope you will forgive me; it was I set fire to it, and Iwould give all I have in the world if I had not done it. "

"What is the danger?"

"Oh, I'm terribly afeard that we shall all be burnt up, " said the fellow, beginning to whimper. 

"Why did you run such a risk, and your master from home, and no one on theplace to render the least assistance?"

"I did it for the best, " blubbered the lad. "What shall we do?"

"Why, we must get out of it as fast as we can, and leave the house to itsfate. "

"We can't get out, " said the man, in a low, hollow tone, which seemed theconcentration of fear; "I would have got out of it if I could; but juststep to the back door, ma'am, and see. "

I had not felt the least alarm up to this minute; I had never seen afallow burnt, but I had heard of it as a thing of such common occurrencethat I had never connected with it any idea of danger. Judge then, mysurprise, my horror, when, on going to the back door, I saw that thefellow, to make sure of his work, had fired the field in fifty differentplaces. Behind, before, on every side, we were surrounded by a wall offire, burning furiously within a hundred yards of us, and cutting off allpossibility of retreat; for could we have found an opening through theburning heaps, we could not have seen our way through the dense canopy ofsmoke; and, buried as we were in the heart of the forest, no one coulddiscover our situation till we were beyond the reach of help. I closed thedoor, and went back to the parlour. Fear was knocking loudly at my heart, for our utter helplessness annihilated all hope of being able to effectour escape--I felt stupefied. The girl sat upon the floor by the children, who, unconscious of the peril that hung over them, had both fallen asleep. She was silently weeping; while the fool who had caused the mischief wascrying aloud. 

A strange calm succeeded my first alarm; tears and lamentations wereuseless; a horrible death was impending over us, and yet I could notbelieve that we were to die. I sat down upon the step of the door, andwatched the awful scene in silence. The fire was raging in the cedarswamp, immediately below the ridge on which the house stood, and itpresented a spectacle truly appalling. From out the dense folds of acanopy of black smoke, the blackest I ever saw, leaped up continually redforks of lurid flame as high as the tree tops, igniting the branches of agroup of tall pines that had been left standing for sun-logs. A deep gloomblotted out the heavens from our sight. The air was filled with fieryparticles, which floated even to the door-step--while the crackling androaring of the flames might have been heard at a great distance. Could wehave reached the lake shore, where several canoes were moored at thelanding, by launching out into the water we should have been in perfectsafety; but, to attain this object, it was necessary to pass through thismimic hell; and not a bird could have flown over it with unscorched wings. There was no hope in that quarter, for, could we have escaped the flames, we should have been blinded and choked by the thick, black, resinoussmoke. The fierce wind drove the flames at the sides and back of the houseup the clearing; and our passage to the road, or to the forest, on theright and left, was entirely obstructed by a sea of flames. Our only arkof safety was the house, so long as it remained untouched by the consumingelement. I turned to young Thomas, and asked him, how long he thought thatwould be. 

"When the fire clears this little ridge in front, ma'am. The Lord havemercy upon us, then, or we must all go!"

"Cannot _you_, John, try and make your escape, and see what can be donefor us and the poor children?"

My eye fell upon the sleeping angels, locked peacefully in each other'sarms, and my tears flowed for the first time. Mary, the servant-girl, looked piteously up in my face. The good, faithful creature had notuttered one word of complaint, but now she faltered forth, "The dear, precious lambs!--Oh! such a death!"

I threw myself down upon the floor beside them, and pressed themalternately to my heart, while inwardly I thanked God that they wereasleep, unconscious of danger, and unable by their childish cries todistract our attention from adopting any plan which might offer to effecttheir escape. 

The heat soon became suffocating. We were parched with thirst, and therewas not a drop of water in the house, and none to be procured nearer thanthe lake. I turned once more to the door, hoping that a passage mighthave-been burnt through to the water. I saw nothing but a dense cloud offire and smoke--could hear nothing but the crackling and roaring offlames, which were gaining so fast upon us that I felt their scorchingbreath in my face. 

"Ah, " thought I--and it was a most bitter thought--"what will my belovedhusband say when he returns and finds that poor Susy and his dear girlshave perished in this miserable manner? But God can save us yet. "

The thought had scarcely found a voice in my heart before the wind rose toa hurricane, scattering the flames on all sides into a tempest of burningbillows. I buried my head in my apron, for I thought that our time wascome, and that all was lost, when a most terrific crash of thunder burstover our heads, and, like the breaking of a water-spout, down came therushing torrent of rain which had been pent up for so many weeks. In a fewminutes the chip-yard was all afloat, and the fire effectually checked. The storm which, unnoticed by us, had been gathering all day, and whichwas the only one of any note we had that summer, continued to rage allnight, and before morning had quite subdued the cruel enemy, whoseapproach we had viewed with such dread. 

The imminent danger in which we had been placed struck me more forciblyafter it was past than at the time, and both the girl and myself sank uponour knees, and lifted up our hearts in humble thanksgiving to that God whohad saved us by an act of His Providence from an awful and sudden death. When all hope from human assistance was lost, His hand was mercifullystretched forth, making His strength more perfectly manifested in ourweakness:--

 "He is their stay when earthly help is lost, The light and anchor of the tempest-toss'd. "

There vas one person, unknown to us, who had watched the progress of thatrash blaze, and had even brought his canoe to the landing, in the hope ofgetting us off. This was an Irish pensioner named Dunn, who had cleared afew acres on his government grant, and had built a shanty on the oppositeshore of the lake. 

"Faith, madam! an' I thought the captain was stark, staring mad to firehis fellow on such a windy day, and that blowing right from the lake tothe house. When Old Wittals came in and towld us that the masther was notto the fore, but only one lad, an' the wife an' the chilther at home, --thinks I, there's no time to be lost, or the crathurs will be burnt upintirely. We started instanther, but, by Jove! We were too late. The swampwas all in a blaze when we got to the landing, and you might as well havetried to get to heaven by passing through the other place. "

This was the eloquent harangue with which the honest creature informed methe next morning of the efforts he had made to save us, and the interesthe had felt in our critical situation. I felt comforted for my pastanxiety, by knowing that one human being, however humble, had sympathizedin our probable fate; while the providential manner in which we had beenrescued will ever remain a theme of wonder and gratitude. 

The next evening brought the return of my husband, who listened to thetale of our escape with a pale and disturbed countenance; not a littlethankful to find his wife and children still in the land of the living. For a long time after the burning of that fallow, it haunted me in mydreams. I would awake with a start, imagining myself fighting with theflames, and endeavouring to carry my little children through them to thetop of the clearing, when invariably their garments and my own took firejust as I was within reach of a place of safety. 

CHAPTER IV. 

OUR LOGGING-BEE. 

 There was a man in our town, In our town, in our town-- There was a man in our town, He made a logging-bee;

 And he bought lots of whiskey, To make the loggers frisky-- To make the loggers frisky At his logging bee

 The Devil sat on a log heap, A log heap, a log heap-- A red hot burning log heap-- A-grinning at the bee;

 And there was lots of swearing, Of boasting and of daring, Of fighting and of tearing, At that logging bee

J. W. D. M. 

A logging-bee followed the burning of the fallow, as a matter of course. In the bush, where hands are few, and labour commands an enormous rate ofwages, these gatherings are considered indispensable, and much has beenwritten in their praise; but, to me, they present the most disgustingpicture of a bush life. They are noisy, riotous, drunken meetings, oftenterminating in violent quarrels, sometimes even in bloodshed. Accidents ofthe most serious nature often occur, and very little work is done, when weconsider the number of hands employed, and the great consumption of foodand liquor. I am certain, in our case, had we hired with the moneyexpended in providing for the bee, two or three industrious, hard-workingmen, we should have got through twice as mueh work, and have had it donewell, and have been the gainers in the end. 

People in the woods have a craze for giving and going to bees, and run tothem with as much eagerness as a peasant runs to a race-course or a fair;plenty of strong drink and excitement making the chief attraction of thebee. In raising a house or barn, a bee may be looked upon as a necessaryevil, but these gatherings are generally conducted in a more orderlymanner than those for logging. Fewer hands are required; and they aregenerally under the control of the carpenter who puts up the frame, and ifthey get drunk during the raising they are liable to meet with veryserious accidents. 

Thirty-two men, gentle and simple, were invited to our bee, and the maidand I were engaged for two days preceding the important one, in baking andcooking for the entertainment of our guests. When I looked at the quantityof food we had prepared, I thought that it never could be all eaten, evenby thirty-two men. It was a burning-hot day towards the end of July, whenour loggers began to come in, and the "gee!" and "ha!" of the oxenresounded on every side. There was my brother S____, with his frankEnglish face, a host in himself; Lieutenant ____ in his blouse, wide whitetrowsers, and red sash, his broad straw hat shading a dark manly face thatwould have been a splendid property for a bandit chief; the four gay, reckless, idle sons of ____, famous at any spree, but incapable of theleast mental or physical exertion, who considered hunting and fishing asthe sole aim and object of life. These young men rendered very littleassistance themselves, and their example deterred others who were inclinedto work. 

There were the two R____s, who came to work and to make others work; mygood brother-in-law, who had volunteered to be the Grog Bos, and a host ofother settlers, among whom I recognized Moodie's old acquaintance, DanSimpson, with his lank red hair and long freckled face: the Youngs, thehunters, with their round, black, curly heads and rich Irish brogue; poorC____, with his long, spare, consumptive figure, and thin, sickly face. Poor fellow, he has long since been gathered to his rest!

There was the ruffian squatter P____, from Clear Lake, --the dread of allhonest men; the brutal M____, who treated oxen as if they had been logs, by beating them with handspikes; and there was Old Wittals, with his lowforehead and long nose, a living witness of the truth of phrenology, ifhis large organ of acquisitiveness and his want of conscientiousness couldbe taken in evidence. Yet in spite of his derelictions from honesty, hewas a hard-working, good-natured man, who, if he cheated you in a bargain, or took away some useful article in mistake from your homestead, neverwronged his employer in his day's work. 

He was a curious sample of cunning and simplicity--quite a character inhis way--and the largest eater I ever chanced to know. From this ravenouspropensity, for he eat his food like a famished wolf, he had obtained thesingular name of "Wittals. " During the first year of his settlement in thebush, with a very large family to provide for, he had been often in wantof food. One day he came to my brother, with a very long face. 

"'Fore God! Mr. S---, I'm no beggar, but I'd be obliged to you for a loafof bread. I declare to you on my honour that I have not had a bit ofwittals to dewour for two whole days. "

He came to the right person with his petition. Mr. S--- with a liberalhand relieved his wants, but he entailed upon him the name of "OldWittals, " as part payment. His daughter, who was a very pretty girl, hadstolen a march upon him into the wood, with a lad whom he by no meansregarded with a favourable eye. When she returned, the old manconfronted her and her lover with this threat, which I suppose heconsidered "the most awful" punishment that he could devise. 

"March into the house, Madam 'Ria (Maria); and if ever I catch you withthat scamp again, I'll tie you up to a stump all day, and give you nowittals. "

I was greatly amused by overhearing a dialogue between Old Wittals and oneof his youngest sons, a sharp, Yankeefied-looking boy, who had lost one ofhis eyes, but the remaining orb looked as if it could see all ways atonce. 

"I say, Sol, how came you to tell that tarnation tearing lie to Mr. S____yesterday? Didn't you expect that you'd catch a good wallopping for thelike of that? Lying may be excusable in a man, but 'tis a terrible badhabit in a boy. "

"Lor', father, that worn't a lie. I told Mr. S____, our cow worn't in hispeas. Nor more she wor; she was in his wheat. "

"But she was in the peas all night, boy. "

"That wor nothing to me; she worn't in just then. Sure I won't get alicking for that?"

"No, no, you are a good boy; but mind what I tell you, and don't bring meinto a scrape with any of your real lies. "

Prevarication, the worst of falsehoods, was a virtue in his eyes. So muchfor the old man's morality. 

Monaghan was in his glory, prepared to work or fight, whichever shouldcome uppermost; and there was old Thomas and his sons, the contractors forthe clearing, to expedite whose movements the bee was called. Old Thomaswas a very ambitious man in his way. Though he did not know A from B, hetook it into his head that he had received a call from Heaven to convertthe heathen in the wilderness; and every Sunday he held a meeting in ourlogger's shanty, for the purpose of awakening sinners, and bringing over"Injun pagans" to the true faith. His method of accomplishing this objectwas very ingenious. He got his wife, Peggy--or "my Paggy, " as he calledher--to read aloud for him a text from the Bible, until he knew it byheart; and he had, as he said truly, "a good remembrancer, " and neverheard a striking sermon but he retained the most important passages, andretailed them secondhand to his bush audience. 

I must say that I was not a little surprised at the old man's eloquencewhen I went one Sunday over to the shanty to hear him preach. Severalwild young fellows had come on purpose to make fun of him; but hisdiscourse, which was upon the text, "We shall all meet before thejudgment-seat of Christ, " was rather too serious a subject to turn into ajest, with even old Thomas for the preacher. All went on very well untilthe old man gave out a hymn, and led off in such a loud, discordant voice, that my little Katie, who was standing between her father's knees, lookedsuddenly up, and said, "Mamma, what a noise old Thomas makes!" This remarkled to a much greater noise, and the young men, unable to restrain theirlong-suppressed laughter, ran tumultuously from the shanty. I could havewhipped the little elf; but small blame could be attached to a child oftwo years old, who had never heard a preacher, especially such a preacheras the old back woodsman, in her life. Poor man! he was perfectlyunconscious of the cause of the disturbance, and remarked to us, after theservice was over, "Well, ma'am, did not we get on famously? Now, worn't that a _bootiful_discourse?"

"It was, indeed; much better than I expected. "

"Yes, yes; I knew it would please you. It had quite an effect on thosewild fellows. A few more such sermons will teach them good behaviour. Ah!the bush is a bad place for young men. The farther in the bush, say I, thefarther from God, and the nearer to hell. I told that wicked Captain I____of Dummer so the other Sunday; 'an', ' says he, 'if you don't hold yourconfounded jaw, you old fool, I'll kick you there. ' Now, ma'am, now, sir, was not that bad manners in a gentleman, to use such _appropriateepitaphs_ to a humble servant of God, like I?"

And thus the old man ran on for an hour, dilating upon his own merits andthe sins of his neighbours. 

There was John R____, from Smith-town, the most notorious swearer in thedistrict; a man who esteemed himself clever, nor did he want for naturaltalent, but he had converted his mouth into such a sink of iniquity thatit corrupted the whole man, and all the weak and thoughtless of his ownsex who admitted him into their company. I had tried to convince JohnR____ (for he often frequented the house under the pretence of borrowingbooks) of the great crime that he was constantly committing, and of theinjurious effect it must produce upon his own family, but the mentaldisease had taken too deep a root to be so easily cured. Like a personlabouring under some foul disease, he contaminated all he touched. Suchmen seem to make an ambitious display of their bad habits in such scenes, and if they afford a little help, they are sure to get intoxicated andmake a row. There was my friend, old Ned Dunn, who had been so anxious toget us out of the burning fallow. There was a whole group of Dummer Pines:Levi, the little wiry, witty poacher; Cornish Bill, the honest-hearted oldpeasant, with his stalwart figure and uncouth dialect; and David andNed--all good men and true; and Malachi Chroak, a queer, withered-up, monkey-man, that seemed like some mischievous elf, flitting from heap toheap to make work and fun for the rest; and many others were at that beewho have since found a rest in the wilderness: Adam T____, H____, J. M____, H. N____ These, at different times, lost their lives in thosebright waters in which, on such occasions as these, they used to sport andfrolic to refresh themselves during the noonday heat. Alas! how many, whowere then young and in their prime, that river and its lakes have sweptaway!

Our men worked well until dinner-time, when, after washing in the lake, they all sat down to the rude board which I had prepared for them, loadedwith the best fare that could be procured in the bush. Pea-soup, legs ofpork, venison, eel, and raspberry pies, garnished with plenty of potatoes, and whiskey to wash them down, besides a large iron kettle of tea. To pourout the latter, and dispense it round, devolved upon me. My brother andhis friends, who were all temperance men, and consequently the bestworkers in the field, kept me and the maid actively employed inreplenishing their cups. 

The dinner passed off tolerably well; some of the lower order of the Irishsettlers were pretty far gone, but they committed no outrage upon ourfeelings by either swearing or bad language, a few harmless jokes alonecirculating among them. 

Some one was funning Old Wittals for having eaten seven large cabbages atMr. T____'s bee, a few days previous. His son, Sol, thought himself, as induty bound, to take up the cudgel for his father. 

"Now, I guess that's a lie, anyhow. Fayther was sick that day, and I tellyou he only ate five. "

This announcement was followed by such an explosion of mirth that the boylooked fiercely round him, as if he could scarcely believe the fact thatthe whole party were laughing at him. 

Malachi Chroak, who was good-naturedly drunk, had discovered an old pairof cracked bellows in a corner, which he placed under his arm, andapplying his mouth to the pipe, and working his elbows to and fro, pretended that he was playing upon the bagpipes, every now and thenletting the wind escape in a shrill squeak from this novel instrument. 

"Arrah, ladies and jintlemen, do jist turn your swate little eyes upon mewhilst I play for your iddifications the last illigant tune which my owldgrandmother taught me. Och hone! 'tis a thousand pities that such musicalowld crathurs should be suffered to die, at all at all, to be poked awayinto a dirthy dark hole, when their canthles shud be burnin' a-top of abushel, givin' light to the house. An' then it is she that was theilligant dancer, stepping out so lively and frisky, just so. "

And here he minced to and fro, affecting the airs of a fine lady. Thesupposititious bagpipe gave an uncertain, ominous howl, and he flung itdown, and started back with a ludicrous expression of alarm. 

"Alive, is it ye are? Ye croaking owld divil, is that the tune you taughtyour son?

 "Och! my owld granny taught me, but now she is dead. That a dhrop of nate whiskey is good for the head; It would make a man spake when jist ready to dhie, If you doubt it--my boys!--I'd advise you to thry. 

 "Och! my owld granny sleeps with her head on a stone, -- 'Now, Malach, don't throuble the gals when I'm gone!' I thried to obey her; but, och, I am shure, There's no sorrow on earth that the angels can't cure. 

 "Och! I took her advice--I'm a bachelor still; And I dance, and I play, with such excellent skill, (_Taking up the bellows, and beginning to dance. _) That the dear little crathurs are striving in vain Which first shall my hand or my fortin' obtain. "

"Malach!" shouted a laughing group. "How was it that the old lady taughtyou to go a-courting?

"Arrah, that's a sacret! I don't let out owld granny's sacrets, " saidMalachi, gracefully waving his head to and fro to the squeaking of thebellows; then, suddenly tossing back the long, dangling, black elf-locksthat curled down the sides of his lank, yellow cheeks, and winkingknowingly with his comical little deep-seated black eyes, he burst outagain--

 "Wid the blarney I'd win the most dainty proud dame, No gal can resist the soft sonnd of that same; Wid the blarney, my boys--if yon doubt it, go thry-- But hand here the bottle, my whistle is dhry. "

The men went back to the field, leaving Malachi to amuse those whoremained in the house; and we certainly did laugh our fill at his oddcapers and conceits. 

Then he would insist upon marrying our maid. There could be no refusal--have her he would. The girl, to keep him quiet, laughingly promised thatshe would take him for her husband. This did not satisfy him. She musttake her oath upon the Bible to that effect. Mary pretended that there wasno bible in the house, but he found an old spelling-book upon a shelf inthe kitchen, and upon it he made her swear, and called upon me to bearwitness to her oath, that she was now his betrothed, and he would go nextday with her to the "praist. " Poor Mary had reason to repent her frolic, for he stuck close to her the whole evening, tormenting her to fulfil hercontract. After the sun went down, the logging-band came in to supper, which was all ready for them. Those who remained sober ate the meal inpeace, and quietly returned to their own homes; while the vicious and thedrunken staid to brawl and fight. 

After having placed the supper on the table, I was so tired with thenoise, and heat, and fatigue of the day, that I went to bed, leaving toMary and my husband the care of the guests. 

We were obliged to endure a second and a third repetition of this odiousscene, before sixteen acres of land were rendered fit for the reception ofour fall crop of wheat. 

My hatred to these tumultuous, disorderly meetings was not in the leastdecreased by my husband being twice seriously hurt while attending them. After the second injury he received, he seldom went to them himself, butsent his oxen and servant in his place. In these odious gatherings, thesober, moral, and industrious man is more likely to suffer than thedrunken and profane, as during the delirium of drink these men exposeothers to danger as well as themselves. 

The conduct of many of the settlers, who considered themselves gentlemen, and would have been very much affronted to have been called otherwise, wasoften more reprehensible than that of the poor Irish emigrants, to whomthey should have set an example of order and sobriety. The behaviour ofthese young men drew upon them the severe but just censures of the poorerclass, whom they regarded in every way as their inferiors. 

"That blackguard calls himself a gentleman. In what respect is he betterthan us?" was an observation too frequently made use of at thesegatherings. To see a bad man in the very worst point of view, follow himto a bee; be he profane, licentious, quarrelsome, or a rogue, all hisnative wickedness will be fully developed there. 

Just after the last of these logging-bees, we had to part with our goodservant Mary, and just at a time when it was the heaviest loss to me. Herfather, who had been a dairy man in the north of Ireland, an honest, industrious man, had brought out upwards of one hundred pounds to thiscountry. With more wisdom than is generally exercised by Irish emigrants, instead of sinking all his means in buying a bush farm he hired a verygood farm in Cavan, stocked it with cattle, and returned to his oldavocation. The services of his daughter, who was an excellent dairymaid, were required to take the management of the cows; and her brother broughta wagon and horses all the way from the front to take her home. 

This event was perfectly unexpected, and left me without a moment's noticeto provide myself with another servant, at a time when servants were notto be had, and I was perfectly unable to do the least thing. My littleAddie was sick almost to death with the summer complaint, and the eldeststill too young to take care of herself. 

This was but the beginning of trouble. 

Ague and lake fever had attacked our new settlement. The men in the shantywere all down with it; and my husband was confined to his bed on eachalternate day, unable to raise hand or foot, and raving in the delirium ofthe fever. 

In my sister and brother's families, scarcely a healthy person remained toattend upon the sick; and at Herriot's Falls, nine persons were stretchedupon the floor of one log cabin, unable to help themselves or one another. After much difficulty, and only by offering enormous wages, I succeeded inprocuring a nurse to attend upon me during my confinement. The woman hadnot been a day in the house before she was attacked by the same fever. Inthe midst of this confusion, and with my precious little Addie lyinginsensible on a pillow at the foot of my bed--expected every moment tobreathe her last sigh, --on the night of the 26th of August, the boy I hadso ardently coveted was born. The next day, Old Pine carried his wife (mynurse) away upon his back, and I was left to struggle through, in the bestmanner I could, with a sick husband, a sick child, and a new-born babe. 

It was a melancholy season, one of severe mental and bodily suffering. Those who have drawn such agreeable pictures of a residence in thebackwoods never dwell upon the periods of sickness, when, far from medicaladvice, and often, as in my case, deprived of the assistance of friends byadverse circumstances, you are left to languish, unattended, upon thecouch of pain. The day that my husband was free of the fit, he did what heeould for me and his poor sick babes, but, ill as he was, he was obligedto sow the wheat to enable the man to proceed with the drag, and wastherefore necessarily absent in the field the greater part of the day. 

I was very ill, yet for hours at a time I had no friendly voice to cheerme, to proffer me a drink of cold water, or to attend to the poor babe;and worse, still worse, there was no one to help that pale, marble child, who lay so cold and still, with half-closed violet eye, as if death hadalready chilled her young heart in his iron grasp. 

There was not a breath of air in our close, burning bed-closet; and theweather was sultry beyond all that I have since experienced. How I wishedthat I could be transported to an hospital at home, to enjoy the commoncare that in such places is bestowed upon the sick! Bitter tears flowedcontinually from my eyes over those young children. I had asked of Heavena son, and there he lay helpless by the side of his almost equallyhelpless mother, who could not lift him up in her arms, or still hiscries; while the pale, fair angel, with her golden curls, who had latelybeen the admiration of all who saw her, no longer recognized my voice, orwas conscious of my presence. I felt that I could almost resign the longand eagerly hoped-for son, to win one more smile from that sweet, suffering creature. Often did I weep myself to sleep, and wake to weepagain with renewed anguish. 

And my poor little Katie, herself under three years of age, how patientlyshe bore the loss of my care, and every comfort! How earnestly the dearthing strove to help me! She would sit on my sick-bed, and hold my hand, and ask me to look at her and speak to her; would inquire why Addie sleptso long, and when she would awake again. Those innocent questions wentlike arrows to my heart. Lieutenant ____, the husband of my dear Emilia, at length heard of my situation. His inestimable wife was from home, nursing her sick mother; but he sent his maid-servant up every day for acouple of hours, and the kind girl despatched a messenger nine milesthrough the woods to Dummer, to fetch her younger sister, a child oftwelve ears old. 

Oh, how grateful I felt for these signal mercies! for my situation fornearly a week was one of the most pitiable that could be imagined. Thesickness was so prevalent that help was not to be obtained for money; andwithout the assistance of that little girl, young as she was, it is morethan probable that neither myself nor my children would ever have risenfrom that bed of sickness. 

The conduct of our man Jacob, during this trying period, was marked withthe greatest kindness and consideration. On the days that his master wasconfined to his bed with the fever, he used to place a vessel of coldwater and a cup by his bedside, and then put his honest English face in atmy door to know if he could make a cup of tea, or toast a bit of bread forthe mistress, before he went into the field. 

Katie was indebted to him for all her meals. He baked, and cooked, andchurned, milked the cows, and made up the butter, as well and as carefullyas the best female servant could have done. As to poor John Monaghan, hewas down with the fever in the shanty, where four other men were all illthe same terrible complaint. 

I was obliged to leave my bed and endeavour to attend to the wants of myyoung family long before I was really able. When I made my first attemptto reach the parlour I was so weak, that, at every step, I felt as if Ishould pitch forward to the ground, which seemed to undulate beneath myfeet like the floor of a cabin in a storm at sea. My husband continued tosuffer for many weeks with the ague; and when he was convalescent, all thechildren, even the poor babe, were seized with it; nor did it leave usuntil late in the spring of 1835. 

CHAPTER V. 

A TRIP TO STONY LAKE

My husband had long promised me a trip to Stony Lake, and in the summer of1835, before the harvest commenced, he gave Mr. Y____, who kept the millat the rapids below Clear Lake, notice of our intention, and the worthyold man and his family made due preparation for our reception. The littlegirls were to accompany us. 

We were to start at sunrise, to avoid the heat of the day, to go up as faras Mr. Y____'s in our canoe, re-embark with his sons above the rapids inbirch-bark canoes, go as far up the lake as we could accomplish bydaylight, and return at night; the weather being very warm, and the moonat full. Before six o'clock we were all seated in the little craft, whichspread her white sail to a foaming breeze, and sped merrily over the bluewaters. The lake on which our clearing stood was about a mile and a halfin length, and about three quarters of a mile in breadth; a mere pond, when compared with the Bay of Quinté, Ontario, and the inland seas ofCanada. But it was _our_ lake, and, consequently, it had ten thousandbeauties in our eyes, which would scarcely have attracted the observationof a stranger. 

At the head of the Kutchawanook, the lake is divided by a long neck ofland, that forms a small bay on the right-hand side, and a very briskrapid on the left. The banks are formed of large masses of limestone; andthe cardinal-flower and the tiger-lily seem to have taken an especialfancy to this spot, and to vie with each other in the display of theirgorgeous colours. 

It is an excellent place for fishing; the water is very deep close to therocky pavement that forms the bank, and it has a pebbly bottom. Many amagic hour, at rosy dawn, or evening gray, have I spent with my husband onthis romantic spot; our canoe fastened to a bush, and ourselves intentupon ensnaring the black bass, a fish of excellent flavour that abounds inthis place. 

Our paddles soon carried us past the narrows, and through the rapid water, the children sitting quietly at the bottom of the boat, enchanted with allthey heard and saw, begging papa to stop and gather water-lilies, or tocatch one of the splendid butterflies that hovered over us; and often thelittle Addie darted her white hand into the water to grasp at the shadowof the gorgeous insects as they skimmed along the waves. 

After passing the rapids, the river widened into another small lake, perfectly round in form, and having in its centre a tiny green island, inthe midst of which stood, like a shattered monument of bygone storms, oneblasted, black ash-tree. 

The Indians call this lake Bessikákoon, but I do not know the exactmeaning of the word. Some say that it means "the Indian's grave;" others, "the lake of the one island. " It is certain that an Indian girl is buriedbeneath that blighted tree; but I never could learn the particulars of herstory, and perhaps there was no tale connected with it. She might havefallen a victim to disease during the wanderings of her tribe, and beenburied on that spot; or she might have been drowned, which would accountfor her having been buried away from the rest of her people. 

This little lake lies in the heart of the wilderness. There is but oneclearing upon its shores, and that had been made by lumberers many yearsbefore; the place abounded with red cedar. A second growth of young timberhad grown up in this spot, which was covered also with raspberry bushes--several hundred acres being entirely overgrown with this deliciousberry. 

It was here annually that we used to come in large picnic parties, tocollect this valuable fruit for our winter preserves, in defiance ofblack-flies, mosquitoes, snakes, and even bears; all which have beenencountered by berry-pickers upon this spot, as busy and as active asthemselves, gathering an ample repast from Nature's bounteous lap. 

And, oh! what beautiful wild shrubs and flowers grew up in that neglectedspot! Some of the happiest hours I spent in the bush are connected withreminiscences of "Irving's shanty, " for so the raspberry-grounds werecalled. The clearing could not be seen from the shore. You had to scramblethrough a cedar swamp to reach the sloping ground which produced theberries. 

The mill at the Clear Lake rapids was about three miles distant from ourown clearing; and after stemming another rapid, and passing between twobeautiful wooded islands, the canoe rounded a point, and the rudestructure was before us. 

A wilder and more romantic spot than that which the old hunter had chosenfor his homestead in the wilderness could scarcely be imagined. The watersof Clear Lake here empty themselves through a narrow, deep, rocky channel, not exceeding a quarter of a mile in length, and tumble over a limestonebridge of ten or twelve feet in height, which extends from one bank of theriver to the other. The shores on either side are very steep, and thelarge oak-trees which have anchored their roots in every crevice of therock, throw their fantastic arms far over the foaming waterfall, the deepgreen of their massy foliage forming a beautiful contrast with the white, flashing waters that foam over the shoot at least fifty feet below thebrow of the limestone rock. By a flight of steps cut in the banks weascended to the platform above the river on which Mr. Y____'s house stood. 

It was a large, rough-looking, log building, surrounded by barns and shedsof the same primitive material. The porch before the door was covered withhops, and the room of general resort, into which it immediately opened, was of large dimensions, the huge fire-place forming the most strikingfeature. On the hearth-stone, hot as was the weather, blazed a great fire, encumbered with all sorts of culinary apparatus, which, I am inclined tothink, had been called into requisition for our sole benefit andaccommodation. 

The good folks had breakfasted long before we started from home, but theywould not hear of our proceeding to Stony Lake until after we had dined. It was only eight o'clock, A. M. , and we had still four hours to dinner, which gave us ample leisure to listen to the old man's stories, rambleround the premises, and observe all the striking features of the place. 

Mr. Y____ was a Catholic, and the son of a respectable farmer from thesouth of Ireland. Some few years before, he had emigrated with a largefamily of seven sons and two daughters, and being fond of field sports, and greatly taken with the beauty of the locality in which he had pitchedhis tent in the wilderness, he determined to raise a mill upon the damwhich Nature had provided at his hands, and wait patiently until theincreasing immigration should settle the township of Smith and Douro, render the property valuable, and bring plenty of grist to the mill. Hewas not far wrong in his calculations; and though, for the first fewyears, he subsisted entirely by hunting, fishing, and raising whatpotatoes and wheat he required for his own family, on the most fertilespots he could find on his barren lot, very little corn passed through themill. 

At the time we visited his place, he was driving a thriving trade, and allthe wheat that was grown in the neighbourhood was brought by water to beground at Y____'s mill. He had lost his wife a few years after coming tothe country; but his two daughters, Betty and Norah, were excellenthousewives, and amply supplied her loss. From these amiable women wereceived a most kind and hearty welcome, and every comfort and luxurywithin their reach. They appeared a most happy and contented family. Thesons--a fine, hardy, independent set of fellows--were regarded by the oldman with pride and affection. Many were his anecdotes of their prowes inhunting and fishing. His method of giving them an aversion to strong drinkwhile very young amused me greatly, but it is not every child that couldhave stood the test of his experiment. 

"When they were little chaps, from five to six years of age, I made themvery drunk, " he said; "so drunk that it brought on severe headache andsickness, and this so disgusted them with liquor, that they never couldabide the sight of it again. I have only one drunkard among the seven; andhe was such a weak, puling crathur, that I dared not play the same gamewith him, lest it should kill him. 'Tis his nature, I suppose, and hecan't help it; but the truth is, that to make up for the sobriety of allthe rest, he is killing himself with drink. "

Norah gave us an account of her catching a deer that had got into theenclosure the day before. 

"I went out, " she said, "early in the morning, to milk the cows, and I sawa fine young buck struggling to get through a pale of the fence, in whichhaving entangled his head and horns, I knew, by the desperate efforts hewas making to push aside the rails, that if I was not quick in gettinghold of him, he would soon be gone. "

"And did you dare to touch him?"

"If I had had Mat's gun I would have shot him, but he would have made hisescape long before I could run to the house for that, so I went boldly upto him and got him by the hind legs; and though he kicked and struggleddreadfully, I held on till Mat heard me call, and ran to my help, and cuthis throat with his hunting-knife. So you see, " she continued, with agood-natured laugh, "I can beat our hunters hollow--they hunt the deer, but I can catch a buck with my hands. "

While we were chatting away, great were the preparations making by MissBetty and a very handsome American woman, who had recently come thither asa help. One little bare-footed garsoon was shelling peas in an Indianbasket, another was stringing currants into a yellow pie-dish, and a thirdwas sent to the rapids with his rod and line, to procure a dish of freshfish to add to the long list of bush dainties that were preparing for ourdinner. It was in vain that I begged our kind entertainers not to putthemselves to the least trouble on our account, telling them that we werenow used to the woods, and contented with any thing; they were determinedto exhaust all their stores to furnish forth the entertainment. Nor can itbe wondered at, that, with so many dishes to cook, and pies and custardsto bake, instead of dining at twelve, it was past two o'clock before wewere conducted to the dinner-table. I was vexed and disappointed at thedelay, as I wanted to see all I could of the spot we were about to visitbefore night and darkness compelled us to return. 

The feast was spread in a large outhouse, the table being formed of twobroad deal boards laid together, and supported by rude carpenter's stools. A white linen cloth, a relic of better days, concealed these arrangements. The board was covered with an indescribable variety of roast and boiled, of fish, flesh, and fowl. My readers should see a table laid out in awealthy Canadian farmer's house before they can have any idea of theprofusion displayed in the entertainment of two visitors and their youngchildren. Besides venison, pork, chickens, ducks, and fish of severalkinds, cooked in a variety of ways, there was a number of pumpkin, raspberry, cherry, and currant pies, with fresh butter and green cheese(as the new cream-cheese is called), molasses, preserves, and pickledcucumbers, besides tea and coffee--the latter, be it known, I had watchedthe American woman boiling in the _frying-pan_. It was a black-lookingcompound, and I did not attempt to discuss its merits. The vessel in whichit had been prepared had prejudiced me, and rendered me very skeptical onthat score. 

We were all very hungry, having tasted nothing since five o'clock in themorning, and contrived, out of the variety of good things before us, tomake an excellent dinner. 

I was glad, however, when we rose to prosecute our intended trip up thelake. The old man, whose heart was now thoroughly warmed with whiskey, declared that he meant to make one of the party, and Betty, too, was toaccompany us; her sister Norah kindly staying behind to take care of thechildren. We followed a path along the top of the high ridge of limestonerock, until we had passed the falls and the rapids above, when we foundPat and Mat Y____ waiting for us on the shore below, in two beautiful newbirch-bark canoes, which they had purchased the day before from theIndians. 

Miss Betty, Mat, and myself, were safely stowed into one, while the oldmiller and his son Pat, and my husband, embarked in the other, and oursteersmen pushed off into the middle of the deep and silent stream; theshadow of the tall woods, towering so many feet above us, casting an inkyhue upon the waters. The scene was very imposing, and after paddling for afew minutes in shade and silence, we suddenly emerged into light andsunshine, and Clear Lake, which gets its name from the unrivalledbrightness of its waters, spread out its azure mirror before us. TheIndians regard this sheet of water with peculiar reverence. It abounds inthe finest sorts of fish, the salmon-trout, the delicious white fish, muskenongé, and black and white bass. There is no island in this lake, norice beds, nor stick nor stone, to break its tranquil beauty, and, at thetime we visited it, there was but one clearing upon its shores. 

The log hut of the squatter P____, commanding a beautiful prospect up anddown the lake, stood upon a bold slope fronting the water; all the restwas unbroken forest. We had proceeded about a mile on our pleasant voyage, when our attention was attracted by a singular natural phenomenon, whichMat Y____ called the battery. On the right-hand side of the shore rose asteep, perpendicular wall of limestone, that had the appearance of havingbeen laid by the hand of man, so smooth and even was its surface. Afterattaining a height of about fifty feet, a natural platform of eight or tenyards broke the perpendicular line of the rock, when another wall, likethe first, rose to a considerable height, terminating in a second andthird platform of the same description. 

Fire, at some distant period, had run over these singularly beautifulterraces, and a second growth of poplars and balm-of-gileads relieved, bytheir tender green and light, airy foliage, the sombre indigo tint of theheavy pines that nodded like the plumes of a funeral-hearse over the fairyoung dwellers on the rock. The water is forty feet deep at the base ofthis precipice, which is washed by the waves. After we had passed thebattery, Mat Y____ turned to me and said, "That is a famous place forbears; many a bear have I shot among those rocks. "

This led to a long discussion on the wild beasts of the country. 

"I do not think that there is much danger to be apprehended from them, "said he; "but I once had an ugly adventure with a wolf two winters ago, onthis lake. "

I was all curiosity to hear the story, which sounded doubly interestingtold on the very spot, and while gliding over those lovely waters. 

"We were lumbering at the head of Stony Lake, about eight miles from here, my four brothers, myself, and several other hands. The winter was long andsevere; although it was the first week in March, there was not the leastappearance of a thaw, and the ice on these lakes was as firm as ever. Ihad been sent home to fetch a yoke of oxen to draw the saw-logs down tothe water, our chopping being all completed, and the logs ready forrafting. 

"I did not think it necessary to encumber myself with my rifle, and was, therefore, provided with no weapon of defence but the long gad I used tourge on the cattle. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when Irounded Sandy Point, that long point which is about a mile ahead of us onthe left shore, when I first discovered that I was followed, but at agreat distance, by a large wolf. At first, I thought little of thecircumstance, beyond a passing wish that I had brought my gun. I knew thathe would not attack me before dark, and it was still two long hours tosundown; so I whistled, and urged on my oxen and soon forgot the wolf--when, on stopping to repair a little damage to the peg of the yoke, I wassurprised to find him close at my heels. I turned, and ran towards him, shouting as loud as I could, when he slunk back, but showed no inclinationto make off. Knowing that he must have companions near, by his boldness, Ishouted as loud as I could, hoping that my cries might be heard by mybrothers, who would imagine that the oxen had got into the ice, and wouldcome to my assistance. I was now winding my way through the islands inStony Lake; the sun was setting red before me, and I had still three milesof my journey to accomplish. The wolf had become so impudent that I kepthim off by pelting him with snowballs; and once he came so near that Istruck him with the gad. I now began to be seriously alarmed, and fromtime to time shouted with all my strength; and you may imagine my joy whenthese cries were answered by the report of a gun. My brothers had heardme, and the discharge of a gun, for a moment, seemed to daunt the wolf. Heuttered a long howl, which was answered by the cries of a large pack ofthe dirty brutes from the wood. It was only just light enough todistinguish objects, and I had to stop and face my enemy, to keep him atbay. 

"I saw the skeleton forms of half-a-dozen more of them slinking among thebushes that skirted a low island; and tired and cold, I gave myself andthe oxen up for lost, when I felt the ice tremble on which I stood, andheard men running at a distance. 'Fire your guns!' I cried out, as loud asI could. My order was obeyed, and such a yelling and howling immediatelyfilled the whole forest as would have chilled your very heart. Thethievish varmints instantly fled away into the bush. 

"I never felt the least fear of wolves until that night; but when theymeet in large bands, like cowardly dogs, they trust to their numbers, andgrow fierce. If you meet with one wolf, you may be certain that the wholepack are at no great distance. "

We were fast approaching Sandy Point a long white ridge of sand, runninghalf across the lake, and though only covered with scattered groups ofscrubby trees and brush, it effectually screened Stony Lake from our view. There were so many beautiful flowers peeping through the dwarf, greenbushes, that, wishing to inspect them nearer, Mat kindly ran the canoeashore, and told me that he would show me a pretty spot, where an Indian, who had been drowned during a storm off that point, was buried. Iimmediately recalled the story of Susan Moore's father, but Mat thoughtthat he was interred upon one of the islands farther up. 

"It is strange, " he said, "that they are such bad swimmers. The Indian, though unrivalled by us whites in the use of the paddle, is an animal thatdoes not take readily to the water, and those among them who can swimseldom use it as a recreation. "

Pushing our way through the bushes, we came to a small opening in theunderwood, so thickly grown over with wild Canadian roses in full blossom, that the air was impregnated with a delightful odour. In the centre ofthis bed of sweets rose the humble mound that protected the bones of thered man from the ravenous jaws of the wolf and the wild-cat. It wascompletely covered with stones, and from among the crevices had sprung atuft of blue harebells, waving as wild and free as if they grew among thebonny red heather on the glorious hills of the North, or shook their tinybells to the breeze on the broom-encircled commons of England. 

The harebell had always from a child been with me a favourite flower; andthe first sight of it in Canada, growing upon that lonely grave, soflooded my soul with remembrances of the past, that, in spite of myself, the tears poured freely from my eyes. There are moments when it isimpossible to repress those outgushings of the heart--

 "Those flood-gates of the soul that sever. In passion's tide to part for ever. "

If Mat and his sister wondered at my tears, they must have suspected thecause, for they walked to a little distance, and left me to the indulgenceof my feelings. I gathered those flowers, and placed them in my bosom, andkept them for many a day; they had become holy, when connected with sacredhome recollections, and the never-dying affections of the heart which thesight of them recalled. 

A shout from our companions in the other canoe made us retrace our stepsto the shore. They had already rounded the point, and were wondering atour absence. Oh, what a magnificent scene of wild and lonely grandeurburst upon us as we swept round the little peninsula, and the wholemajesty of Stony Lake broke upon us at once; another Lake of theThousand Isles, in miniature, and in the heart of the wilderness!Imagine a large sheet of water, some fifteen miles in breadth andtwenty-five in length, taken up by islands of every size and shape, from the lofty naked rock of red granite to the rounded hill, covered withoak-leaves to its summit; while others were level with the waters, and ofa rich emerald green, only fringed with a growth of aquatic shrubs andflowers. Never did my eyes rest on a more lovely or beautiful scene. Not avestige of man, or of his works was there. The setting sun, that cast sucha gorgeous flood of light upon this exquisite panorama, bringing out someof these lofty islands in strong relief, and casting others into intenseshade, shed no cheery beam upon church spire or cottage pane. We beheldthe landscape, savage and grand in its primeval beauty. 

As we floated among the channels between these rocky picturesque isles, Iasked Mat how many of them there were. 

"I never could succeed, " he said, "in counting them all. 

One Sunday, Pat and I spent a whole day in going from one to the other, totry and make out how many there were, but we could only count up to onehundred and forty before we gave up the task in despair. There are a greatmany of them; more than any one would think--and, what is very singular, the channel between them is very deep, sometimes above forty feet, whichaccounts for the few rapids to be found in this lake. It is a gloriousplace for hunting; and the waters undisturbed by steamboats, abound in allsorts of fish. 

"Most of these islands are covered with huckleberries; white grapes, highand low-bush cranberries, blackberries, wild cherries, gooseberries, andseveral sorts of wild currants grow here in profusion. There is one islandamong these groups (but I never could light upon the identical one) wherethe Indians yearly gather their wampum-grass. They come here to collectthe best birch bark for their canoes, and to gather wild onions. In short, from the game, fish, and fruit, which they collect among the islands ofthis lake, they chiefly depend for their subsistence. They are veryjealous of the settlers in the country coming to hunt and fish here, andtell many stories of wild beasts and rattlesnakes that abound along itsshores; but I, who have frequented the lake for years, was never disturbedby any thing, beyond the adventure with the wolf, which I have alreadytold you. The banks of this lake are all steep and rocky, and the landalong the shore is barren, and totally unfit for cultivation. 

"Had we time to run up a few miles further, I could have showed you someplaces well worth a journey to look at; but the sun is already down, andit will be dark before we get back to the mill. "

The other canoe now floated alongside, and Pat agreed with his brotherthat it was high time to return. With reluctance I turned from thisstrangely fascinating scene. As we passed under one bold rocky island, Matsaid, laughingly, "That is Mount Rascal. "

"How did it obtain that name?"

"Oh, we were out here berrying, with our good priest Mr. B____. Thisisland promised so fair, that we landed upon it, and, after searching foran hour, we returned to the boat without a single berry, upon which Mr. B____ named it 'Mount Rascal. '"

The island was so beautiful, it did not deserve the name, and I christenedit "Oak Hill, " from the abundance of oak-trees which clothed its steepsides. The wood of this oak is so heavy and hard that it will not float inthe water, and it is in great request for the runners of lumber-sleighs, which have to pass over very bad roads. 

The breeze, which had rendered our sail up the lakes so expeditious andrefreshing, had stiffened into a pretty high wind, which was dead againstus all the way down. Betty now knelt in the bow and assisted her brother, squaw fashion, in paddling the canoe; but, in spite of all their unitedexertions, it was past ten o'clock before we reached the mill. The goodNorah was waiting tea for us. She had given the children their supper fourhours ago, and the little creatures, tired with using their feet all day, were sound asleep upon her bed. 

After supper, several Irish songs were sung, while Pat played upon thefiddle, and Betty and Mat enlivened the company with an Irish jig. 

It was midnight when the children were placed on my cloak at the bottomof the canoe, and we bade adieu to this hospitable family. The windbeing dead against us, we were obliged to dispense with the sail, andtake to our paddles. The moonlight was as bright as day, the air warmand balmy; and the aromatic, resinous smell exuded by the heat from thebalm-of-gilead and the pine-trees, in the forest, added greatly to oursense of enjoyment as we floated past scenes so wild and lonely--islesthat assumed a mysterious look and character in that witching hour. Inmoments like these, I ceased to regret my separation from my native land;and, filled with the love of Nature, my heart forgot for the time the loveof home. The very spirit of peace seemed to brood over the waters, whichwere broken into a thousand ripples of light by every breeze that stirredthe rice blossoms, or whispered through the shivering aspen-trees. Thefar-off roar of the rapids, softened by distance, and the long, mournfulcry of the night-owl, alone broke the silence of the night. Amid theselonely wilds the soul draws nearer to God, and is filled to overflowing bythe overwhelming sense of His presence. 

It was two o'clock in the morning when we fastened the canoe to thelanding, and Moodie carried up the children to the house. I found the girlstill up with my boy, who had been very restless during our absence. Myheart reproached me, as I caught him to my breast, for leaving him solong; in a few minutes he was consoled for past sorrows, and sleepingsweetly in my arms. 

CHAPTER VI. 

DISAPPOINTED HOPES. 

The summer of '35 was very wet; a circumstance so unusual on Canada thatI have seen no season like it during my sojourn in the country. Our wheatcrop promised to be both excellent and abundant; and the clearing andseeding sixteen acres, one way or another, had cost us more than fiftypounds; still, we hoped to realize something handsome by the sale of theproduce; and, as far as appearances went, all looked fair. The raincommenced about a week before the crop was fit for the sickle, and fromthat time until nearly the end of September was a mere succession ofthunder showers; days of intense heat, succeeded by floods of rain. Ourfine crop shared the fate of all other fine crops in the country; it wastotally spoiled; the wheat grew in the sheaf, and we could scarcely saveenough to supply us with bad, sticky bread; the rest was exchanged at thedistillery for whiskey, which was the only produce which could be obtainedfor it. The storekeepers would not look at it, or give either money orgoods for such a damaged article. 

My husband and I had worked hard in the field; it was the first time I hadever tried my hand at field-labour, but our ready money was exhausted, andthe steamboat stock had not paid us one farthing; we could not hire, andthere was no help for it. I had a hard struggle with my pride before Iwould consent to render the least assistance on the farm, but reflectionconvinced me that I was wrong--that Providence had placed me in asituation where I was called upon to work--that it was not only my duty toobey that call, but to exert myself to the utmost to assist my husband, and help to maintain my family. 

Ah, glorious poverty! thou art a hard taskmaster, but in thysoul-ennobling school, I have received more god-like lessons, have learnedmore sublime truths, than ever I acquired in the smooth highways of theworld! The independent in soul can rise above the seeming disgrace ofpoverty, and hold fast their integrity, in defiance of the world and itsselfish and unwise maxims. To them, no labour is too great, no trial toosevere; they will unflinchingly exert every faculty of mind and body, before they will submit to become a burden to others. 

The misfortunes that now crowded upon us were the result of no misconductor extravagance on our part, but arose out of circumstances which we couldnot avert nor control. Finding too late the error into which we hadfallen, in suffering ourselves to be cajoled and plundered out of ourproperty by interested speculators, we braced our minds to bear the worst, and determined to meet our difficulties calmly and firmly, nor suffer ourspirits to sink under calamities which energy and industry mighteventually repair. Having once come to this resolution, we cheerfullyshared together the labours of the field. One in heart and purpose, wedared remain true to ourselves, true to our high destiny as immortalcreatures, in our conflict with temporal and physical wants. We foundthat manual toil, however distasteful to those unaccustomed to it, was notafter all such a dreadful hardship; that the wilderness was not withoutits rose, the hard face of poverty without its smile. If we occasionallysuffered severe pain, we as often experienced great pleasure, and I havecontemplated a well-hoed ridge of potatoes on that bush farm, --with asmuch delight as in years long past I had experienced in examining a finepainting in some well-appointed drawing-room. 

I can now look back with calm thankfulness on that long period of trialand exertion--with thankfulness that the dark clouds that hung over us, threatening to blot us from existence, when they did burst upon us, werefull of blessings. When our situation appeared perfectly desperate, thenwere we on the threshold of a new state of things, which was born out ofthat very distress. 

In order more fully to illustrate the necessity of a perfect and childlikereliance upon the mercies of God--who, I most firmly believe, neverdeserts those who have placed their trust in Him--I will give a briefsketch of our lives during the years 1836 and 1837. 

Still confidently expecting to realize an income, however small, from thesteamboat stock, we had involved ourselves considerably in debt, in orderto pay our servants and obtain the common necessaries of life; and we oweda large sum to two Englishmen in Dummer, for clearing ten more acres uponthe farm. Our utter inability to meet these demands weighed very heavilyupon my husband's mind. All superfluities in the way of groceries were nowgiven up, and we were compelled to rest satisfied upon the produce of thefarm. Milk, bread, and potatoes, during the summer became our chief, andoften, for months, our only fare. As to tea and sugar, they were luxurieswe would not think of, although I missed the tea very much; we rang thechanges upon peppermint and sage, taking the one herb at our breakfast, the other at our tea, until I found an excellent substitute for both inthe root of the dandelion. 

The first year we came to this country, I met with an account of dandelioncoffee, published in the _New York Albion_, given by a Dr. Harrison, ofEdinburgh, who earnestly recommended it as an article of general use. 

"It possesses, " he says, "all the fine flavour and exhilarating propertiesof coffee, without any of its deleterious effects. The plant being of asoporific nature, the coffee made from it when drank at night produces atendency to sleep, instead of exciting wakefulness, and may be safely usedas a cheap and wholesome substitute for the Arabian berry, being equal insubstance and flavour to the best Mocha coffee. "

I was much struck with this paragraph at the time, and for several yearsfelt a great inclination to try the Doctor's coffee; but something orother always came in the way, and it was put off till another opportunity. During the fall of '35, I was assisting my husband in taking up a crop ofpotatoes in the field, and observing a vast number of fine dandelion rootsamong the potatoes, it brought the dandelion coffee back to my memory, andI determined to try some for our supper. Without saying anything to myhusband, I threw aside some of the roots, and when we left work, collecting a sufficient quantity for, the experiment, I carefully washedthe roots quite clean, without depriving them of the fine brown skin whichcovers them, and which contains the aromatic flavour, which so nearlyresembles coffee that it is difficult to distinguish it from it whileroasting. I cut my roots into small pieces, the size of a kidney-bean, androasted them on an iron baking-pan in the stove-oven, until they were asbrown and crisp as coffee. I then ground and transferred a small cupful ofthe powder to the coffee-pot, pouring upon it scalding water, and boilingit for a few minutes briskly over the fire. The result was beyond myexpectations. The coffee proved excellent--far superior to the commoncoffee we procured at the stores. 

To persons residing in the bush, and to whom tea and coffee are veryexpensive articles of luxury, the knowledge of this valuable property in aplant, scattered so abundantly through their fields, would prove highlybeneficial. For years we used no other article; and my Indian friends whofrequented the house gladly adopted the root, and made me show them thewhole process of manufacturing it into coffee. 

Experience taught me that the root of the dandelion is not so good, whenapplied to this purpose, in the spring as it is in the fall. I tried it inthe spring, but the juice of the plant, having contributed to theproduction of leaves and flowers, was weak, and destitute of the finebitter flavour so peculiar to coffee. The time of gathering in the potatocrop is the best suited for collecting and drying the roots of thedandelion; and as they always abound in the same hills, both may beaccomplished at the same time. Those who want to keep a quantity forwinter use may wash and cut up the roots, and dry them on boards in thesun. They will keep for years, and can be roasted when required. 

Few of our colonists are acquainted with the many uses to which thisneglected but most valuable plant may be applied. I will point out a fewwhich have come under my own observation, convinced as I am that thetime will come when this hardy weed, with its golden flowers and curiousseed-vessels, which form a constant plaything to the little childrenrolling about and luxuriating among the grass, in the sunny month of May, will be transplanted into our gardens, and tended with due care. Thedandelion planted in trenches, and blanched to a beautiful cream-colourwith straw, makes an excellent salad, quite equal to endive, and is morehardy and requires less care. 

In many parts of the United States, particularly in new districts wherevegetables are scarce, it is used early in the spring, and boiled withpork as a substitute for cabbage. During our residence in the bush wefound it, in the early part of May, a great addition to the dinner-table. In the township of Dummer, the settlers boil the tops, and add hops to theliquor, which they ferment, and from which they obtain excellent beer. Ihave never tasted this simple beverage, but I have been told by those whouse it that it is equal to the table-beer used at home. 

Necessity has truly been termed the mother of invention, for I contrivedto manufacture a variety of dishes almost out of nothing, while living inher school. When entirely destitute of animal food, the different varietyof squirrels supplied us with pies, stews, and roasts. Our barn stood atthe top of the hill near the bush, and in a trap set for such "smalldeer, " we often caught from ten to twelve a-day. 

The flesh of the black squirrel is equal to that of the rabbit, and thered, and even the little chissmunk, is palatable when nicely cooked. Butfrom the lake, during the summer, we derived the larger portion of ourfood. The children called this piece of water "Mamma's pantry, " and many agood meal has the munificent Father given to his poor dependent childrenfrom its well-stored depths. Moodie and I used to rise by daybreak, andfish for an hour after sunrise, when we returned, he to the field, and Ito dress the little ones, clean up the house, assist with the milk, andprepare the breakfast. 

Oh, how I enjoyed these excursions on the lake! The very idea of ourdinner depending upon our success, added double zest to our sport. 

One morning we started as usual before sunrise; a thick mist still hunglike a fine veil upon the water when we pushed off, and anchored at ouraccustomed place. Just as the sun rose, and the haze parted and drew uplike a golden sheet of transparent gauze, through which the dark woodsloomed out like giants, a noble buck dashed into the water, followed byfour Indian hounds. 

We then discovered a canoe, full of Indians, just below the rapids, andanother not many yards from us, that had been concealed by the fog. It wasa noble sight, that gallant deer exerting all his energy, and stemming thewater with such matchless grace, his branching horns held proudly aloft, his broad nostrils distended, and his fine eye fixed intently upon theopposite shore. Several rifle-balls whizzed past him, the dogs followedhard upon his track, but my very heart leaped for joy when, in spite ofall his foes, his glossy hoofs spurned the opposite bank and he plungedheadlong into the forest. 

My beloved partner was most skilful in trolling for bass and muskinongé. His line he generally fastened to the paddle, and the motion of the oargave a life-like vibration to the queer-looking mice and dragon-flies Iused to manufacture from squirrel fur, or scarlet and white cloth, totempt the finny wanderers of the wave. 

When too busy himself to fish for our meals, little Katie and I venturedout alone in the canoe, which we anchored in any promising fishing spot, by fastening a harrow tooth to a piece of rope, and letting it drop fromthe side of the little vessel. By the time she was five years old, mylittle mermaid could both steer and paddle the light vessel, and catchsmall fish, which were useful for soup. 

During the winter of '36, we experienced many privations. The ruffiansquatter P____, from Clear Lake, drove from the barn a fine young bull wewere rearing, and for several weeks all trace of the animal was lost. Wehad almost forgotten the existence of poor Whiskey, when a neighbourcalled and told Moodie that his yearling was at P____'s, and that he wouldadvise him to get it back as soon as possible. Moodie had to take somewheat to Y____'s mill, and as the squatter lived only a mile further, hecalled at his house; and there, sure enough, he found the lost animal. With the greatest difficulty he succeeded in regaining his property, butnot without many threats of vengeance from the parties who had stolen it. To these he paid no regard; but a few days after, six fat hogs, on whichwe depended for all our winter store of animal food, were driven into thelake, and destroyed. The death of these animals deprived us of threebarrels of pork, and half starved us through the winter. That winter of'36, how heavily it wore away! The grown flour, frosted potatoes, andscant quantity of animal food rendered us all weak, and the childrensuffered much from the ague. 

One day, just before the snow fell, Moodie had gone to Peterborough forletters; our servant was sick in bed with the ague, and I was nursing mylittle boy, Dunbar, who was shaking with the cold fit of his miserablefever, when Jacob put his honest, round, rosy face in at the door. 

"Give me the master's gun, ma'am; there's a big buck feeding on therice-bed near the island. "

I took down the gun, saying, "Jacob, you have no chance; there is but onecharge of buck-shot in the house. "

"One chance is better nor none, " said Jacob, as he commenced loading thegun. "Who knows what may happen to oie. Mayhap oie may chance to kill 'un;and you and the measter and the wee bairns may have zummut zavory forzupper yet. "

Away walked Jacob with Hoodie's "Manton" over his shoulder. A few minutesafter, I heard the report of the gun, but never expected to see anythingof the game; when Jacob suddenly bounced into the room, half wild withdelight. 

"Thae beast iz dead az a door-nail. Zure, how the measter will laugh whenhe zees the fine buck that oie a' zhot. "

"And have you really shot him?"

"Come and zee! Tis worth your while to walk down to the landing to look at'un. "

Jacob got a rope, and I followed him to the landing, where, sure enough, lay a fine buck, fastened in tow of the canoe. Jacob soon secured him bythe hind legs to the rope he had brought; and, with our united efforts, weat last succeeded in dragging our prize home. All the time he was engagedin taking off the skin, Jacob was anticipating the feast that we were tohave; and the good fellow chuckled with delight when he hung the carcassquite close to the kitchen door, that his "measter" might run against itwhen he came home at night. This event actually took place. When Moodieopened the door, he struck his head against the dead deer. 

"What have you got here?"

"A fine buck, zur, " said Jacob, bringing forward the light, and holding itup in such a manner that all the merits of the prize could be seen at aglance. 

"A fine one, indeed! How did we come by it?"

"It was zhot by oie, " said Jacob, rubbing his hands in a sort of ecstacy. "Thae beast iz the first oie ever zhot in my life. He! he! he!"

"You shot that fine deer, Jacob?--and there was only one charge in thegun! Well done; you must have taken a good aim. "

"Why, zur, oie took no aim at all. Oie just pointed the gun at the deer, and zhut my oeys an let fly at 'un. 'Twas Providence kill'd 'un, not oie. "

"I believe you, " said Moodie; "Providence has hitherto watched over us andkept us from actual starvation. "

The flesh of the deer, and the good broth that I was able to obtain fromit, greatly assisted in restoring our sick to health; but long before thatsevere winter terminated we were again out of food. Mrs. ____ had given toKatie, in the fall, a very pretty little pig, which she had named Spot. The animal was a great favourite with Jacob and the children, and healways received his food from their hands at the door and followed themall over the place like a dog. We had a noble hound called Hector, betweenwhom and the pet pig there existed the most tender friendship. Spot alwaysshared with Hector the hollow log which served him for a kennel, and weoften laughed to see Hector lead Spot round the clearing by his ear. Afterbearing the want of animal food until our souls sickened at the badpotatoes and grown flour bread, we began--that is the eldest of thefamily--to cast very hungry eyes upon Spot; but no one liked to proposehaving him killed. At last Jacob spoke his mind upon the subject. 

"Oi've heard, zur, that the Jews never eat pork; but we Christians dooz, and are right glad ov the chance. Now, zur, oi've been thinking that'tisno manner ov use our keeping that beast Spot. If he wor a zow, now, theremight be zome zenze in the thing; and we all feel weak for a morzel ofmeat. S'poze I kill him? He won't make a bad piece of pork. "

Moodie seconded the move; and, in spite of the tears and prayers of Katie, her uncouth pet was sacrificed to the general wants of the family; butthere were two members of the house who disdained to eat a morsel of thevictim; poor Katie and the dog Hector. At the self-denial of the first Idid not at all wonder, for she was a child full of sensibility and warmaffections, but the attachment of the brute creature to his old playmatefilled us all with surprise. Jacob first drew our attention to the strangefact. 

"That dog, " he said, as we were passing through the kitchen while he wasat dinner, "do teach uz Christians a lesson how to treat our friends. Why, zur, he'll not eat a morzel of Spot. Oie have tried and tempted him in allmanner ov ways, and he only do zneer and turn up his nose when oie houldhim a bit to taste. " He offered the animal a rib of the fresh pork as hefinished speaking, and the dog turned away with an expression of aversion, and on a repetition of the act, walked from the table. Human affectioncould scarcely have surpassed the love felt by this poor animal for hisplayfellow. His attachment to Spot, that could overcome the pangs ofhunger--for, like the rest of us, he was half starved--must have beenstrong indeed. 

Jacob's attachment to us, in its simplicity and fidelity, greatlyresembled that of the dog; and sometimes, like the dog, he would pushhimself in where he was not wanted, and gratuitously give his advice, andmake remarks which were not required. 

Mr. K____, from Cork, was asking Moodie many questions about thepartridges of the country; and, among other things, he wanted to know bywhat token you were able to discover their favourite haunts. Before Moodiecould answer this last query a voice responded, through a large crack inthe boarded wall which separated us from the kitchen, "They always bideswhere they's drum. " This announcement was received with a burst oflaughter that greatly disconcerted the natural philosopher in the kitchen. 

On the 21st of May of this year, my second son, Donald, was born. The poorfellow came in hard times. The cows had not calved, and our bill of fare, now minus the deer and Spot, only consisted of bad potatoes and stillworse bread. I was rendered so weak by want of proper nourishment that mydear husband, for my sake, overcame his aversion to borrowing, andprocured a quarter of mutton from a friend. This, with kindly presentsfrom neighbours--often as badly off as ourselves--a loin of a young bear, and a basket, containing a loaf of bread, some tea, some fresh butter, andoatmeal, went far to save my life. 

Shortly after my recovery, Jacob--the faithful, good Jacob was obliged toleave us, for we could no longer afford to pay wages. What was owing tohim had to be settled by sacrificing our best cow, and a great manyvaluable articles of clothing from my husband's wardrobe. Nothing is moredistressing than being obliged to part with articles of dress which youknow that you cannot replace. Almost all my clothes had been appropriatedto the payment of wages, or to obtain garments for the children, exceptingmy wedding-dress, and the beautiful baby-linen which had been made by thehands of dear and affectionate friends for my first-born. These were nowexchanged for coarse, warm flannels, to shield her from the cold. Moodieand Jacob had chopped eight acres during the winter, but these had to beburnt off and logged-up before we could put in a crop of wheat for theensuing fall. Had we been able to retain this industrious, kindly Englishlad, this would have been soon accomplished; but his wages, at the rate ofthirty pounds per annum, were now utterly beyond our means. 

Jacob had formed an attachment to my pretty maid, Mary Pine, and beforegoing to the Southern States, to join an uncle who resided in Louisville, an opulent tradesman, who had promised to teach him his business, Jacobthought it as well to declare himself. The declaration took place on a logof wood near the back door, and from my chamber window I could both hearand see the parties, without being myself observed. Mary was seated verydemurely at one end of the log, twisting the strings of her checked apron, and the loving Jacob was busily whittling the other extremity of theirrustic seat. There was a long silence. Mary stole a look at Jacob, and heheaved a tremendous sigh, something between a yawn and a groan. "Meary, "he said, "I must go. "

"I knew that afore, " returned the girl. 

"I had zummat to zay to you, Meary. Do you think you will miss oie?"(looking very affectionately, and twitching nearer. )

"What put that into your head, Jacob?" This was said very demurely. 

"Oie thowt, maybe, Meary, that your feelings might be zummat loike my own. I feel zore about the heart, Meary, and it's all com' of parting with you. Don't you feel queerish, too?"

"Can't say that I do, Jacob. I shall soon see you again, " (pullingviolently at her apron-string. )

"Meary, oi'm afeard you don't feel like oie. "

"P'r'aps not--women can't feel like men. I'm sorry that you are going, Jacob, for you have been very kind and obliging, and I wish you well. "

"Meary, " cried Jacob, growing desperate at her coyness, and getting quiteclose up to her, "will you marry oie? Say yeez or noa. "

This was coming close to the point. Mary drew farther from him, and turnedher head away. 

"Meary, " said Jacob, seizing upon the hand that held the apron-string, "doyou think you can better yoursel'? If not--why, oie'm your man. Now, dojust turn about your head and answer oie. "

The girl turned round, and gave him a quick, shy glance, then burst outinto a simpering laugh. 

"Meary, will you take oie?" (jogging her elbow. )

"I will, " cried the girl, jumping up from the log, and running into thehouse. 

"Well, that bargain's made, " said the lover, rubbing his hands; "and now, oie'll go and bid measter and missus good-buoy. "

The poor fellow's eyes were full of tears, for the children, who loved himvery much, clung, crying, about his knees. "God bless yees all, " sobbedthe kind-hearted creature. "Doan't forget Jacob, for he'll neaver forgetyou. Goodbuoy!"

Then turning to Mary, he threw his arms round her neck, and bestowed uponher fair cheek the most audible kiss I ever heard. 

"And doan't you forget me, Meary. In two years oie will be back to marryyou; and maybe oie may come back a rich man. "

Mary, who was an exceedingly pretty girl, shed some tears at the parting;but in a few days, she was as gay as ever, and listening with greatattention to the praises bestowed upon her beauty by an old bachelor, whowas her senior by five-and-twenty years. But then he had a good farm, asaddle mare, and plenty of stock, and was reputed to have saved money. The saddle mare seemed to have great weight in old Ralph T____h's wooing;and I used laughingly to remind Mary of her absent lover, and beg her notto marry Ralph T____h's mare. 

CHAPTER VII. 

THE LITTLE STUMPY MAN. 

Before I dismiss for ever the troubles and sorrows of 1836, I would fainintroduce to the notice of my readers some of the odd characters with whomwe became acquainted during that period. The first that starts vividly tomy recollection is the picture of a short, stumpy, thick-set man--aBritish sailor, too--who came to stay one night under our roof, and tookquiet possession of his quarters for nine months, and whom we were obligedto tolerate from the simple fact that we could not get rid of him. 

During the fall, Moodie had met this individual (whom I will call Mr. Malcolm) in the mail-coach going up to Toronto. Amused with his eccentricand blunt manners, and finding him a shrewd, clever fellow inconversation, Moodie told him that if ever he came into his part of theworld he should be glad to renew their acquaintance. And so they parted, with mutual good-will, as men often part who have travelled a long journeyin good fellowship together, without thinking it probable they should evermeet again. 

The sugar season had just commenced with the spring thaw; Jacob had tappeda few trees in order to obtain sap to make molasses for the children, whenhis plans were frustrated by the illness of my husband, who was againattacked with the ague. Towards the close of a wet, sloppy night, whileJacob was in the wood, chopping, and our servant gone to my sister, whowas ill, to help to wash, as I was busy baking bread for tea, my attentionwas aroused by a violent knocking at the door, and the furious barking ofour dog, Hector. I ran to open it, when I found Hector's teeth clenched inthe trowsers of a little, dark, thick-set man, who said in a gruff voice, "Call off; our dog. What the devil do you keep such an infernal bruteabout the house for? Is it to bite people who come to see you?"

Hector was the best-behaved, best-tempered animal in the world; he mighthave been called a gentlemanly dog. So little was there of the unmannerlypuppy in his behaviour, that I was perfectly astonished at his ungraciousconduct. I caught him by the collar, and not without some difficulty, succeeded in dragging him off. 

"Is Captain Moodie within?" said the stranger. 

"He is, sir. But he is ill in bed--too ill to be seen. "

"Tell him a friend, " (he laid a strong stress upon the last word, ) "aparticular friend must speak to him. "

I now turned my eyes to the face of the speaker with some curiosity. I hadtaken him for a mechanic, from his dirty, slovenly appearance; and hisphysiognomy was so unpleasant that I did not credit his assertion that hewas a friend of my husband, for I was certain that no man who possessedsuch a forbidding aspect could be regarded by Moodie as a friend. I wasabout to deliver his message, but the moment I let go Hector's collar, thedog was at him again. 

"Don't strike him with your stick, " I cried, throwing my arms over thefaithful creature. "He is a powerful animal, and if you provoke him, hewill kill you. "

I at last succeeded in coaxing Hector into the girl's room, where I shuthim up, while the stranger came into the kitchen, and walked to the fireto dry his wet clothes. 

I immediately went into the parlour, where Moodie was lying upon a bednear the stove, to deliver the stranger's message; but before I could saya word, he dashed in after me, and going up to the bed held out his broad, coarse hand, with, "How are you, Mr. Moodie. You see I have accepted yourkind invitation sooner than either you or I expected. If you will give mehouse-room for the night I shall be obliged to you. "

This was said in a low, mysterious voice: and Moodie, who was stillstruggling with the hot fit of his disorder, and whose senses were not alittle confused, stared at him with a look of vague bewilderment. Thecountenance of the stranger grew dark. 

"You cannot have forgotten me--my name is Malcolm. "

"Yes, yes; I remember you now, " said the invalid, holding out his burning, feverish hand. "To my home, such as it is, you are welcome. "

I stood by in wondering astonishment, looking from one to the other, as Ihad no recollection of ever hearing my husband mention the name of thestranger; but as he had invited him to share our hospitality, I did mybest to make him welcome, though in what manner he was to be accommodatedpuzzled me not a little. I placed the arm-chair by the fire, and told himthat I would prepare tea for him as soon as I could. 

"It may be as well to tell you, Mrs. Moodie, " said he sulkily, for he wasevidently displeased by my husband's want of recognition on his firstentrance, "that I have had no dinner. "

I sighed to myself, for I well knew that our larder boasted of nodainties; and from the animal expression of our guest's face. I rightlyjudged that he was fond of good living. 

By the time I had fried a rasher of salt pork, and made a pot of dandelioncoffee, the bread I had been preparing was baked; but grown flour will notmake light bread, and it was unusually heavy. For the first time I feltheartily ashamed of our humble fare. I was sure that he for whom it wasprovided was not one to pass it over in benevolent silence. "He might be agentleman, " I thought, "but he does not look like one;" and a confusedidea of who he was, and where Moodie had met with him, began to floatthrough my mind. I did not like the appearance of the man, but I consoledmyself that he was only to stay for one night, and I could give up my bedfor that one night, and sleep on a bed on the floor by my sick husband. When I re-entered the parlour to cover the table, I found Moodie fallenasleep, and Mr. Malcolm reading. As I placed the tea-things on thetable, he raised his head, and regarded me with a gloomy stare. He was astrange-looking creature; his features were tolerably regular, hiscomplexion dark, with a good colour, his very broad and round head wascovered with a perfect mass of close, black, curling hair, which, ingrowth, texture, and hue, resembled the wiry, curly hide of a water-dog. His eyes and mouth were both well-shaped, but gave, by their sinisterexpression, an odious and doubtful meaning to the whole of hisphysiognomy. The eyes were cold, insolent, and cruel, and as green as theeyes of a cat. The mouth bespoke a sullen, determined, and sneeringdisposition, as if it belonged to one brutally obstinate, one who couldnot by any gentle means be persuaded from his purpose. Such a man in apassion, would have been a terrible wild beast; but the current of hisfeelings seemed to flow in a deep sluggish channel, rather than in aviolent or impetuous one; and, like William Penn, when he reconnoitred hisunwelcome visitors through the keyhole of the door, I looked at my strangeguest, and liked him not. Perhaps my distant and constrained manner madehim painfully aware of the fact, for I am certain that, from that firsthour of our acquaintance, a deep-rooted antipathy existed between us, which time seemed rather to strengthen than diminish. 

He ate of his meal sparingly, and with evident disgust; the only remarkswhich dropped from him were:

"You make bad bread in the bush. Strange, that you can't keep yourpotatoes from the frost! I should have thought that you could have hadthings more comfortable in the woods. "

"We have been very unfortunate, " I said, "since we came to the woods. I amsorry that you should be obliged to share the poverty of the land. Itwould have given me much pleasure could I have set before you a morecomfortable meal"

"Oh, don't mention it. So that I get good pork and potatoes I shall becontented. "

What did these words imply?--an extension of his visit? I hoped that I wasmistaken; but before I could lose any time in conjecture my husband awoke. The fit had left him, and he rose and dressed himself, and was soonchatting cheerfully with his guest. 

Mr. Malcolm now informed him that he was hiding from, the sheriff of theN____ district's officers, and that it would be conferring upon him agreat favour if he would allow him to remain at his house for a few weeks. 

"To tell you the truth, Malcolm, " said Moodie, "we are so badly off thatwe can scarcely find food for ourselves and the children. It is out of ourpower to make you comfortable, or to keep an additional hand, without heis willing to render some little help on the farm. If you can do this, Iwill endeavour to get a few necessaries on credit, to make your stay moreagreeable. "

To this proposition Malcolm readily assented, not only because it releasedhim from all sense of obligation but because it gave him a privilege togrumble. 

Finding that his stay might extend to an indefinite period, I got Jacob toconstruct a rude bedstead out of two large chests that had transportedsome of our goods across the Atlantic, and which he put up in a corner ofthe parlour. This I provided with a small hair-mattress, and furnishedwith what bedding I could spare. 

For the first fortnight of his sojourn, our guest did nothing but lieupon that bed, and read, and smoke, and drink whiskey and water frommorning until night. By degrees he let out part of his history; butthere was a mystery about him which he took good care never to clear up. He was the son of an officer in the navy, who had not only attained a veryhigh rank in the service, but, for his gallant conduct, had been made aKnight-Companion of the Bath. 

He had himself served his time as a midshipman on board his father'sflag-ship, but had left the navy and accepted a commission in theBuenos-Ayrean service during the political struggles in that province;he had commanded a sort of privateer under the government, to whom, by hisown account, he had rendered many very signal services. Why he leftSouth America and came to Canada he kept a profound secret. He hadindulged in very vicious and dissipated courses since he came to theprovince, and by his own account had spent upwards of four thousandpounds, in a manner not over creditable to himself. Finding that hisfriends would answer his bills no longer, he took possession of a grant ofland obtained through his father's interest, up in Hersey, a barrentownship on the shores of Stony Lake; and, after putting up his shanty, and expending all his remaining means, he found that he did not possessone acre out of the whole four hundred that would yield a crop ofpotatoes. He was now considerably in debt, and the lands, such as theywere, had been seized, with all his effects, by the sheriff, and a warrantwas out for his own apprehension, which he contrived to elude during hissojourn with us. Money he had none; and, beyond the dirty fearnoughtblue seaman's jacket which he wore, a pair of trowsers of the coarse clothof the country, an old black vest that had seen better days, and twoblue-checked shirts, clothes he had none. He shaved but once a week, nevercombed his hair, and never washed himself. A dirtier or more slovenlycreature never before was dignified by the title of a gentleman. He was, however, a man of good education, of excellent abilities, and possessed abitter, sarcastic knowledge of the world; but he was selfish andunprincipled in the highest degree. 

His shrewd observations and great conversational powers had firstattracted my husband's attention, and, as men seldom show their badqualities on a journey, he thought him a blunt, good fellow, who hadtravelled a great deal, and could render himself a very agreeablecompanion by a graphic relation of his adventures. He could be all this, when he chose to relax from his sullen, morose mood; and, much as Idisliked him, I have listened with interest for hours to his drolldescriptions of South American life and manners. 

Naturally indolent, and a constitutional grumbler, it was with thegreatest difficulty that Moodie could get him to do any thing beyondbringing a few pails of water from the swamp for the use of the house, and he has often passed me carrying water up from the lake withoutoffering to relieve me of the burden. Mary, the betrothed of Jacob, called him a perfect beast; but he, returning good for evil, considered_her_ a very pretty girl, and paid her so many uncouth attentions that heroused the jealousy of honest Jake, who vowed that he would give him agood "loomping" if he only dared to lay a finger upon his sweetheart. With Jacob to back her, Mary treated the "zea-bear, " as Jacob termed him, with vast disdain, and was so saucy to him that, forgetting hisadmiration, he declared he would like to serve her as the Indians had donea scolding woman in South America. They attacked her house during theabsence of her husband, cut out her tongue, and nailed it to the door, byway of knocker; and he thought that all women who could not keep a civiltongue in their head should be served in the same manner. 

"And what should be done to men who swear and use ondacent language?"quoth Mary, indignantly. "Their tongues should be slit, and given to thedogs. Faugh! You are such a nasty fellow that I don't think Hector wouldeat your tongue. "

"I'll kill that beast, " muttered Malcolm, as he walked away. 

I remonstrated with him on the impropriety of bandying words with ourservants. "You see, " I said, "the disrespect with which they treat you;and if they presume upon your familiarity, to speak to our guest in thiscontemptuous manner, they will soon extend the same conduct to us. "

"But, Mrs. Moodie, you should reprove them. "

"I cannot, sir, while you continue, by taking liberties with the girl, andswearing at the man, to provoke them to retaliation. "

"Swearing! What harm is there in swearing? A sailor cannot live withoutoaths. "

"But a gentleman might. Mr. Malcolm. I should be sorry to consider you inany other light. "

"Ah, you are such a prude--so methodistical--you make no allowance forcircumstances! Surely, in the woods we may dispense with the hypocritical, conventional forms of society, and speak and act as we please. "

"So you seem to think; but you see the result. "

"I have never been used to the society of ladies, and cannot fashion mywords to please them; and I won't, that's more!" he muttered to himself, as he strode off to Moodie in the field. I wished from my very heart thathe was once more on the deck of his piratical South American craft. 

One night he insisted on going out in the canoe to spear muskinongé withMoodie. The evening turned out very chill and foggy, and, before twelve, they returned, with only one fish, and half frozen with cold. Malcolm hadgot twinges of rheumatism, and he fussed, and sulked, and swore, andquarrelled with every body and every thing, until Moodie, who was highlyamused by his petulance, advised him to go to his bed, and pray for thehappy restoration of his temper. 

"Temper!" he cried, "I don't believe there's a good-tempered person in theworld. It's all hypocrisy! I never had a good temper! My mother was anill-tempered woman, and ruled my father, who was a confoundedly severe, domineering man. I was born in an ill temper. I was an ill-tempered child;I grew up an ill-tempered man. I feel worse than ill tempered now, andwhen I die it will be in an ill temper. "

"Well, " quoth I, "Moodie has made you a tumbler of hot punch, which mayhelp to drive out the cold and the ill temper, and cure the rheumatism. "

"Ay; your husband's a good fellow, and worth two of you, Mrs. Moodie. Hemakes some allowance for the weakness of Human nature, and can excuse evenmy ill temper. "

I did not choose to bandy words with him, and the next day the unfortunatecreature was shaking with the ague. A more intractable, outrageous, _im_-patient I never had the ill fortune to nurse. During the cold fit, hedid nothing but swear at the cold, and wished himself roasting; and duringthe fever, he swore at the heat, and wished that he was sitting, in noother garment than his shirt, on the north side of an iceberg. And whenthe fit at last left him, he got up, and ate such quantities of fat pork, and drank so much whiskey-punch, that you would have imagined he had justarrived from a long journey, and had not tasted food for a couple of days. 

He would not believe that fishing in the cold night-air upon the water hadmade him ill, but raved that it was all my fault for having laid my babydown on his bed while it was shaking with the ague. 

Yet, if there were the least tenderness mixed up in his iron nature, itwas the affection he displayed for that young child. Dunbar was justtwenty months old, with bright, dark eyes, dimpled cheeks, and soft, flowing, golden hair, which fell round his infant face in rich curls. Themerry, confiding little creature formed such a contrast to his own surly, unyielding temper, that, perhaps, that very circumstance made the bond ofunion between them. When in the house, the little boy was seldom out ofhis arms, and whatever were Malcolm's faults, he had none in the eyes ofthe child, who used to cling around his neck, and kiss his rough, unshavencheeks with the greatest fondness. 

"If I could afford it, Moodie, " he said one day to my husband, "I shouldlike to marry. I want some one upon whom I could vent my affections. " Andwanting that some one in the form of woman, he contented himself withventing them upon the child. 

As the spring advanced, and after Jacob left us, he seemed ashamed ofsitting in the house doing nothing, and therefore undertook to make us agarden, or "to make garden, " as the Canadians term preparing a fewvegetables for the season. I procured the necessary seeds, and watchedwith no small surprise the industry with which our strange visitorcommenced operations. He repaired the broken fence, dug the ground withthe greatest care, and laid it out with a skill and neatness of which Ihad believed him perfectly incapable. In less than three weeks, the wholeplot presented a very pleasing prospect, and he was really elated by hissuccess. 

"At any rate, " said he, "we shall no longer be starved on bad flour andpotatoes. We shall have peas, and beans, and beets, and carrots, andcabbage in abundance; besides the plot I have reserved for cucumbers andmelons. "

"Ah, " thought I, "does he, indeed, mean to stay with us until the melonsare ripe?" and my heart died within me, for he not only was a greatadditional expense, but he gave a great deal of additional trouble, andentirely robbed us of all privacy, as our very parlour was converted intoa bedroom for his accommodation; besides that, a man of his singularlydirty habits made a very disagreeable inmate. 

The only redeeming point in his character, in my eyes, was his love forDunbar. I could not entirely hate a man who was so fondly attached to mychild. To the two little girls he was very cross, and often chased themfrom him with blows. He had, too, an odious way of finding fault withevery thing. I never could cook to please him; and he tried in the mostmalicious way to induce Moodie to join in his complaints. All his schemesto make strife between us, however, failed, and were generally visitedupon himself. In no way did he ever seek to render me the leastassistance. Shortly after Jacob left us, Mary Price was offered higherwages by a family at Peterborough, and for some time I was left with fourlittle children, and without a servant. Moodie always milked the cows, because I never could overcome my fear of cattle; and though I hadoccasionally milked when there was no one else in the way, it was in fearand trembling. 

Moodie had to go down to Peterborough; but before he went, he beggedMalcolm to bring me what water and wood I required, and to stand by thecattle while I milked the cows, and he would himself be home before night. He started at six in the morning, and I got the pail to go and milk. Malcolm was lying upon his bed, reading. 

"Mr. Malcolm, will you be so kind as to go with me to the fields for a fewminutes while I milk?"

"Yes!" (then, with a sulky frown, )--"but I want to finish what I amreading. "

"I will not detain you long. "

"Oh, no! I suppose about an hour. You are a shocking bad milker. "

"True; I never went near a cow until I came to this country; and I havenever been able to overcome my fear of them. "

"More shame for you! A farmer's wife, and afraid of a cow! Why, theselittle children would laugh at you. "

I did not reply, nor would I ask him again. I walked slowly to the field, and my indignation made me forget my fear. I had just finished milking, and with a brimming pail was preparing to climb the fence and return tothe house, when a very wild ox we had came running with headlong speedfrom the wood. All my fears were alive again in a moment. I snatched upthe pail, and, instead of climbing the fence and getting to the house, Iran with all the speed I could command down the steep hill towards thelake shore, my feet caught in a root of the many stumps in the path, and Ifell to the ground, my pail rolling many yards ahead of me. Every drop ofmy milk was spilt upon the grass. The ox passed on. I gathered myself upand returned home. Malcolm was very fond of new milk, and he came to me atthe door. 

"Hi! hi!--Where's the milk?"

"No milk for the poor children to-day, " said I, showing him the inside ofthe pail, with a sorrowful shake of the head, for it was no small loss tothem and me. 

"How the devil's that? So you were afraid to milk the cows. Come away, andI will keep off the buggaboos. "

"I did milk them--no thanks to your kindness, Mr. Malcolm--but--"

"But what?"

"The ox frightened me, and I fell and spilt all the milk. "

"Whew! Now don't go and tell your husband that it was all my fault; if youhad had a little patience, I would have come when you asked me, but Idon't choose to be dictated to, and I won't be made a slave by you or anyone else. "

"Then why do you stay, sir, where you consider yourself so treated?" saidI. "We are all obliged to work to obtain bread; we give you the bestshare--surely the return we ask for it is but small. "

"You make me feel my obligations to you when you ask me to do any thing;if you left it to my better feelings we should get on better. "

"Perhaps you are right. I will never ask you to do any thing for me infuture. "

"Oh, now, that's all mock humility. In spite of the tears in your eyes, you are as angry with me as ever; but don't go to make mischief between meand Moodie. If you'll say nothing about my refusing to go with you, I'llmilk the cows for you myself to-night. "

"And can you milk?" said I, with some curiosity. 

"Milk! Yes; and if I were not so confoundedly low-spirited and ____ lazy, I could do a thousand other things too. But now, don't say a word about itto Moodie. "

I made no promise; but my respect for him was not increased by hiscowardly fear of reproof from Moodie, who treated him with a kindness andconsideration which he did not deserve. The afternoon turned out very wet, and I was sorry that I should be troubled with his company all day in thehouse. I was making a shirt for Moodie from some cotton that had been sentme from home, and he placed himself by the side of the stove, justopposite, and continued to regard me for a long time with his usual sullenstare. I really felt half afraid of him. 

"Don't you think me mad?" said he. "I have a brother deranged; he got astroke of the sun in India, and lost his senses in consequence; butsometimes I think it runs in the family. "

What answer could I give to this speech, but mere evasive commonplace?

"You won't say what you really think, " he continued; "I know you hate me, and that makes me dislike you. Now what would you say if I told you I hadcommitted a murder, and that it was the recollection of that circumstancethat made me at times so restless and unhappy?"

I looked up in his face, not knowing what to believe. 

"'Tis fact, " said he, nodding his head; and I hoped that he would not gomad, like his brother, and kill me. 

"Come, I'll tell you all about it; I know the world would laugh at me forcalling such an act _murder_; and yet I have been such a miserable manever since, that I _feel_ it was. 

"There was a noted leader among the rebel Buenos-Ayreans, whom thegovernment wanted much to get hold of. He was a fine, dashing, handsomefellow; I had often seen him, but we never came to close quarters. Onenight, I was lying wrapped up in my poncho at the bottom of my boat, which was rocking in the surf, waiting for two of my men, who were gone onshore. There came to the shore, this man and one of his people, and theystood so near the boat, which I suppose they thought empty, that I coulddistinctly hear their conversation. I suppose it was the devil who temptedme to put a bullet through that man's heart. He was an enemy to the flagunder which I fought, but he was no enemy to me--I had no right to becomehis executioner; but still the desire to kill him, for the mere deviltryof the thing, came so strongly upon me that I no longer tried to resistit. I rose slowly upon my knees; the moon was shining very bright at thetime, both he and his companion were too earnestly engaged to see me, andI deliberately shot him through the body. He fell with a heavy groan backinto the water; but I caught the last look he threw up to the moonlightskies before his eyes glazed in death. Oh, that look!--so full of despair, of unutterable anguish; it haunts me yet--it will haunt me for ever. Iwould not have cared if I had killed him in strife--but in cold blood, andhe so unsuspicious of his doom! Yes, it was murder; I know by thisconstant tugging at my heart that it was murder. What do you say to it?"

"I should think as you do, Mr. Malcolm. It is a terrible thing to takeaway the life of a fellow-creature without the least provocation. "

"Ah! I knew you would blame me; but he was an enemy after all; I had aright to kill him; I was hired by the government under whom I served tokill him: and who shall condemn me?"

"No one more than your own heart. "

"It is not the heart, but the brain, that must decide in questions ofright and wrong, " said he. "I acted from impulse, and shot the man; had Ireasoned upon it for five minutes, that man would be living now. Butwhat's done cannot be undone. Did I ever show you the work I wrote uponSouth America?"

"Are you an author, " said I, incredulously. 

"To be sure I am. Murray offered me £100 for my manuscript, but I wouldnot take it. Shall I read to you some passages from it?"

I am sorry to say that his behaviour in the morning was uppermost in mythoughts, and I had no repugnance in refusing. 

"No, don't trouble yourself. I have the dinner to cook, and the childrento attend to, which will cause a constant interruption; you had betterdefer it to some other time. "

"I shan't ask you to listen to me again, " said he, with a look of offendedvanity; but he went to his trunk, and brought out a large MS. , writtenon foolscap, which he commenced reading to himself with an air of greatself-importance, glancing from time to time at me, and smilingdisdainfully. Oh, how glad I was when the door opened, and the return ofMoodie broke up this painful _tête-à-tête_. 

From the sublime to the ridiculous is but a step. The very next day, Mr. Malcolm made his appearance before me wrapped in a great-coat belonging tomy husband, which literally came down to his heels. At this strangeapparition, I fell a-laughing. 

"For God's sake, Mrs. Moodie, lend me a pair of inexpressibles. I have metwith an accident in crossing the fence, and mine are torn to shreds--goneto the devil entirely. "

"Well, don't swear. I'll see what can be done for you. "

I brought him a new pair of fine, drab-coloured kerseymere trowsers thathad never been worn. Although he was eloquent in his thanks, I had no ideathat he meant to keep them for his sole individual use from that daythenceforth. But after all, what was the man to do? He had no trousers, and no money, and he could not take to the woods. Certainly his loss wasnot our gain. It was the old proverb reversed. The season for putting inthe potatoes had now arrived. Malcolm volunteered to cut the sets, whichwas easy work that could be done in the house, and over which he couldlounge and smoke; but Moodie told him that he must take his share in thefield, that I had already sets enough saved to plant half-an-acre, andwould have more prepared by the time they were required. With many growlsand shrugs, he felt obliged to comply; and he performed his part prettywell, the execrations bestowed upon the mosquitoes and black-flies forminga sort of safety-valve to let off the concentrated venom of his temper. When he came in to dinner, he held out his hands to me. 

"Look at these hands. "

"They are blistered with the hoe. "

"Look at my face. "

"You are terribly disfigured by the black-flies. But Moodie suffers justas much, and says nothing. "

"Bah!--The only consolation one feels for such annoyances is to complain. Oh, the woods!--the cursed woods!--how I wish I were out of them. " The daywas very warm, but in the afternoon I was surprised by a visit from an oldmaiden lady, a friend of mine from C--. She had walked up with a Mr. Crowe, from Peterborough, a young, brisk-looking farmer, in breeches andtop-boots, just out from the old country, who, naturally enough, thoughthe would like to roost among the woods. 

He was a little, lively, good-natured manny, with a real Anglo-Saxonface, --rosy, high cheek-boned, with full lips, and a turned-up nose;and, like most little men, was a great talker, and very full of himself. He had belonged to the secondary class of farmers, and was very vulgar, both in person and manners. I had just prepared tea for my visitors, whenMalcolm and Moodie returned from the field. There was no affectation aboutthe former. He was manly in his person, and blunt even to rudeness, andI saw by the quizzical look which he cast upon the spruce little Crowethat he was quietly quizzing him from head to heel. A neighbour had sentme a present of maple molasses, and Mr. Crowe was so fearful of spillingsome of the rich syrup upon his drab shorts that he spread a largepocket-handkerchief over his knees, and tucked another under his chin. Ifelt very much inclined to laugh, but restrained the inclination as wellas I could--and if the little creature would have sat still, I could havequelled my rebellious propensity altogether; but up he would jump at everyword I said to him, and make me a low, jerking bow, often with his mouthquite full, and the treacherous molasses running over his chin. 

Malcolm sat directly opposite to me and my volatile next-door neighbour. He saw the intense difficulty I had to keep my gravity, and was determinedto make me laugh out. So, coming slyly behind my chair, he whispered in myear, with the gravity of a judge, "Mrs. Moodie, that must have been thevery chap who first jumped Jim Crowe. "

This appeal obliged me to run from the table. Moodie was astonished at myrudeness; and Malcolm, as he resumed his seat, made the matter worse bysaying, "I wonder what is the matter with Mrs. Moodie; she is certainlyvery hysterical this afternoon. "

The potatoes were planted, and the season of strawberries, green peas, andyoung potatoes come, but still Malcolm remained our constant guest. He hadgrown so indolent, and gave himself so many airs, that Moodie was heartilysick of his company, and gave him many gentle hints to change hisquarters; but our guest was determined to take no hint. For some reasonbest known to himself, perhaps out of sheer contradiction, which formedone great element in his character, he seemed obstinately bent uponremaining where he was. Moodie was busy under-bushing for a full fallow. Malcolm spent much of his time in the garden, or lounging about the house. I had baked an eel-pie for dinner, which if prepared well is by no meansan unsavoury dish. Malcolm had cleaned some green peas, and washed thefirst young potatoes we had drawn that season, with his own hands, and hewas reckoning upon the feast he should have on the potatoes with childishglee. The dinner at length was put upon the table. The vegetables wereremarkably fine, and the pie looked very nice. 

Moodie helped Malcolm, as he always did, very largely, and the othercovered his plate with a portion of peas and potatoes, when, lo andbehold! my gentleman began making a very wry face at the pie. 

"What an infernal dish!" he cried, pushing away his plate with an air ofgreat disgust. "These eels taste as if they had been stewed in oil. Moodie, you should teach your wife to be a better cook. "

The hot blood burnt upon Moodie's cheek. I saw indignation blazing in hiseye. 

"If you don't like what is prepared for you, sir, you may leave the table, and my house, if you please. I will put up with your ungentlemanly andungrateful conduct to Mrs. Moodie no longer. "

Out stalked the offending party. I thought, to be sure, we had got rid ofhim; and though he deserved what was said to him, I was sorry for him. Moodie took his dinner, quietly remarking, "I wonder he could find it inhis heart to leave those fine peas and potatoes. "

He then went back to his work in the bush, and I cleared away the dishes, and churned, for I wanted butter for tea. 

About four o'clock, Mr. Malcolm entered the room. "Mrs. Moodie, " said he, in a more cheerful voice than usual, "where's the boss?"

"In the wood, under-bushing. " I felt dreadfully afraid that there would beblows between them. 

"I hope, Mr. Malcolm, that you are not going to him with any intention ofa fresh quarrel. "

"Don't you think I have been punished enough by losing my dinner?" saidhe, with a grin. "I don't think we shall murder one another. " Heshouldered his axe, and went whistling away. 

After striving for a long while to stifle my foolish fears, I took thebaby in my arms, and little Dunbar by the hand and ran up to the bushwhere Moodie was at work. 

At first I only saw my husband, but the strokes of an axe at a littledistance soon guided my eyes to the spot where Malcolm was working away, as if for dear life. Moodie smiled, and looked at me significantly. 

"How could the fellow stomach what I said to him? Either great necessityor great meanness must be the cause of his knocking under. I don't knowwhether most to pity or despise him. "

"Put up with it, dearest, for this once. He is not happy, and must begreatly distressed. "

Malcolm kept aloof, ever and anon casting a furtive glance towards us; atlast little Dunbar ran to him, and held up his arms to be kissed. Thestrange man snatched him to his bosom, and covered him with caresses. Itmight be love to the child that had quelled his sullen spirit, or he mightreally have cherished an affection for us deeper than his ugly temperwould allow him to show. At all events, he joined us at tea as if nothinghad happened, and we might truly say that he had obtained a new lease ofhis long visit. But what could not be effected by words or hints of ourswas brought about a few days after by the silly observation of a child. Heasked Katie to give him a kiss, and he would give her some raspberries hehad gathered in the bush. 

"I don't want them. Go away; I don't like you, _you little stumpy man!_"

His rage knew no bounds. He pushed the child from him, and vowed that hewould leave the house that moment--that she could not have thought of suchan expression herself; she must have been taught it by us. This was anentire misconception on his part; but he would not be convinced that hewas wrong. Off he went, and Moodie called after him, "Malcolm, as I amsending to Peterborough to-morrow, the man shall take in your trunk. " Hewas too angry even to turn and bid us good-bye; but we had not seen thelast of him yet. Two months after, we were taking tea with a neighbour, who lived a mile below us on the small lake. Who should walk in but Mr. Malcolm? He greeted us with great warmth for him, and when we rose to takeleave, he rose and walked home by our side. "Surely the little stumpy manis not returning to his old quarters?" I am still a babe in the affairs ofmen. Human nature has more strange varieties than any one menagerie cancontain, and Malcolm was one of the oddest of her odd species. 

That night he slept in his old bed below the parlour window, and for threemonths afterwards he stuck to us like a beaver. He seemed to have grownmore kindly, or we had got more used to his eccentricities, and let himhave his own way; certainly he behaved himself much better. He neitherscolded the children nor interfered with the maid, nor quarrelled with me. He had greatly discontinued his bad habit of swearing, and he talkedof himself and his future prospects with more hope and self-respect. His father had promised to send him a fresh supply of money, and heproposed to buy of Moodie the clergy reserve, and that they should farmthe two places on shares. This offer was received with great joy, as anunlooked-for means of paying our debts, and extricating ourselves frompresent and overwhelming difficulties, and we looked upon the littlestumpy man in the light of a benefactor. 

So matters continued until Christmas-eve, when our visitor proposedwalking into Peterborough, in order to give the children a treat ofraisins to make a Christmas pudding. 

"We will be quite merry to-morrow, " he said. "I hope we shall eat manyChristmas dinners together, and continue good friends. "

He started, after breakfast, with the promise of coming back at night; butnight came, the Christmas passed away, months and years fled away, but wenever saw the little stumpy man again!

He went away that day with a stranger in a wagon from Peterborough, andnever afterwards was seen in that part of Canada. We afterwards learnedthat he went to Texas, and it is thought that he was killed at St. Antonio; but this is mere conjecture. Whether dead or living, I feelconvinced that

 "We ne'er shall look upon his like again. "

CHAPTER VIII. 

THE FIRE. 

The early part of the winter of 1837, a year never to be forgotten in theannals of Canadian history, was very severe. During the month of February, the thermometer often ranged from eighteen to twenty-seven degrees belowzero. Speaking of the coldness of one particular day, a genuine BrotherJonathan remarked, with charming simplicity, that it was thirty degreesbelow zero that morning, and it would have been much colder if thethermometer had been longer. 

The morning of the seventh was so intensely cold that every thing liquidfroze in the house. The wood that had been drawn for the fire was green, and it ignited too slowly to satisfy the shivering impatience of women andchildren; I vented mine in audibly grumbling over the wretched fire, atwhich I in vain endeavoured to thaw frozen bread, and to dress cryingchildren. 

It so happened that an old friend, the maiden lady before alluded to, had been staying with us for a few days. She had left us for a visit to mysister, and as some relatives of hers were about to return to Britain bythe way of New York, and had offered to convey letters to friends at home, I had been busy all the day before preparing a packet for England. It wasmy intention to walk to my sister's with this packet, directly theimportant affair of breakfast had been discussed, but the extreme coldof the morning had occasioned such delay that it was late before thebreakfast-things were cleared away. 

After dressing, I found the air so keen that I could not venture outwithout some risk to my nose, and my husband kindly volunteered to go inmy stead. I had hired a young Irish girl the day before. Her friends wereonly just located in our vicinity, and she had never seen a stove untilshe came to our house. After Moodie left, I suffered the fire to die awayin the Franklin stove in the parlour, and went into the kitchen to preparebread for the oven. 

The girl, who was a good-natured creature, had heard me complain bitterlyof the cold, and the impossibility of getting the green wood to burn, andshe thought that she would see if she could not make a good fire for meand the children, against my work was done. Without saying one word abouther intention, she slipped out through a door that opened from the parlourinto the garden, ran round to the wood-yard, filled her lap with cedarchips, and, not knowing the nature of the stove, filled it entirely withthe light wood. 

Before I had the least idea of my danger, I was aroused from thecompletion of my task by the crackling and roaring of a large fire, and a suffocating smell of burning soot. I looked up at the kitchencooking-stove. All was right there. I knew I had left no fire in theparlour stove; but not being able to account for the smoke and smell ofburning, I opened the door, and to my dismay found the stove red hot, from the front plate to the topmost pipe that let out the smoke throughthe roof. 

My first impulse was to plunge a blanket, snatched from the servant's bed, which stood in the kitchen, into cold water. This I thrust into the stove, and upon it I threw water, until all was cool below. I then ran up to theloft, and by exhausting all the water in the house, even to that containedin the boilers upon the fire, contrived to cool down the pipes whichpassed through the loft. I then sent the girl out of doors to look at theroof, which, as a very deep fall of snow had taken place the day before, Ihoped would be completely covered, and safe from all danger of fire. 

She quickly returned, stamping and tearing her hair, and making a varietyof uncouth outcries, from which I gathered that the roof was in flames. 

This was terrible news, with my husband absent, no man in the house, and amile and a quarter from any other habitation. I ran out to ascertain theextent of the misfortune, and found a large fire burning in the roofbetween the two stone pipes. The heat of the fires had melted off all thesnow, and a spark from the burning pipe had already ignited the shingles. A ladder, which for several months had stood against the house, had beenmoved two days before to the barn, which was at the top of the hill, nearthe road; there was no reaching the fire through that source. I got outthe dining-table, and tried to throw water upon the roof by standing on achair placed upon it, but I only expended the little water that remainedin the boiler, without reaching the fire. The girl still continued weepingand lamenting. 

"You must go for help, " I said. "Run as fast as you can to my sister's, and fetch your master!"

"And lave you, ma'arm, and the childher alone wid the burnin' house?"

"Yes, yes! Don't stay one moment. "

"I have no shoes, ma'arm, and the snow is so deep. "

"Put on your master's boots; make haste, or we shall be lost before helpcomes. "

The girl put on the boots and started, shrieking "Fire!" the whole way. This was utterly useless, and only impeded her progress by exhausting herstrength. After she had vanished from the head of the clearing into thewood, and I was left quite alone, with the house burning over my head, Ipaused one moment to reflect what had best be done. 

The house was built of cedar logs; in all probability it would be consumedbefore any help could arrive. There was a brisk breeze blowing up from thefrozen lake, and the thermometer stood at eighteen degrees below zero. Wewere placed between the two extremes of heat and cold, and there was asmuch danger to be apprehended from the one as the other. In thebewilderment of the moment, the direful extent of the calamity neverstruck me: we wanted but this to put the finishing stroke to ourmisfortunes, to be thrown naked, houseless, and penniless, upon the world. "_What shall I save first?_" was the thought just then uppermost in mymind. Bedding and clothing appeared the most essentially necessary, andwithout another moment's pause, I set to work with a right good will todrag all that I could from my burning home. 

While little Agnes, Dunbar, and baby Donald filled the air with theircries, Katie, as if fully conscious of the importance of exertion, assisted me in carrying out sheets and blankets, and dragging trunks andboxes some way up the hill, to be out of the way of the burning brandswhen the roof should fall in. 

How many anxious looks I gave to the head of the clearing as the fireincreased, and large pieces of burning pine began to fall through theboarded ceiling, about the lower rooms where we were at work. The childrenI had kept under a large dresser in the kitchen, but it now appearedabsolutely necessary to remove them to a place of safety. To exposethe young, tender things to the direful cold was almost as bad as leavingthem to the mercy of the fire. At last I hit upon a plan to keep them fromfreezing. I emptied all the clothes out of a large, deep chest of drawers, and dragged the empty drawers up the hill; these I lined with blankets, and placed a child in each drawer, covering it well over with the beddinggiving to little Agnes the charge of the baby to hold between her knees, and keep well covered until help should arrive. Ah, how long it seemedcoming!

The roof was now burning like a brush-heap, and, unconsciously, the childand I were working under a shelf, upon which were deposited several poundsof gunpowder which had been procured for blasting a well, as all our waterhad to be brought up-hill from the lake. This gunpowder was in a stone jarsecured by a paper stopper; the shelf upon which it stood was on fire, butit was utterly forgotten by me at the time; and even afterwards, when myhusband was working on the burning loft over it. 

I found that I should not be able to take many more trips for goods. As Ipassed out of the parlour for the last time, Katie looked up at herfather's flute, which was suspended upon two brackets, and said, "Oh, dear mamma! do save papa's flute; he will be so sorry to lose it. "

God bless the dear child for the thought! the flute was saved; and, as Isucceeded in dragging out a heavy chest of clothes, and looked up oncemore despairingly to the road, I saw a man running at full speed. It wasmy husband. Help was at hand, and my heart uttered a deep thanksgiving asanother and another figure came upon the scene. 

I had not felt the intense cold, although without cap, or bonnet, orshawl; with my hands bare and exposed to the bitter, biting air. Theintense excitement, the anxiety to save a11 I could, had so totallydiverted my thoughts from myself, that I had felt nothing of the danger towhich I had been exposed; but now that help was near, my knees trembledunder me, I felt giddy and faint, and dark shadows seemed dancing beforemy eyes. 

The moment my husband and brother-in-law entered the house, the latterexclaimed, "Moodie, the house is gone; save what you can of your winter stores andfurniture. "

Moodie thought differently. Prompt and energetic in danger, and possessingadmirable presence of mind and coolness when others yield to agitation anddespair, he sprang upon the burning loft and called for water. Alas, therewas none!

"Snow, snow; hand me up pailfuls of snow!"

Oh! it was bitter work filling those pails with frozen snow; but Mr. T____and I worked at it as fast as we were able. 

The violence of the fire was greatly checked by covering the boards of theloft with this snow. More help had now arrived. Young B____ and S____ hadbrought the ladder down with them from the barn, and were already cuttingaway the burning roof, and flinging the flaming brands into the deep snow. 

"Mrs. Moodie, have you any pickled meat?"

"We have just killed one of our cows, and salted it for winter stores. "

"Well, then, fling the beef into the snow, and let us have the brine. "

This was an admirable plan. Wherever the brine wetted the shingles, thefire turned from it, and concentrated into one spot. 

But I had not time to watch the brave workers on the roof. I was fastyielding to the effects of over-excitement and fatigue, when my brother'steam dashed down the clearing, bringing my excellent old friend, MissB____, and the servant-girl. 

My brother sprang out, carried me back into the house, and wrapped me upin one of the large blankets, scattered about. In a few minutes I wasseated with the dear children in the sleigh, and on the way to a place ofwarmth and safety. Katie alone suffered from the intense cold. The dearlittle creature's feet were severely frozen, but were fortunately restoredby her uncle discovering the fact before she approached the fire, andrubbing them well with snow. In the mean while, the friends we had left soactively employed at the house succeeded in getting the fire under beforeit had destroyed the walls. The only accident that occurred was to a poordog, that Moodie had called Snarleyowe. He was struck by a burning brandthrown from the house, and crept under the barn and died. 

Beyond the damage done to the building, the loss of our potatoes, and twosacks of flour, we had escaped in a manner almost miraculous. This factshows how much can be done by persons working in union, without bustle andconfusion, or running in each other's way. Here were six men, who, withoutthe aid of water, succeeded in saving a building, which, at first sight, almost all of them had deemed past hope. In after years, when entirelyburnt out in a disastrous fire that consumed almost all we were worth inthe world, some four hundred persons were present, with a fire-engine tosecond their endeavours, yet all was lost. Every person seemed in the way;and though the fire was discovered immediately after it took place, nothing was done beyond saving some of the furniture. 

Our party was too large to be billetted upon one family. Mrs. T---, tookcompassion upon Moodie, myself, and the baby, while their uncle receivedthe three children to his hospitable home. 

It was some weeks before Moodie succeeded in repairing the roof, theintense cold preventing any one from working in such an exposed situation. The news of our fire travelled far and wide. I was reported to have doneprodigies, and to have saved the greater part of our household goodsbefore help arrived. Reduced to plain prose, these prodigies shrink intothe simple, and by no means marvellous fact, that during the excitementI dragged out chests which, under ordinary circumstances, I could not havemoved; and that I was unconscious both of the cold and the danger to whichI was exposed while working under a burning roof, which, had it fallen, would have buried both the children and myself under its ruins. Thesecircumstances appeared far more alarming, as all real danger does, afterthey were past. The fright and overexertion gave my health a shock fromwhich I did not recover for several months, and made me so fearful offire, that from that hour it haunts me like a nightmare. Let the night beever so serene, all stoves must be shut up, and the hot-embers coveredwith ashes, before I dare retire to rest; and the sight of a burningedifice, so common a spectacle in large towns in this country, makes mereally ill. This feeling was greatly increased after a second fire, when, for some torturing minutes, a lovely boy, since drowned, was supposed tohave perished in the burning house. 

Our present fire led to a new train of circumstances, for it was the meansof introducing to Moodie a young Irish gentleman, who was staying at mybrother's house. John E____ was one of the best and gentlest of humanbeings. His father, a captain in the army, had died while his family werequite young, and had left his widow with scarcely any means beyond thepension she received at her husband's death, to bring up and educate afamily of five children. A handsome, showy woman, Mrs. E____ soon marriedagain; and the poor lads ere thrown upon the world. The eldest, who hadbeen educated for the Church first came to Canada in the hope of gettingsome professorship in the college, or of opening a classical school. Hewas a handsome, gentlemanly, well-educated young man, but constitutionallyindolent--a natural defect which seemed common to all the males of thefamily, and which was sufficiently indicated by their soft, silky, fairhair and milky complexion. R____ had the good sense to perceive thatCanada was not the country for him. He spent a week under our roof, and wewere much pleased with his elegant tastes and pursuits; but my husbandstrongly advised him to try and get a situation as a tutor in some familyat home. This he afterwards obtained. He became tutor and travellingcompanion to the young Lord M____; and has since got an excellent living. 

John, who had followed his brother to Canada without the means oftransporting himself back again, was forced to remain, and was workingwith Mr. S____ for his board. He proposed to Moodie working his farm uponshares; and as we were unable to hire a man, Moodie gladly closed with hisoffer; and, during the time he remained with us, we had every reason to bepleased with the arrangement. It was always a humiliating feeling to ourproud minds, that hirelings should witness our dreadful struggles withpoverty, and the strange shifts we were forced to make in order to obtaineven food. But John E____ had known and experienced all that we hadsuffered, in his own person, and was willing to share our home with allits privations. Warm-hearted, sincere, and truly affectionate--a gentlemanin word, thought, and deed--we found his society and cheerful help a greatcomfort. Our odd meals became a subject of merriment, and the peppermintand sage tea drank with a better flavour when we had one who sympathizedin all our trials, and shared all our toils, to partake of it with us. 

The whole family soon became attached to our young friend, and afterthe work of the day was over, greatly we enjoyed an hour's fishing onthe lake. John E____ said that we had no right to murmur, as long as wehad health, a happy home, and plenty of fresh fish, milk, and potatoes. Early in May, we received an old Irishwoman into our service, who for fouryears proved a most faithful and industrious creature. And what with JohnE____ to assist my husband on the farm, and old Jenny to help me to nursethe children, and manage the house, our affairs, if they were no better ina pecuniary point of view, at least presented a more pleasing aspect athome. We were always cheerful, and sometimes contented and even happy. 

How great was the contrast between the character of our new inmate andthat of Mr. Malcolm! The sufferings of the past year had been greatlyincreased by the intolerable nuisance of his company, while manyadditional debts had been contracted in order to obtain luxuries for himwhich we never dreamed of purchasing for ourselves. Instead of increasingmy domestic toils, John did all in his power to lessen them; and it alwaysgrieved him to see me iron a shirt, or wash the least article of clothingfor him. "You have too much to do already; I cannot bear to give you theleast additional work, " he would say. And he generally expressed thegreatest satisfaction at my method of managing the house, and preparingour simple fare. The little ones he treated with the most affectionatekindness, and gathered the whole flock about his knees the moment he camein to his meals. 

On a wet day, when no work could be done abroad, Moodie took up his flute, or read aloud to us, while John and I sat down to work. The youngemigrant, early cast upon the world and his own resources, was anexcellent hand at the needle. He would make or mend a shirt with thegreatest precision and neatness, and cut out and manufacture his canvastrowsers and loose summer-coats with as much adroitness as the mostexperienced tailor; darn his socks, and mend his boots and shoes, andoften volunteered to assist me in knitting the coarse yarn of the countryinto socks for the children, while he made them moccasins from the dresseddeer-skins that we obtained from the Indians. Scrupulously neat and cleanin his person, the only thing which seemed to ruffle his calm temper wasthe dirty work of logging; he hated to come in from the field with hisperson and clothes begrimed with charcoal and smoke. Old Jenny used tolaugh at him for not being able to eat his meals without first washing hishands and face. 

"Och! my dear heart, yer too particular intirely; we've no time in thewoods to be clane. " She would say to him, in answer to his request forsoap and a towel, "An' is it soap yer a wantin'? I tell yer that that sameis not to the fore; bating the throuble of making, it's little soap thatthe misthress can get to wash the clothes for us and the childher, widoutyer wastin' it in makin' yer purty skin as white as a leddy's. Do, darlint, go down, to the lake and wash there; that basin is big enough, any how. " And John would laugh, and go down to the lake to wash, in orderto appease the wrath of the old woman. John had a great dislike to cats, and even regarded with an evil eye our old pet cat, Peppermint, who hadtaken a great fancy to share his bed and board. 

"If I tolerate our own cat, " he would say, "I will not put up with such anuisance as your friend Emilia sends us in the shape of her ugly Tom. Why, where in the world do you think I found that beast sleeping last night?"

I expressed my ignorance. 

"In our potato-pot. Now, you will agree with me that potatoes dressed withcat's hair is not a very nice dish. The next time I catch Master Tom inthe potato-pot, I will kill him. "

"John, you are not in earnest. Mrs. ____ would never forgive any injurydone to Tom, who is a great favourite. "

"Let her keep him at home, then. Think of the brute coming a mile throughthe woods to steal from us all he can find, and then sleeping off theeffects of his depredations in the potato-pot. "

I could not help laughing, but I begged John by no means to annoy Emiliaby hurting her cat. 

The next day, while sitting in the parlour at work, I heard a dreadfulsquall, and rushed to the rescue. John was standing, with a flushed cheek, grasping a large stick in his hand, and Tom was lying dead at his feet. 

"Oh, the poor cat!". 

"Yes, I have killed him; but I am sorry for it now. What will Mrs. ____say?"

"She must not know it. I have told you the story of the pig that Jacobkilled. You had better bury it with the pig. "

John was really sorry for having yielded, in a fit of passion, to doso cruel a thing; yet a few days after he got into a fresh scrape withMrs. ____'s animals. 

The hens were laying, up at the barn. John was very fond of fresh eggs, but some strange dog came daily and sucked the eggs. John had vowed tokill the first dog he found in the act Mr. ____ had a very fine bull-dog, which he valued very highly; but with Emilia, Chowder was an especialfavourite. Bitterly had she bemoaned the fate of Tom, and many were theinquiries she made of us as to his sudden disappearance. 

One afternoon John ran into the room. "My dear Mrs. Moodie, what isMrs. ____'s dog like?"

"A large bull-dog, brindled black and white. "

"There, by Jove, I've shot him!"

"John, John! you mean me to quarrel in earnest with my friend. How couldyou do it?"

"Why, how the deuce should I know her dog from another? I caught the bigthief in the very act of devouring the eggs from under your sitting hen, and I shot him dead without another thought. But I will bury him, and shewill never find it out a bit more than she did who killed the cat. "

Some time after this, Emilia returned from a visit at P____. The firstthing she told me was the loss of the dog. She was so vexed at it, she hadhad him advertised, offering a reward for his recovery. I, of course, wascalled upon to sympathize with her, which I did with a very bad grace. "Idid not like the beast, " I said; "he was cross and fierce, and I wasafraid to go up to her house while he was there. "

"Yes; but to lose him so. It is so provoking; and him such a valuableanimal. I could not tell how deeply she felt the loss. She would give fourdollars to find out who had stolen him. "

How near she came to making the grand discovery the sequel will show. 

Instead of burying him with the murdered pig and cat, John had scratched ashallow grave in the garden, and concealed the dead brute. 

After tea, Emilia requested to look at the garden; and I, perfectlyunconscious that it contained the remains of the murdered Chowder, led theway. Mrs. ____, whilst gathering a handful of fine green peas, suddenlystooped, and looking earnestly at the ground, called to me. 

"Come here, Susanna, and tell me what has been buried here. It looks likethe tail of a dog. "

She might have added, "of my dog. " Murder, it seems, will out. By somestrange chance, the grave that covered the mortal remains of Chowder hadbeen disturbed, and the black tail of the dog was sticking out. 

"What can it be?" said I, with an air of perfect innocence. "Shall I callJenny, and dig it up?"

"Oh, no, my dear; it has a shocking smell, but it does look very much likeChowder's tail. "

"Impossible! How could it come among my peas?"

"True. Besides, I saw Chowder, with my own eyes yesterday, following ateam; and George C____ hopes to recover him for me. "

"Indeed! I am glad to hear it. How these mosquitoes sting. Shall we goback to the house?"

While we returned to the house, John, who had overheard the wholeconversation, hastily disinterred the body of Chowder, and placed him inthe same mysterious grave with Tom and the pig. Moodie and his friendfinished logging-up the eight acres which the former had cleared theprevious winter; besides putting in a crop of peas and potatoes, and anacre of Indian corn, reserving the fallow for fall wheat; while we had thepromise of a splendid crop of hay off the sixteen acres that had beencleared in 1834. We were all in high spirits, and every thing promisedfair, until a very trifling circumstance again occasioned us much anxietyand trouble, and was the cause of our losing most of our crop. 

Moodie was asked to attend a bee, which was called to construct a corduroybridge over a very bad piece of road. He and J. E____ were obliged to gothat morning with wheat to the mill, but Moodie lent his yoke of oxen forthe work. 

The driver selected for them at the bee was the brutal M____y, a savageIrishman, noted for his ill-treatment of cattle, especially if the animalsdid not belong to him. He gave one of the oxen such a severe blow over theloins with a handspike that the creature came home perfectly disabled, just as we wanted his services in the hay-field and harvest. 

Moodie had no money to purchase, or even to hire, a mate for the other ox;but he and John hoped that by careful attendance upon the injured animalhe might be restored to health in a few days. They conveyed him to adeserted clearing, a short distance from the farm, where he would be safefrom injury from the rest of the cattle; and early every morning we wentin the canoe to carry poor Duke a warm mash, and to watch the progress ofhis recovery. 

Ah, ye who revel in this world's wealth, how little can you realize theimportance which we, in our poverty, attached to the life of this valuableanimal! Yes, it even became the subject of prayer, for the bread forourselves and our little ones depended greatly upon his recovery. We weredoomed to disappointment. After nursing him with the greatest attentionand care for some weeks, the animal grew daily worse, and suffered suchintense agony, as he lay groaning upon the ground, unable to rise, thatJohn shot him to put him out of pain. 

Here, then, were we left without oxen to draw in our hay, or secure ourother crops. A neighbour, who had an odd ox, kindly lent us the use ofhim, when he was not employed on his own farm; and John and Moodie gavetheir own work for the occasional loan of a yoke of oxen for-a-day. Butwith all these drawbacks, and in spite of the assistance of old Jennyand myself in the field, a great deal of the produce was damaged before itcould be secured. The whole summer we had to labour under thisdisadvantage. Our neighbours were all too busy to give us any help, andtheir own teams were employed in saving their crops. Fortunately, the fewacres of wheat we had to reap were close to the barn, and we carried thesheaves thither by hand; old Jenny proving an invaluable help, both in theharvest and hay field. 

Still, with all these misfortunes, Providence watched over us in a signalmanner. We were never left entirely without food. Like the widow's cruiseof oil, our means, though small, were never suffered to cease entirely. Wehad been for some days without meat, when Moodie came running in for hisgun. A great she-bear was in the wheat-field at the edge of the wood, verybusily employed in helping to harvest the crop. There was but one bullet, and a charge or two of buck-shot, in the house; but Moodie started to thewood with the single bullet in his gun, followed by a little terrier dogthat belonged to John E____. Old Jenny was busy at the wash-tub, but themoment she saw her master running up the clearing, and knew the cause, sheleft her work, and snatching up the carving-knife, ran after him, that incase the bear should have the best of the fight, she would be there tohelp "the masther. " Finding her shoes incommode her, she flung them off, in order to run faster. A few minutes after, came the report of the gun, and I heard Moodie halloo to E____, who was cutting stakes for a fence inthe wood. I hardly thought it possible that he could have killed the bear, but I ran to the door to listen. The children were all excitement, whichthe sight of the black monster, borne down the clearing upon two poles, increased to the wildest demonstrations of joy. Moodie and John werecarrying the prize, and old Jenny, brandishing her carving-knife, followedin the rear. 

The rest of the evening was spent in skinning and cutting up and saltingthe ugly creature, whose flesh filled a barrel with excellent meat, inflavour resembling beef, while the short grain and juicy nature of theflesh gave to it the tenderness of mutton. This was quite a Godsend, andlasted us until we were able to kill two large, fat hogs, in the fall. 

A few nights after, Moodie and I encountered the mate of Mrs. Bruin, whilereturning from a visit to Emilia, in the very depth of the wood. 

"We had been invited to meet our friend's father and mother, who had comeup on a short visit to the woods; and the evening passed away sopleasantly that it was near midnight before the little party of friendsseparated. The moon was down. The wood, through which we had to return, was very dark; the ground being low and swampy, and the trees thick andtall. There was, in particular, one very ugly spot, where a small creekcrossed the road. This creek could only be passed by foot-passengersscrambling over a fallen tree, which, in a dark night, was not very easyto find. I begged a torch of Mr. M____; but no torch could be found. Emilia laughed at my fears; still, knowing what a coward I was in the bushof a night, she found up about an inch of candle, which was all thatremained from the evening's entertainment. This she put into an oldlantern. 

"It will not last you long; but it will carry you over the creek. "

This was something gained, and off we set. It was so dark in the bush, that our dim candle looked like a solitary red spark in the intensesurrounding darkness, and scarcely served to show us the path. We wentchatting along, talking over the news of the evening, Hector running onbefore us, when I saw a pair of eyes glare upon us from the edge of theswamp, with the green, bright light emitted by the eyes of a cat. 

"Did you see those terrible eyes, Moodie?" and I clung, trembling, to hisarm. 

"What eyes?" said he, feigning ignorance. "It's too dark to see any thing. The light is nearly gone, and, if you don't quicken your pace, and crossthe tree before it goes out, you will, perhaps, get your feet wet byfalling into the creek. "

"Good heavens! I saw them again; and do just look at the dog. "

Hector stopped suddenly, and, stretching himself along the ground, hisnose resting between his fore-paws, began to whine and tremble. Presentlyhe ran back to us, and crept under our feet. The cracking of branches, andthe heavy tread of some large animal, sounded close beside us. 

Moodie turned the open lantern in the direction from whence the soundscame, and shouted as loud as he could, at the same time endeavouring tourge forward the fear-stricken dog, whose cowardice was only equalled bymy own. 

Just at that critical moment the wick of the candle flickered a moment inthe socket, and expired. We were left, in perfect darkness, alone with thebear--for such we supposed the animal to be. 

My heart beat audibly; a cold perspiration was streaming down my face, butI neither shrieked nor attempted to run. I don't know how Moodie got meover the creek. One of my feet slipped into the water, but, expecting, asI did every moment, to be devoured by master Bruin, that was a thing of noconsequence. My husband was laughing at my fears, and every now and thenhe turned towards our companion, who continued following us at no greatdistance, and gave him an encouraging shout. Glad enough was I when I sawthe gleam of the light from our little cabin window shine out among thetrees; and, the moment I got within the clearing, I ran, without stoppinguntil I was safely within the house. John was sitting up for us, nursingDonald. He listened with great interest to our adventure with the bear, and thought that Bruin was very good to let us escape without oneaffectionate hug. 

"Perhaps it would have been otherwise had he known, Moodie, that you hadnot only killed his good lady, but were dining sumptuously off her carcassevery day. "

The bear was determined to have something in return for the loss of hiswife. Several nights after this, our slumbers were disturbed, aboutmidnight, by an awful yell, and old Jenny shook violently at our chamberdoor. 

"Masther, masther, dear!--Get up wid you this moment, or the bear willdesthroy the cattle intirely. "

Half asleep, Moodie sprang from his bed, seized his gun, and ran out. Ithrew my large cloak round me, struck a light, and followed him to thedoor. The moment the latter was unclosed, some calves that we were rearingrushed into the kitchen, closely followed by the larger beasts, who camebellowing headlong down the hill, pursued by the bear. 

It was a laughable scene, as shown by that paltry tallow-candle. Moodie, in his night-shirt, taking aim at something in the darkness, surrounded bythe terrified animals; old Jenny, with a large knife in her hand, holdingon to the white skirts of her master's garment, making outcry loud enoughto frighten away all the wild beasts in the bush--herself almost in astate of nudity. 

"Och, maisther, dear! don't timpt the ill-conditioned crathur wid chargingtoo near; think of the wife and the childher. Let me come at the rampagingbaste, an' I'll stick the knife into the heart of him. "

Moodie fired. The bear retreated up the clearing, with a low growl. Moodieand Jenny pursued him some way, but it was too dark to discern any objectat a distance. I, for my part, stood at the open door, laughing until thetears ran down my cheeks, at the glaring eyes of the oxen, their earserect, and their tails carried gracefully on a level with their backs, asthey stared at me and the light, in blank astonishment. The noise of thegun had just roused John E____ from his slumbers. He was no less amusedthan myself, until he saw that a fine yearling heifer was bleeding, andfound, upon examination, that the poor animal, having been in the claws ofthe bear, was dangerously, if not mortally hurt. 

"I hope, " he cried, "that the brute has not touched my foal!" I pointed tothe black face of the filly peeping over the back of an elderly cow. 

"You see, John, that Bruin preferred veal; there's your 'horsey, ' asDunbar calls her, safe, and laughing at you. "

Moodie and Jenny now returned from the pursuit of the bear. E____ fastenedall the cattle into the back yard, close to the house. By daylight he andMoodie had started in chase of Bruin, whom they tracked by his blood someway into the bush; but here he entirely escaped their search. 

CHAPTER IX. 

THE OUTBREAK. 

THE long-protracted harvest was at length brought to a close. Moodie hadprocured another ox from Dummer, by giving a note at six months' date forthe payment; and he and John E--- were in the middle of sowing their fallcrop of wheat, when the latter received a letter from the old countrywhich conveyed to him intelligence of the death of his mother, and of alegacy of two hundred pounds. It was necessary for him to return to claimthe property, and though we felt his loss severely, we could not, withoutgreat selfishness, urge him to stay. John had formed an attachment to ayoung lady in the country, who, like himself, possessed no property. Theirengagement, which had existed several years, had been dropped, from itsutter hopelessness, by mutual consent. Still the young people continued tolove each other, and to look forward to better days, when their prospectsmight improve so far that E--- would be able to purchase a bush farm, andraise a house, however lowly, to shelter his Mary. He, like our friendMalcolm, had taken a fancy to buy a part of our block of land, which hecould cultivate in partnership with Moodie, without being obliged tohire, when the same barn, cattle, and implements would serve for both. Anxious to free himself from the thraldom of debts which pressed him sore, Moodie offered to part with two hundred acres at less than they cost us, and the bargain was to be considered as concluded directly the money wasforthcoming. 

It was a sorrowful day when our young friend left us; he had been aconstant inmate in the house for nice months, and not one unpleasant wordhad ever passed between us. He had rendered our sojourn in the woods moretolerable by his society, and sweetened our bitter lot by his friendshipand sympathy. We both regarded him as a brother, and parted with him withsincere regret. As to old Jenny, she lifted up her voice and wept, consigning him to the care and protection of all the saints in the Irishcalendar. For several days after John left us, a deep gloom pervaded thehouse. Our daily toil was performed with less cheerfulness and alacrity;we missed him at the evening board, and at the evening fire; and thechildren asked each day, with increasing earnestness, when dear E____would return. 

Moodie continued sowing his fall wheat. The task was nearly completed, andthe chill October days were fast verging upon winter, when towards theevening of one of them he contrived--I know not how--to crawl down fromthe field at the head of the hill, faint and pale, and in great pain. Hehad broken the small bone of his leg. In dragging, among the stumps, theheavy machine (which is made in the form of the letter V, and is suppliedwith large iron teeth) had hitched upon a stump, and being swung off againby the motion of the oxen, had come with great force against his leg. Atfirst he was struck down, and for some time was unable to rise; but atlength he contrived to unyoke the team, and crawled partly on his handsand knees down the clearing. 

What a sad, melancholy evening that was! Fortune seemed never tired ofplaying us some ugly trick. The hope which had so long sustained me seemedabout to desert me altogether; when I saw him on whom we all depended forsubsistence, and whose kindly voice ever cheered us under the pressure ofcalamity, smitten down hopeless, all my courage and faith in the goodnessof the Divine Father seemed to forsake me, and I wept long and bitterly. 

The next morning I went in search of a messenger to send to Peterboroughfor the doctor; but though I found and sent the messenger, the doctornever came. Perhaps he did not like to incur the expense of a fatiguingjourney with small chance of obtaining a sufficient remuneration. 

Our dear sufferer contrived, with assistance, to bandage his leg; andafter the first week of rest had expired, he amused himself with makinga pair of crutches, and in manufacturing Indian paddles for the canoe, axe-handles, and yokes for the oxen. It was wonderful with what serenityhe bore this unexpected affliction. Buried in the obscurity of thosewoods, we knew nothing, heard nothing of the political state of thecountry, and were little aware of the revolution which was about to work agreat change for us and for Canada. 

The weather continued remarkably mild. The first great snow, which foryears had ordinarily fallen between the 10th and 15th of November, stillkept off. November passed on, and as all our firewood had to be choppedby old Jenny during the lameness of my husband, I was truly grateful toGod for the continued mildness of the weather. On the 4th of December--that great day of the outbreak--Moodie was determined to take advantage ofthe open state of the lake to carry a large grist up to Y____'s mill. Iurged upon him the danger of a man attempting to manage a canoe in rapidwater, who was unable to stand without crutches; but Moodie saw that thechildren would need bread, and he was anxious to make the experiment. 

Finding that I could not induce him to give up the journey, I determinedto go with him. Old Wittals, who happened to come down that morning, assisted in placing the bags of wheat in the little vessel, and helped toplace Moodie at the stern. With a sad, foreboding spirit I assisted topush off from the shore. The air was raw and cold, but our sail was notwithout its pleasure. The lake was very full from the heavy rains, and thecanoe bounded over the waters with a free, springy motion. A slight frosthad hung every little bush and spray along the shores with sparklingcrystals. The red pigeon-berries, shining through their coating of ice, looked like cornelian beads set in silver, and strung from bush to bush. We found the rapids at the entrance of Bessikakoon Lake very hard to stem, and were so often carried back by the force of the water that, cold as theair was, the great exertion which Moodie had to make use of to obtain thedesired object, brought the perspiration out in big drops upon hisforehead. His long confinement to the house and low diet had rendered himvery weak. 

The old miller received us in the most hearty and hospitable manner; andcomplimented me upon my courage in venturing upon the water in such cold, rough weather. Norah was married, but the kind Betty provided us anexcellent dinner, while we waited for the grist to be ground. 

It was near four o'clock when we started on our return. If there had beendanger in going up the stream, there was more in coming down. The wind hadchanged, the air was frosty, keen, and biting and Moodie's paddle came upfrom every dip into the water, loaded with ice. For my part, I had only tosit still at the bottom of the canoe, as we floated rapidly down with windand tide. At the landing we were met by old Jenny, who had a long story totell us, of which we could make neither head nor tail--how some gentlemanhad called during our absence, and left a large paper, all about the Queenand the Yankees; that there was war between Canada and the States; thatToronto had been burnt, and the governor killed, and I know no what etherstrange and monstrous statements. After much fatigue, Moodie climbed thehill, and we were once more safe by our own, fireside. Here we found theelucidation of Jenny's marvellous tales: a copy of the Queen'sproclamation, calling upon all loyal gentlemen to join in putting downthe unnatural rebellion. 

A letter from my sister explained the nature of the outbreak, and theastonishment with which the news had been received by all the settlers inthe bush. My brother and my sister's husband had already gone off to joinsome of the numerous bands of gentlemen who were collecting from allquarters to march to the aid of Toronto, which it was said was besieged bythe rebel force. She advised me not to suffer Moodie to leave home in hispresent weak state; but the spirit of my husband was aroused, he instantlyobeyed what he considered the imperative call of duty, and told me toprepare him a few necessaries, that he might be ready to start early inthe morning. Little sleep visited our eyes that night. We talked over tiestrange news for hours; our coming separation, and the probability that ifthings were as bad as they appeared to be, we might never meet again. Ouraffairs were in such a desperate condition that Moodie anticipated thatany change must be for the better; it was impossible for them to be worse. But the poor, anxious wife thought only of a parting which to her put afinishing stroke to all her misfortunes. 

Before the cold, snowy morning broke, we were all stirring. The children, who had learned that their father was preparing to leave them, were cryingand clinging round his knees. His heart was too deeply affected to eat;the meal passed over in silence, and he rose to go. I put on my hat andshawl to accompany him through the wood as far as my sister Mrs. T____'s. The day was like our destiny, cold, dark, and lowering. I gave the dearinvalid his crutches, and we commenced our sorrowful walk. Then oldJenny's lamentations burst forth, as, flinging her arms round my husband'sneck, she kissed and blessed him after the fashion of her country. 

"Och hone! oeh hone!" she cried, wringing her hands, "masther dear, whywill jou lave the wife and the childher? The poor crathur is breakin' herheart intirely at partin' wid you. Shore an' the war is nothin' to you, that you must be goin' into danger; an' you wid a broken leg. Och hone!Och hone! come back to your home--you will be kilt, and thin what willbecome of the wife and the wee bairns?"

Her cries and lamentations followed us into the wood. At my sister's, Moodie and I parted; and with a heavy heart I retraced my steps throughthe wood. For once, I forgot all my fears. I never felt the cold. Sadtears were flowing over my cheeks; when I entered the house, hope seemedto have deserted me, and for upwards of an hour I lay upon the, bed andwept. Poor Jenny did her best to comfort me, but all joy had vanished withhim who was my light of life. Left in the most absolute uncertainty as tothe real state of public affairs, I could only conjecture what might bethe result of this sudden outbreak. Several poor settlers called at thehouse during the day, on their way down to Peterborough; but they broughtwith them the most exaggerated accounts. There had been a battle, theysaid, with the rebels, and the loyalists had been defeated; Toronto wasbesieged by sixty thousand men, and all the men in the backwoods wereordered to march instantly to the relief of the city. 

In the evening, I received a note from Emilia, who was at Peterborough, inwhich she informed me that my husband had borrowed a horse of Mr. S____, and had joined a large party of two hundred volunteers, who had left thatmorning for Toronto; that there had been a battle with the insurgents;that Colonel Moodie had been killed, and the rebels had retreated; andthat she hoped my husband would return in a few days. The honestbackwoodsmen, perfectly ignorant of the abuses that had led to the presentposition of things, regarded the rebels as a set of monsters, for whom nopunishment was too severe, and obeyed the call to arms with enthusiasm. The leader of the insurgents must have been astonished at the rapiditywith which a large force was collected, as if by magic, to repel hisdesigns. A great number of these volunteers were half-pay officers, manyof whom had fought in the continental wars with the armies of Napoleon, and would have been found a host in themselves. 

In a week, Moodie returned. So many volunteers had poured into Torontothat the number of friends was likely to prove as disastrous as that ofenemies, on account of the want of supplies to maintain them all. Thecompanies from the back townships had been remanded, and I received withdelight my own again. But this reunion did not last long. Severalregiments of militia were formed to defend the colony, and to my husbandwas given the rank of captain in one of those then stationed in Toronto. 

On the 20th of January, 1838, he bade us a long adieu. I was left with oldJenny and the children to take care of the farm. It was a sad, dull time. I could bear up against all trials with him to comfort and cheer me, buthis long-continued absence cast a gloom upon my spirit not easily to beshaken off. Still his very appointment to this situation was a signal actof mercy. From his full pay, he was enabled to liquidate many pressingdebts, and to send home from time to time sums of money to procurenecessaries for me and the little ones. These remittances were greatlywanted; but I demurred before laying them out for comforts which we hadbeen so long used to dispense with. It seemed almost criminal to purchaseany article of luxury, such as tea and sugar, while a debt remainedunpaid. 

The Y____'s were very pressing for the thirty pounds that we owed them forthe clearing; but they had such a firm reliance upon the honour of myhusband, that, poor and pressed for money as they were, they never suedus. I thought it would be a pleasing surprise to Moodie, if, with the sumsof money which I occasionally received from him, I could diminish thisdebt, which had always given him the greatest uneasiness; and, myresolution once formed, I would not allow any temptation to shake it. Themoney was always transmitted to Dummer. I only reserved the sum of twodollars a month, to pay a little lad to chop wood for us. After a time, Ibegan to think the Y____'s were gifted with second-sight; for I neverreceived a money-letter, but the very next day I was sure to see some ofthe family. 

Just at this period I received a letter from a gentleman, requesting me towrite for a magazine (the Literary Garland), just started in Montreal, with promise to remunerate me for my labours. Such an application was likea gleam of light springing up in the darkness; it seemed to promise thedawning of a brighter day. I had never been able to turn my thoughtstowards literature during my sojourn in the bush. When the body isfatigued with labour, unwonted and beyond its strength, the mind is in nocondition for mental occupation. 

The year before, I had been requested by an American author, of greatmerit, to contribute to the North American Review, published for severalyears in Philadelphia; and he promised to remunerate me in proportion tothe success of the work. I had contrived to write several articles afterthe children were asleep, though the expense even of the stationery andthe postage of the manuscripts was severely felt by one so destitute ofmeans; but the hope of being of the least service to those dear to mecheered me to the task. I never realized anything from that source; but Ibelieve it was not the fault of the editor. Several other American editorshad written to me to furnish them with articles; but I was unable to paythe postage of heavy packets to the States, and they could not reach theirdestination without being paid to the frontier. Thus, all chance of makingany thing in that way had been abandoned. I wrote to Mr. L____, andfrankly informed him how I was situated. In the most liberal manner, heoffered to pay the postage on all manuscripts to his office, and left meto name my own terms of remuneration. This opened up a new era in myexistence; and for many years I have found in this generous man, to whom Iam still personally unknown, a steady friend. I actually shed tears of joyover the first twenty-dollar bill I received from Montreal. It was my own;I had earned it with my own hand; and it seemed to my delighted fancy toform the nucleus out of which a future independence for my family mightarise. I no longer retired to bed when the labours of the day were over. Isat up, and wrote by the light of a strange sort of candles, that Jennycalled "sluts, " and which the old woman manufactured out of pieces of oldrags, twisted together and dipped in pork lard, and stuck in a bottle. They did not give a bad light, but it took a great many of them to last mefor a few hours. 

The faithful old creature regarded my writings with a jealous eye. "An', shure, it's killin' yerself that you are intirely. You were thin enoughbefore you took to the pen; scribblin' an' scrabblin' when you should bein bed an' asleep. What good will it be to the childhren, dear heart! ifyou die afore your time, by wastin' your strength afther that fashion?"

Jenny never could conceive the use of books. "Shure, we can live and diewidout them. It's only a waste of time botherin' your brains wid the likeof them; but, thank goodness! the lard will soon be all done, an' thin weshall hear you spakin' again, instead of sittin' there doubled up allnight, desthroying your eyes wid porin' over the dirthy writin'. "

As the sugar-making season drew near, Jenny conceived the bold thought ofmaking a good lump of sugar, that the "childher" might have something to"ate" with their bread during the summer. We had no sugar-kettle, but aneighbour promised to lend us his, and to give us twenty-eight troughs, oncondition that we gave him half the sugar we made. These terms were ratherhard, but Jenny was so anxious to fulfil the darling object that weconsented. Little Sol and the old woman made some fifty troughs more, thetrees were duly tapped, a shanty in the bush was erected of small logs andbrush and covered in at the top with straw; and the old woman and Solomon, the hired boy, commenced operations. 

The very first day, a terrible accident happened to us; a large log fellupon the sugar-kettle--the borrowed sugar-kettle--and cracked it, spillingall the sap, and rendering the vessel, which had cost four dollars, useless. We were all in dismay. Just at that time Old Wittals happened topass, on his way to Peterborough. He very good-naturedly offered to getthe kettle repaired for us; which, he said, could be easily done by arivet and an iron hoop. But where was the money to come from! I thoughtawhile. Katie had a magnificent coral and bells, the gift of hergodfather; I asked the dear child if she would give it to buy anotherkettle for Mr. T____. She said, "I would give ten times as much to helpmamma. "

I wrote a little note to Emilia, who was still at her father's; andMr. W____, the storekeeper, sent us a fine sugar-kettle back by Wittals, and also the other mended, in exchange for the useless piece of finery. We had now two kettles at work, to the joy of Jenny, who declared thatit was a lucky fairy who had broken the old kettle. 

While Jenny was engaged in boiling and gathering the sap in the bush, Isugared off the syrup in the house; an operation watched by the childrenwith intense interest. After standing all day over the hot stove-fire, itwas quite a refreshment to breathe the pure air at night. Every evening Iran up to see Jenny in the bush, singing and boiling down the sap in thefront of her little shanty. The old woman was in her element, and afraidof nothing under the stars; she slept beside her kettles at night, andsnapped her fingers at the idea of the least danger. She was sometimesrather despotic in her treatment of her attendant, Sol. One morning, inparticular, she bestowed upon the lad a severe cuffing. I ran up theclearing to the rescue, when my ears were assailed by the "boo-hooing" ofthe boy. 

"What has happened? Why do you beat the child, Jenny?"

"It's jist, thin, I that will bate him--the unlucky omad-hawn! Has he notspilt and spiled two buckets of syrup, that I have been the live-longnight bilin'. Sorra wid him; I'd like to strip the skin off him, I would!Musha! but'tis enough to vex a saint. "

"Ah, Jenny!" blubbered the poor boy, "but you have no mercy. You forgetthat I have but one eye, and that I could not see the root which caught myfoot and threw me down. "

"Faix! an' 'tis a pity that you have the one eye, when you don't know howto make a betther use of it, " muttered the angry dame, as she picked upthe pails, and, pushing him on before her, beat a retreat into the bush. 

I was heartily sick of the sugar-making, long before the season was over;however, we were well paid for our trouble. Besides one hundred and twelvepounds of fine soft sugar, as good as Muscovado, we had six gallons ofmolasses, and a keg containing six gallons of excellent vinegar. 

Fifty pounds went to Mr. T____, for the use of his kettle: and the rest(with the exception of a cake for Emilia, which I had drained in a wetflannel bag until it was almost as white as loaf sugar) we kept for ourown use. There was no lack, this year, of nice preserves and pickledcucumbers, dainties found in every native Canadian establishment. 

Besides gaining a little money with my pen, I practised a method ofpainting birds and butterflies upon the white, velvety surface of thelarge fungi that grow plentifully upon the bark of the sugar-maple. Thesehad an attractive appearance; and my brother, who was a captain in one ofthe provisional regiments, sold a great many of them among the officers, without saying by whom they were painted. One rich lady in Peterborough, long since dead, ordered two dozen to send as curiosities to England. These, at one shilling each, enabled me to buy shoes for the children, who, during our bad times, had been forced to dispense with thesenecessary coverings. How often, during the winter season, have I weptover their little chapped feet, literally washing them with my tears!But these days were to end; Providence was doing great things for us; andHope raised at last her drooping head to regard with a brighter glance thefar-off future. 

Slowly the winter rolled away; but he to whom every thought turned wasstill distant from his humble home. The receipt of an occasional letterfrom him was my only solace during his long absence, and we were still toopoor to indulge often in this luxury. My poor Katie was as anxious as hermother to hear from her father; and when I did get the long looked-forprize, she would kneel down before me, her little elbows resting on myknees, her head thrown back, and the tears trickling down her innocentcheeks, eagerly drinking in every word. 

The spring brought us plenty of work; we had potatoes and corn to plant, and the garden to cultivate. By lending my oxen for two days' work, I gotWittals, who had no oxen, to drag me in a few acres of oats, and toprepare the land for potatoes and corn. The former I dropped into theearth, while Jenny covered them up with the hoe. 

Our garden was well dug and plentifully manured, the old woman bringingthe manure, which had lain for several years at the barn door, down to theplot, in a large Indian basket placed upon a hand-sleigh. We had soonevery sort of vegetable sown, with plenty of melons and cucumbers, and allour beds promised a good return. There were large flights of ducks uponthe lake every night and morning; but though we had guns, we did not knowhow to use them. However, I thought of a plan, which I flattered myselfmight prove successful; I got Sol to plant two stakes in the shallowwater, near the rice beds, and to these I attached a slender rope, madeby braiding long strips of the inner bark of the bass-wood together; tothese again I fastened, at regular intervals, about a quarter of a yard ofwhip-cord, headed by a strong perch-hook. These hooks I baited with fishoffal, leaving them to float just under the water. Early next morning, Isaw a fine black duck fluttering upon the line. The boy ran down with thepaddles, but before he could reach the spot, the captive got away bycarrying the hook and line with him. At the next stake he found upon thehooks a large eel and a catfish. 

I had never before seen one of those whiskered, toad-like natives of theCanadian waters (so common to the Bay of Quinté, where they grow to agreat size), that I was really terrified at the sight of the hideousbeast, and told Sol to throw it away. In this I was very foolish, forthey are esteemed good eating in many parts of Canada; but to me, thesight of the reptile-like thing is enough--it is uglier, and for moredisgusting-looking than a toad. 

When the trees came into leaf, and the meadows were green, and flushedwith flowers, the poor children used to talk constantly to me of theirfather's return; their innocent prattle made me very sad. Every evening wewalked into the wood, along the path that he must come whenever he didreturn home, to meet him; and though it was a vain hope, and the walk wastaken just to amuse the little ones, I used to be silly enough to feeldeeply disappointed when we returned alone. Donald, who was a mere babywhen his father left us, could just begin to put words together. "Who ispapa?" "When will he come?" "Will he come by the road?" "Will he come in acanoe?" The little creature's curiosity to see this unknown father wasreally amusing; and oh! how I longed to present the little fellow, withhis rosy cheeks and curling hair, to his father; he was so fair, soaltogether charming in my eyes. Emilia had called him Cedric the Saxon;and he well suited the name with his frank, honest disposition, and large, loving blue eyes. 

June had commenced; the weather was very warm, and Mr. T____ had sent forthe loan of old Jenny to help him for a day with his potatoes. I had justprepared dinner when the old woman came shrieking like a mad thing downthe clearing, and waving her hands towards me. I could not imagine whathad happened. 

"Ninny's mad!" whispered Dunbar; "she's the old girl for making a noise. "

"Joy! joy!" bawled out the old woman, now running breathlessly towards us. "The masther's come--the masther's come!"

"Where?--where!"

"Jist above in the wood. Goodness gracious! I have run to let you know--sofast--that my heart--is like to--break. "

Without stopping to comfort poor Jenny, off started the children andmyself, at the very top of our speed; but I soon found that I could notrun-I was too much agitated. I got to the head of the bush, and sat downupon a fallen tree. The children sprang forward like wild kids, all butDonald, who remained with his old nurse. I covered my face with my hands;my heart, too, was beating audibly: and now that he was come, and was sonear me I scarcely could command strength to meet him. The sound of happyyoung voices roused me up; the children were leading him along in triumph;and he was bending down to them, all smiles, but hot and tired with hislong journey. It was almost worth our separation, that blissful meeting. In a few minutes he was at home, and the children upon his knees. Katiestood silently holding his hand, but Addie and Dunbar had a thousandthings to tell him. Donald was frightened at his military dress, but hepeeped at him from behind my gown, until I caught and placed him in hisfather's arms. 

His leave of absence only extended to a fortnight. It had taken him threedays to come all the way from Lake Erie, where his regiment was stationed, at Point Abino; and the same time would be consumed in his return. Hecould only remain with us eight days. How soon they fled away! How bitterwas the thought of parting with him again! He had brought money to pay theJ____'s. How surprised he was to find their large debt more than halfliquidated. How gently did he chide me for depriving myself and thechildren of the little comforts he had designed for us, in order to makethis sacrifice. But never was self-denial more fully rewarded; I felthappy in having contributed in the least to pay a just debt to kind andworthy people. You must become poor yourself before you can fullyappreciate the good qualities of the poor--before you can sympathize withthem, and fully recognize them as your brethren in the flesh. Theirbenevolence to each other, exercised amidst want and privation, as farsurpasses the munificence of the rich towards them, as the exaltedphilanthropy of Christ and his disciples does the Christianity of thepresent day. The rich man gives from his abundance; the poor man shareswith a distressed comrade his all. 

One short, happy week too soon fled away, and we were once more alone. Inthe fall, my husband expected the regiment in which he held his commissionwould be reduced, which would again plunge us into the same distressingpoverty. Often of a night I revolved these things in my mind, andperplexed myself with conjectures as to what in future was to become ofus. Although he had saved all he could from his pay, it was impossible topay several hundreds of pounds of debt; and the steamboat stock stillcontinued a dead letter. To remain much longer in the woods wasimpossible, for the returns from the farm scarcely fed us; and but for theclothing sent us by friends from home, who were not aware of our realdifficulties, we should have been badly off indeed. 

I pondered over every plan that thought could devise; at last, I prayed tothe Almighty to direct me as to what would be the best course for us topursue. A sweet assurance stole over me, and soothed my spirit, that Godwould provide for us, as He had hitherto done--that a great deal of ourdistress arose from want of faith. I was just sinking into a calm sleepwhen the thought seemed whispered into my soul, "Write to the Governor;tell him candidly all you hare suffered during sojourn in this country;and trust to God for the rest. "

At first I paid little heed to this suggestion; but it became soimportunate that at last I determined to act upon it as if it were amessage sent from heaven. I rose from my bed, struck a light, sat down, and wrote a letter to the Lieutenant-Governor, Sir George Arthur, a simplestatement of facts, leaving it to his benevolence to pardon the liberty Ihad taken in addressing him. 

I asked of him to continue my husband in the militia service, in the sameregiment in which he now held the rank of captain, which, by enabling himto pay our debts, would rescue us from our present misery. Of thepolitical character of Sir George Arthur I knew nothing. I addressed himas a man and a Christian; and I acknowledge, with the deepest and mostheartfelt gratitude, the generous kindness of his conduct towards us. Before the day dawned, my letter was ready for the post The first secret Iever had from my husband was the writing of that letter; and, proud andsensitive as he was, and averse to asking the least favour of the great, Iwas dreadfully afraid that the act I had just done would be displeasing tohim; still, I felt resolutely determined to send it. After giving thechildren their breakfast, I walked down and read it to my brother-in-law, who was not only much pleased with its contents, but took it down himselfto the post-office. 

Shortly after, I received a letter from my husband, informing me that theregiment had been reduced, and that he should be home in time to get inthe harvest. Most anxiously I awaited a reply to my application to theGovernor; but no reply came. 

The first week in August our dear Moodie came home, and brought with him, to our no small joy, J. E____, who had just returned from Ireland. E____had been disappointed about the money, which was subject to litigation;and, tired of waiting at home until the tedious process of the law shouldterminate, he had come back to the woods, and, before night, wasreinstated in his old quarters. 

His presence made Jenny all alive; she dared him at once to a trial ofskill with her in the wheat-field, which E____ prudently declined. He didnot expect to stay longer in Canada than the fall, but, whilst he didstay, he was to consider our house his home. 

That harvest was the happiest we ever spent in the bush. We had enough ofthe common necessaries of life. A spirit of peace and harmony pervaded ourlittle dwelling, for the most affectionate attachment existed among itsmembers. We were not troubled with servants, for the good old Jenny weregarded as an humble friend, and were freed, by that circumstance, frommany of the cares and vexations of a bush life. Our evening excursions onthe lake were doubly enjoyed after the labours of the day, and nightbrought us calm and healthful repose. 

CHAPTER X. 

THE WHIRLWIND. 

The 19th of April came, and our little harvest was all safely housed. Business called Moodie away for a few days to Cobourg; Jenny had gone toDummer, to visit her friends, and J. E____ had taken a grist of the newwheat, which he and Moodie had threshed the day before, to the mill. I was consequently left alone with the children, and had a doable portionof work to do. During their absence it was my lot to witness the mostawful storm I ever beheld, and a vivid recollection of its terrors waspermanently fixed upon my memory. 

The weather had been intensely hot during the three preceding days, although the sun was entirely obscured by a blueish haze, which seemed torender the unusual heat of the atmosphere more oppressive. Not a breath ofair stirred the vast forest, and the waters of the lake assumed a leadenhue. After passing a sleepless night, I arose, a little after daybreak, to superintend my domestic affairs. E____ took his breakfast, and went offto the mill, hoping that the rain would keep off until after his return. 

"It is no joke, " he said, "being upon these lakes in a small canoe, heavily laden, in a storm. "

Before the sun rose, the heavens were covered with hard-looking clouds, ofa deep blue and black cast, fading away to white at their edges, and inform resembling the long, rolling waves of a heavy sea--but with thisdifference, that the clouds were perfectly motionless, piled in longcurved lines, one above the other, and so remained until four o'clock inthe afternoon. The appearance of these clouds, as the sun rose above thehorizon, was the most splendid that can be imagined, tinged up to thezenith with every shade of saffron, gold, rose-colour, scarlet, andcrimson, fading away into the deepest violet. Never did the storm-fiendshake in the face of day a more gorgeous banner; and, pressed as I was fortime, I stood gazing like one entranced upon the magnificent pageant. 

As the day advanced, the same blue haze obscured the sun, which frownedredly through his misty veil. At ten o'clock the heat was suffocating, andI extinguished the fire in the cooking-stove, determined to make our mealsupon bread and milk, rather than add to the oppressive heat. Thethermometer in the shade ranged from ninety-six to ninety-eight degrees, and I gave over my work and retired with the little ones to the coolestpart of the house. The young creatures stretched themselves upon thefloor, unable to jump about or play; the dog lay panting in the shade; thefowls half buried themselves in the dust, with open beaks and outstretchedwings. All nature seemed to droop beneath the scorching heat. 

Unfortunately for me, a gentleman arrived about one o'clock from Kingston, to transact some business with my husband. He had not tasted food sincesix o'clock, and I was obliged to kindle the fire to prepare his dinner. It was one of the hardest tasks I ever performed; I almost fainted withthe heat, and most inhospitably rejoiced when his dinner was over, and Isaw him depart. Shortly afterwards, my friend Mrs. C____ and her brothercalled in, on their way from Peterborough. 

"How do you bear the heat?" asked Mrs. C____. "This is one of the hottestdays I ever remember to have experienced in this part of the province. Iam afraid that it will end in a hurricane, or what the Lower Canadiansterm 'L'Orage. '"

About four o'clock they rose to go. I urged them to stay onger. "No, " saidMrs. C____, "the sooner we get home the better. I think we can reach itbefore the storm breaks. "

I took Donald in my arms, and my eldest boy by the hand, and walked withthem to the brow of the hill, thinking that the air would be cooler in theshade. In this I was mistaken. The clouds over our heads hung so low, andthe heat was so great, that I was soon glad to retrace my steps. 

The moment I turned round to face the lake, I was surprised at the changethat had taken place in the appearance of the heavens. The clouds, thathad before lain so motionless, were now in rapid motion, hurrying andchasing each other round the horizon. It was a strangely awful sight. Before I felt a breath of the mighty blast that had already burst on theother side of the lake, branches of trees, leaves, and clouds of dust werewhirled across the lake, whose waters rose in long sharp furrows, fringedwith foam, as if moved in their depths by some unseen but powerful agent. 

Panting with terror, I just reached the door of the house as the hurricaneswept up the hill, crushing and overturning every thing in its course. Spell-bound, I stood at the open door, with clasped hands, unable tospeak, rendered dumb and motionless by the terrible grandeur of the scene;while little Donald, who could not utter many intelligible words, crept tomy feet, appealing to me for protection, while his rosy cheeks paled evento marble whiteness. The hurrying clouds gave to the heavens theappearance of a pointed dome, round which the lightning played in broadribbons of fire. The roaring of the thunder, the rushing of the blast, theimpetuous down-pouring of the rain, and the crash of falling trees, wereperfectly deafening; and in the midst of this up-roar of the elements, oldJenny burst in, drenched with wet and half dead with fear. 

"The Lord preserve us!" she cried, "this surely is the day of judgment. Fifty trees fell across my very path, between this an' the creek. Mrs. C____ just reached her brother's clearing a few minutes before a greatoak fell on her very path. What thunther!--what lightning! Misthress, dear!--it's turn'd so dark, I can only jist see yer face. "

Glad enough was I of her presence; for to be alone in the heart of thegreat forest, in a log hut, on such a night, was not a pleasing prospect. People gain courage by companionship, and in order to reassure each other, struggle to conceal their fears. 

"And where is Mr. E____?"

"I hope not on the lake. He went early this morning to get the wheatground at the mill. "

"Och, the crathur! He's surely drowned. What boat could stan' such ascrimmage as this?"

I had my fears for poor John; but as the chance that he had to wait at themill till others were served was more than probable, I tried to still myapprehensions for his safety. The storm soon passed over, after havinglevelled several acres of wood near the house, and smitten down in itsprogress two gigantic pines in the clearing, which must have withstood theforce of a thousand winters. Talking over the effects of this whirlwindwith my brother, he kindly sent me the following very graphic descriptionof a whirlwind which passed through the town of Guelph in the summer of1829. 

[Footnote: Written by Mr Strickland, of Douro. ]"In my hunting excursions and rambles through the Upper Canadian forests, I had frequently met with extensive wind-falls; and observed with somesurprise that the fallen trees lay strewn in a succession of circles, andevidently appeared to have been twisted off the stumps. I also remarkedthat these wind-falls were generally narrow, and had the appearance of aroad slashed through the forest. From observations made at the time, andsince confirmed, I have no doubt that Colonel Reid's theory of storms's acorrect one, viz. , that all wind-storms move in a circular direction, andthe nearer the centre the more violent the force of the wind. Having seenthe effects of several similar hurricanes since my residence in CanadaWest, I shall proceed to describe one which happened in the township ofGuelph during the early part of the summer of 1829. 

"The weather, for the season of the year (May), had been hot and sultry, with scarcely a breath of wind stirring. I had heard distant thunder froman early hour in the morning, which, from the eastward, is rather anunusual occurrence. About 10 A. M. , the sky had a most singular, and Imust add a most awful appearance, presenting to the view a vast arch ofrolling blackness, which seemed to gather strength and density as itapproached the zenith. All at once the clouds began to work round incircles, as if chasing one another through the air. Suddenly the dark archof clouds appeared to break up into detached masses, whirling and mixingthrough each other in dreadful commotion. The forked lightning wasincessant, accompanied by heavy thunder. In a short time, the cloudsseemed to converge to a point, which approached very near the earth, stillwhirling with great rapidity directly under this point; and apparentlyfrom the midst of the woods arose a black column, in the shape of a cone, which instantly joined itself to the depending cloud. The sight was nowgrand and awful in the extreme. Picture, to your imagination a vast columnof smoke, of inky blackness, reaching from earth to heaven, gyrating withfearful velocity--bright lightnings issuing from the vortex; the roar ofthe thunder--the rushing of the blast--the crash of timber--the limbs oftrees, leaves, and rubbish, mingled with clouds of dust, whirling throughthe air;--you then have a faint idea of the scene. 

"I had ample time for observation, as the hurricane commenced itsdevastating course about two miles from the town, through the centre ofwhich it took its way, passing within fifty yards of where a number ofpersons, myself among the rest, were standing, watching its fearfulprogress. 

"As the tornado approached, the trees seemed to fall like a pack of cardsbefore its irresistible current. After passing through the clearing madearound the village, the force of the wind gradually abated, and in a fewminutes died away entirely. 

"As soon as the storm was over, I went to see the damage it had done. Fromthe point where I first observed the black column to rise from the woodsand join the clouds, the trees were twisted in every direction. A belt oftimber had been levelled to the ground, about two miles in length andabout one hundred yards in breadth. At the entrance of the town it crossedthe river Speed, and uprooted about six acres of wood, which had beenthinned out, and left by Mr. Gait (late superintendent of the CanadaCompany), as an ornament to his house. 

"The Eremosa road was completely blocked up for nearly half-a-mile, in thewildest confusion possible. In its progress through the town the stormunroofed several houses, levelled many fences to the ground, and entirelydemolished a frame barn. Windows were dashed in; and, in one instance, thefloor of a log house was carried through the roof. Some hairbreadthescapes occurred; but, luckily, no lives were lost. 

"About twelve years since a similar storm occurred in the north part ofthe township of Douro, but was of much less magnitude. I heard anintelligent settler, who resided some years in the township of Madoc, state that, during his residence in that township, a similar hurricaneto the one I have described, though of a much more awful character, passed through a part of Marmora and Madoc, and had been traced, in anorth-easterly direction, upwards of forty miles into the unsurveyedlands; the uniform width of which appeared to be three quarters of a mile. 

"It is very evident, from the traces which they have left behind them, that storms of this description have not been unfrequent in the woodeddistricts of Canada; and it becomes a matter of interesting considerationwhether the clearing of our immense forests will not, in a great measure, remove the cause of these phenomena. "

A few minutes after our household had retired to rest, my first sleep wasbroken by the voice of J. E____, speaking to old Jenny in the kitchen. Hehad been overtaken by the storm but had run his canoe ashore upon anisland before its full fury burst, and turned it over the flour; while hehad to brave the terrors of a pitiless tempest--buffeted by the wind, anddrenched with torrents of rain. I got up and made him a cup of tea, whileJenny prepared a rasher of bacon and eggs for his supper. 

Shortly after this, J. E____ bade a final adieu to Canada, with his cousinC. W____. He volunteered into the Scotch Greys, and we never saw him more;but I have been told that he was so highly respected by the officers ofthe regiment that they subscribed for his commission; that he rose to therank of lieutenant; accompanied the regiment to India, and was at thetaking of Cabul; but from himself we never heard again. 

The 16th of October, my third son was born; and a few days after, myhusband was appointed paymaster to the militia regiments in the V. District, with the rank and full pay of captain. This was Sir GeorgeArthur's doing. He returned no answer to my application, but he did notforget us. As the time that Moodie might retain this situation was verydoubtful, he thought it advisable not to remove me and the family until hecould secure some permanent situation; by so doing, he would have a betteropportunity of saving the greater part of his income to pay off his olddebts. 

This winter of 1839 was one of severe trial to me. Hitherto I had enjoyedthe blessing of health; but both the children and myself were now doomedto suffer from dangerous attacks of illness. All the little things hadmalignant scarlet fever, and for several days I thought it would pleasethe Almighty to take from me my two girls. This fever is so fatal tochildren in Canada that none of my neighbours dared approach the house. For three weeks Jenny and I were never undressed; our whole time was takenup in nursing the five little helpless creatures through the successivestages of their alarming disease. I sent for Dr. Taylor; but he did notcome, and I was obliged to trust to the mercy of God, and my own judgmentand good nursing. Though I escaped the fever, mental anxiety and fatiguebrought on other illness, which for nearly ten weeks rendered me perfectlyhelpless. When I was again able to creep from my sick bed, the baby wasseized with an illness, which Dr. B____ pronounced mortal. Against allhope, he recovered, but these severe mental trials rendered me weak andnervous, and more anxious than ever to be re-united to my husband. To addto these troubles, my sister and her husband sold their farm, and removedfrom our neighbourhood. Mr. ____ had returned to England, and had obtaineda situation in the Customs; and his wife, my friend Emilia, was keeping aschool in the village; so that I felt more solitary than ever, thusdeprived of so many kind, sympathizing friends. 

CHAPTER XI. 

THE WALK TO DUMMER. 

Reader! have you ever heard of a place situated in the forest-depthsof this far western wilderness, called Dummer? Ten years ago it mightnot inaptly have been termed "The _last_ clearing in the World. " Nor tothis day do I know of any in that direction which extends beyond it. Ourbush-farm was situated on the border-line of a neighbouring township, onlyone degree less wild, less out of the worid, or nearer to the habitationsof civilization than the far-famed "English Line, " the boast and glory ofthis _terra incognita_. 

This place, so named by the emigrants who had pitched their tents in thatsolitary wilderness, was a long line of cleared land, extending uponeither side for some miles through the darkest and most interminableforest. The English Line was inhabited chiefly by Cornish miners, who, tired of burrowing like moles underground, had determined to emigrate toCanada, where they could breathe the fresh air of heaven, and obtain thenecessaries of life upon the bosom of their mother earth. Strange as itmay appear, these men made good farmers, and steady, industriouscolonists, working as well above ground as they had toiled in their earlydays beneath it. All our best servants came from Dummer; and although theyspoke a language difficult to be understood, and were uncouth in theirmanners and appearance, they were faithful and obedient, performing thetasks assigned to them with patient perseverance; good food and kindtreatment rendering them always cheerful and contented. 

My dear old Jenny, that most faithful and attached of all humble domesticfriends, came from Dummer, and I was wont to regard it with complacencyfor her sake. But Jenny was not English; she was a generous, warm-hearteddaughter of the Green Isle--the emerald gem set in the silver of ocean. Yes, Jenny was one of the poorest children of that impoverished butglorious country where wit and talent seem indigenous, springing upspontaneously in the rudest and most uncultivated minds; showing what theland could bring forth in its own strength, unaided by education, andunfettered by the conventional rules of society. Jenny was a strikinginstance of the worth, noble self-denial, and devotion, which are oftenmet with--and, alas! but too often disregarded--in the poor and ignorantnatives of that deeply-injured and much-abused land. A few words about myold favourite may not prove uninteresting to my readers. 

Jenny Buchanan, or, as she called it, Bohanon, was the daughter of a pettyexciseman, of Scotch extraction (hence her industry), who, at the time ofher birth, resided near the old town of Inniskillen. Her mother died a fewmonths after she was born; and her father, within the twelve months, married again. In the mean while the poor orphan babe had been adopted bya kind neighbour, the wife of a small farmer in the vicinity. 

In return for coarse food and scanty clothing, the little Jenny became aservant of all work. She fed the pigs, herded the cattle, assisted inplanting potatoes and digging peat from the bog, and was undisputedmistress of the poultry-yard. As she grew up to womanhood, the importanceof her labours increased. A better reaper in the harvest-field, or footerof turf in the bog, could not be found in the district, or a woman morethoroughly acquainted with the management of cows and the rearing of youngcattle; but here poor Jenny's accomplishments terminated. 

Her usefulness was all abroad. Within the house she made more dirt thanshe had the inclination or the ability to clear away. She could neitherread, nor knit, nor sew; and although she called herself a Protestant, anda Church of England woman, she knew no more of religion, as revealed toman through the Word of God, than the savage who sinks to the grave inignorance of a Redeemer. Hence she stoutly resisted all idea of being asinner, or of standing the least chance of receiving hereafter thecondemnation of one. 

"Och, shure thin, " she would say, with simple earnestness of look andmanner, almost irresistible, "God will never trouble Himsel' about a poor, hard-working crathur like me, who never did any harm to the manest of Hismakin'. "

One thing was certain, that a benevolent Providence had, "throubledHimsel'" about poor Jenny in times past, for the warm heart of thisneglected child of Nature contained a stream of the richest benevolence, which, situated as she had been, could not have been derived from anyother source. Honest, faithful, and industrious, Jenny became a law untoherself, and practically illustrated the golden rule of her blessed Lord, "to do unto others as we would they should do unto us. " She thought it wasimpossible that her poor services could ever repay the debt of gratitudethat she owed to the family who had brought her up, although theobligation must have been entirely on their side. To them she was greatlyattached--for them she toiled unceasingly; and when evil days came, andthey were not able to meet the rent-day, or to occupy the farm, shedetermined to accompany them in their emigration to Canada, and formed oneof the stout-hearted band that fixed its location in the lonely andunexplored wilds now known as the township of Dummer. 

During the first year of their settlement, the means of obtaining thecommon necessaries of life became so precarious, that, in order to assisther friends with a little ready money, Jenny determined to hire out intosome wealthy house as a servant. When I use the term wealth as applied toany bush-settler, it is of course only comparatively; but Jenny wasanxious to obtain a place with settlers who enjoyed a small incomeindependent of their forest means. 

Her first speculation was a complete failure. For five long, hopelessyears she served a master from whom she never received a farthing of herstipulated wages. Still her attachment to the family was so strong, andhad become so much the necessity of her life, that the poor creature couldnot make up her mind to leave them. The children whom she had receivedinto her arms at their birth, and whom she had nursed with maternaltenderness, were as dear to her as if they had been her own; she continuedto work for them, although her clothes were worn to tatters, and her ownfriends were too poor to replace them. 

Her master, Captain N____, a handsome, dashing officer, who had servedmany years in India, still maintained the carriage and appearance of agentleman, in spite of his mental and moral degradation, arising from aconstant state of intoxication; he still promised to remunerate at somefuture day her faithful services; and although all his neighbours wellknew that his means were exhausted, and that that day would never come, yet Jenny, in the simplicity of her faith, still toiled on, in the hopethat the better day he spoke of would soon arrive. 

And now a few words respecting this master, which I trust may serve as awarning to others. Allured by the bait that has been the ruin of so manyof his class, the offer of a large grant of land, Captain N____ had beeninduced to form a settlement in this remote and untried township; layingout much, if not all, of his available means in building a log house, andclearing a large extent of barren and stony land. To this uninviting homehe conveyed a beautiful young wife, and a small and increasing family. Theresult may be easily anticipated. The want of society--a dreadful want toa man of his previous habits--the total absence of all the comforts anddecencies of life; produced inaction, apathy, and at last, despondency, which was only alleviated by a constant and immoderate use of ardentspirits. As long as Captain N____ retained his half pay, he contrived toexist. In an evil hour he parted with this, and quickly trod the down-hillpath to ruin. 

And here I would remark that it is always a rash and hazardous step forany officer to part with his half pay; although it is almost every daydone, and generally followed by the same disastrous results. A-certainincome, however small, in a country where money is so hard to be procured, and where labour cannot be attained but at a very high pecuniaryremuneration, is invaluable to a gentleman unaccustomed to agriculturalemployment; who, without this reserve to pay his people, during the briefbut expensive seasons of seed-time and harvest, must either work himselfor starve. I have known no instance in which such sale has been attendedwith ultimate advantage; but, alas! too many in which it has terminated inthe most distressing destitution. These government grants of land, tohalf-pay officers, have induced numbers of this class to emigrate to thebackwoods of Canada, who are totally unfit for pioneers; but, tempted bythe offer of finding themselves landholders of what, on paper, appearto them fine estates, they resign a certainty, to waste their energies, and die half-starved and broken-hearted in the depths of the pitilesswild. 

If a gentleman so situated would give up all idea of settling on hisgrant, but hire a good farm in a favourable situation--that is, not toofar from a market--and with his half pay hire efficient labourers, ofwhich plenty are now to be had, to cultivate the land, with commonprudence and economy, he would soon obtain a comfortable subsistence forhis family. And if the males were brought up to share the burden andheat of the day, the expense of hired labour, as it yearly diminished, would add to the general means and well-being of the whole, until thehired farm became the real property of the industrious tenants. But thelove of show, the vain boast of appearing richer and better dressed thanour neighbours, too often involves the emigrant's family in debt, fromwhich they are seldom able to extricate themselves without sacrificing themeans which would have secured their independence. 

This, although a long digression, will not, I hope, be without its use;and if this book is regarded not as a work of amusement but one ofpractical experience, written for the benefit of others, it will notfail to convey some useful hints to those who have contemplated emigrationto Canada: the best country in the world for the industrious andwell-principled man, who really comes out to work, and to better hiscondition by the labour of his hands; but a gulf of ruin to the vain andidle, who only set foot upon these shores to accelerate their ruin. 

But to return to Captain N____. It was at this disastrous period thatJenny entered his service. Had her master adapted his habits andexpenditure to his altered circumstances, much misery might have beenspared, both to himself and his family. But he was a proud man--too proudto work, or to receive with kindness the offers of service tendered to himby his half-civilized, but well-meaning neighbours. 

"Hang him!" cried an indignant English settler (Captain N____ was anIrishman), whose offer of drawing wood had been rejected with unmeritedcontempt. "Wait a few years and we shall see what his pride will do forhim. _I am_ sorry for his poor wife and children; but for himself, I haveno pity for him. "

This man had been uselessly insulted, at the very moment when he wasanxious to perform a kind and benevolent action; when, like a trueEnglishman, his heart was softened by witnessing the sufferings of a youngdelicate female and her infant family. Deeply affronted by the Captain'sfoolish conduct, he now took a malignant pleasure in watching his arrogantneighbour's progress to ruin. 

The year after the sale of his commission, Captain N____ found himselfconsiderably in debt, "Never mind, Ella, " he said to his anxious wife;"the crops will pay all. "

The crops were a failure that year. Creditors pressed hard; the Captainhad no money to pay his workmen, and he would not work himself. Disgustedwith his location, but unable to change it for a better; without friendsof his own class (for he was the only gentleman then resident in the newtownship), to relieve the monotony of his existence with their society, or to afford him advice or assistance in his difficulties, the fatalwhiskey-bottle became his refuge from gloomy thoughts. 

His wife, an amiable and devoted creature, well born, well educated, anddeserving of a better lot, did all in her power to wean him from thegrowing vice. But, alas! the pleadings of an angel, in such circumstances, would have had little effect upon the mind of such a man. He loved her aswell as he could love any thing, and he fancied that he loved hischildren, while he was daily reducing them, by his favourite vice, tobeggary. 

For awhile, he confined his excesses to his own fireside, but this wasonly for as long a period as the sale of his stock and laud would supplyhim with the means of criminal indulgence. After a time, all theseresources failed, and his large grant of eight hundred acres of land hadbeen converted into whiskey, except the one hundred acres on which hishouse and barn stood, embracing the small clearing from which the familyderived their scanty supply of wheat and potatoes. For the sake of peace, his wife gave up all her ornaments and household plate, and the bestarticles of a once handsome and ample wardrobe, in the hope of hiding hersorrows from the world, and keeping her husband at home. 

The pride, that had rendered him so obnoxious to his humbler neighbours, yielded at length to the inordinate craving for drink; the man who hadheld himself so high above his honest and industrious fellow-settlers, could now unblushingly enter their cabins and beg for a drop of whiskey. The feeling of shame once subdued, there was no end to his audaciousmendicity. His whole time was spent in wandering about the country, calling upon every new settler, in the hope of being asked to partake ofthe coveted poison. He was even known to enter by the window of anemigrant's cabin, during the absence of the owner, and remain drinking inthe house while a drop of spirits could be found in the cupboard. Whendriven forth by the angry owner of the hut, he wandered on to the distanttown of P____, and lived there in a low tavern, while his wife andchildren were starving at home. 

"He is the filthiest beast in the township, " said the aforementionedneighbour to me; "it would be a good thing for his wife and children ifhis worthless neck were broken in one of hit, drunken sprees. "

This might be the melancholy fact, but it was not the less dreadful onthat account. The husband of an affectionate wife--the father of a lovelyfamily--and his death to be a matter of rejoicing!--a blessing, instead ofbeing an affliction!--an agony not to be thought upon without the deepestsorrow. 

It was at this melancholy period of her sad history that Mrs. N____ found, in Jenny Buchanan, a help in her hour of need. The heart of the faithfulcreature bled for the misery; which involved the wife of her degradedmaster, and the children she so dearly loved. Their want and destitutioncalled all the sympathies of her ardent nature into active operation; theywere long indebted to her labour for every morsel of food which theyconsumed. For them, she sowed, she planted, she reaped. Every block ofwood which shed a cheering warmth around their desolate home was cut fromthe forest by her own hands, and brought up a steep hill to the house uponher back. For them, she coaxed the neighbours, with whom she was a generalfavourite, out of many a mess of eggs for their especial benefit; whilewith, her cheerful songs, and hearty, hopeful disposition, she dispelledmuch of the cramping despair which chilled the heart of the unhappy motherin her deserted home. 

For several years did this great, poor woman keep the wolf from the doorof her beloved mistress, toiling for her with the strength and energy of aman. When was man ever so devoted, so devoid of all selfishness, soattached to employers, yet poorer than herself, as this uneducatedIrishwoman?

A period was at length put to her unrequited services. In a fit ofintoxication her master beat her severely with the iron ramrod of his gun, and turned her, with abusive language, from his doors. Oh, hard return forall her unpaid labours of love! She forgave this outrage for the sake ofthe helpless beings who depended upon her care. He repeated the injury, and the poor creature returned almost heart broken to her former home. 

Thinking that his spite would subside in a few days, Jenny made a thirdeffort to enter his house in her usual capacity; but Mrs. N____ told her, with many tears, that her presence would only enrage her husband, who hadthreatened herself with the most cruel treatment if she allowed thefaithful servant again to enter the house. Thus ended her five years'service to this ungrateful master. Such was her reward!

I heard of Jenny's worth and kindness from the Englishman who had been sogrievously affronted by Captain N____, and sent for her to come to me. Sheinstantly accepted my offer, and returned with my messenger. She hadscarcely a garment to cover her. I was obliged to find her a suit ofclothes before I could set her to work. The smiles and dimples of mycurly-headed, rosy little Donald, then a baby-boy of fifteen months, consoled the old woman for her separation from Ellie N____; and thegood-will with which all the children (now four in number) regarded thekind old body, soon endeared to her the new home which Providence hadassigned to her. 

Her accounts of Mrs. N____, and her family, soon deeply interested me inher fate; and Jenny never went to visit her friends in Dummer without aninterchange of good wishes passing between us. 

The year of the Canadian rebellion came, and brought with it sorrow intomany a bush dwelling. Old Jenny and I were left alone with the littlechildren, in the depths of the dark forest, to help ourselves in the bestway we could. Men could not be procured in that thinly-settled spot forlove nor money, and I now fully realized the extent of Jenny's usefulness. Daily she yoked the oxen, and brought down from the bush fuel to maintainour fires, which she felled and chopped up with her own hands. She fed thecattle, and kept all things snug about the doors; not forgetting to loadher master's two guns, "in case, " as she said, "the ribels should attackus in our retrate. "

The months of November and December of 1838 had beer unnaturally mild forthis iron climate; but the opening of the ensuing January brought a shortbut severe spell of frost and snow. We felt very lonely in our solitarydwelling, crouching round the blazing fire, that scarcely chased the coldfrom our miserable log tenement, until this dreary period was suddenlycheered by the unexpected presence of my beloved friend, Emilia, who cameto spend a week with me in my forest home. 

She brought her own baby-boy with her, and an ample supply of buffalorobes, not forgetting a treat of baker's bread, and "sweeties" for thechildren. Oh, dear Emilia! best and kindest of women, though absent inyour native land, long, long shall my heart cherish with affectionategratitude all your visits of love, and turn to you as to a sister, tried, and found most faithful, in the dark hour of adversity, and amidst thealmost total neglect of those from whom nature claimed a tenderer andholier sympathy. 

Great was the joy of Jenny at this accession to our family party, andafter Mrs. S____ was well warmed, and had partaken of tea--the onlyrefreshment we could offer her--we began to talk over the news of theplace. 

"By the by, Jenny, " said she, turning to the old servant, who wasundressing the little boy by the fire, "have you heard lately from poorMrs. N____? We have been told that she and the family are in a dreadfulstate of destitution. That worthless man has left them for the States, andit is supposed that he has joined Mackenzie's band of ruffians on NavyIsland; but whether this be true or false, he has deserted his wife andchildren, taking his eldest son along with him (who might have been ofsome service at home), and leaving them without money or food. "

"The good Lord! What will become of the crathurs?" responded Jenny, wipingher wrinkled cheek with the back of her hard, brown hand. "An' thin theyhave not a sowl to chop and draw them firewood; an' the weather sooncommon savare. Och hone! what has not that _baste_ of a man to answerfor?"

"I heard, " continued Mrs. S____, "that they have tasted no food butpotatoes for the last nine months, and scarcely enough of them to keepsoul and body together; that they have sold their last cow; and the pooryoung lady and her second brother, a lad of only twelve years old, bringall the wood for the fire from the bush on a hand-sleigh. "

"Oh, dear!--oh, dear!" sobbed Jenny; "an' I not there to hilp them! An'poor Miss Mary, the tinder thing! Oh, 'tis hard, terribly hard for thecrathurs! an' they not used to the like. "

"Can nothing be done for them?" said I. 

"That is what we want to know, " returned Emilia, "and that was one of myreasons for coming up to D____. I wanted to consult you and Jenny upon thesubject. You who are an officer's wife, and I, who am both an officer'swife and daughter, ought to devise some plan of rescuing this unfortunatelady and her family from her present forlorn situation. "

The tears sprang to my eyes, and I thought, in the bitterness of my heart, upon my own galling poverty, that my pockets did not contain even a singlecopper, and that I had scarcely garments enough to shield me from theinclemency of the weather. By unflinching industry, and taking my part inthe toil of the field, I had bread for myself and family, and this wasmore than poor Mrs. N____ possessed; but it appeared impossible for me tobe of any assistance to the unhappy sufferer, and the thought of myincapacity gave me severe pain. It was only in moments like the presentthat I felt the curse of poverty. 

"Well, " continued my friend, "you see, Mrs. Moodie, that the ladies ofP____ are all anxious to do what they can for her; but they first want tolearn if the miserable circumstances in which she is said to be placed aretrue. In short, my dear friend, they want you and me to make a pilgrimageto Dummer, to see the poor lady herself; and then they will be guided byour report. "

"Then let us lose no time in going upon our own mission of mercy. "

"Och, my dear heart, you will be lost in the woods!" said old Jenny. "Itis nine long miles to the first clearing, and that through a lonely, blazed path. After you are through the beaver-meadow, there is not asingle hut for you to rest or warm yourselves. It is too much for the bothof yees; you will be frozen to death on the road. "

"No fear, " said my benevolent friend; "God will take care of us, Jenny. Itis on His errand we go; to carry a message of hope to one about toperish. "

"The Lord bless you for a darlint, " cried the old woman, devoutly kissingthe velvet cheek of the little fellow sleeping upon her lap. "May your ownpurty child never know the want and sorrow that is around her. "

Emilia and I talked over the Dummer scheme until we fell asleep. Many werethe plans we proposed for the immediate relief of the unfortunate family. Early the next morning, my brother-in-law, Mr. T____, called upon myfriend. The subject next our heart was immediately introduced, and he wascalled into the general council. His feelings, like our own, were deeplyinterested; and he proposed that we should each provide something from ourown small stores to satisfy the pressing wants of the distressed family;while he promised to bring his cutter, the next morning, and take usthrough the beaver-meadow, and to the edge of the great swamp, which wouldshorten four miles, at least, of our long and hazardous journey. 

We joyfully acceded to his proposal, and set cheerfully to work to providefor the morrow. Jenny baked a batch of her very best bread, and boiled alarge piece of beef; and Mr. T____ brought with him, the next day, a finecooked ham, in a sack, into the bottom of which he stowed the beef andloaves, besides some sugar and tea, which his own kind wife, the author of"The Backwoods of Canada, " had sent. I had some misgivings as to themanner in which these good things could be introduced to the poor lady, who, I had heard, was reserved and proud. 

"Oh, Jenny, " I said, "how shall I be able to ask her to accept provisionsfrom strangers? I am afraid of wounding her feelings. "

"Oh, darlint, never fear'that! She is proud, I know; but 'tis not a stiffpride, but jist enough to consale her disthress from her ignorant Englishneighbours, who think so manely of poor folk like her who were once rich. She will be very thankful to you for your kindness, for she has notexperienced much of it from the Dummer people in her throuble, though shemay have no words to tell you so. Say that old Jenny sent the bread todear wee Ellie, 'cause she knew she would like a loaf of Jenny's bakin'. "

"But the meat. "

"Och, the mate, is it? Maybe, you'll think of some excuse for the matewhen you get there. "

"I hope so; but I'm a sad coward with strangers, and I have lived so longout of the world that I am at a great loss what to do. I will try and puta good face on the matter. Your name, Jenny, will be no small help to me. "

All was now ready. Kissing our little bairns, who crowded around us witheager and inquiring looks, and charging Jenny for the hundredth time totake especial care of them during our absence, we mounted the cutter, andset off, under the care and protection of Mr. T____, who determined toaccompany us on the journey. 

It was a black, cold day; no sun visible in the gray, dark sky; a keen, cutting wind, and hard frost. We crouched close to each other. 

"Good heavens, how cold it is!" whispered Emilia. "What a day for such ajourney!"

She had scarcely ceased speaking, when the cutter went upon a stump whichlay concealed under the drifted snow; and we, together with the ruins ofour conveyance, were scattered around. 

"A bad beginning, " said my brother-in-law, with a rueful aspect, as hesurveyed the wreck of the cutter from which we had promised ourselves somuch benefit. "There is no help for it but to return home. "

"Oh, no, " said Mrs. S____; "bad beginnings make good endings, you know. Let us go on; it will be far better walking than riding such a dreadfulday. My feet are half frozen already with sitting still. "

"But, my dear madam, " expostulated Mr. T____, "consider the distance, theroad, the dark, dull day, and our imperfect knowledge of the path. I willget the cutter mended to-morrow; and the day after we may be able toproceed. "

"Delays are dangerous, " said the pertinacious Emilia, who, woman-like, wasdetermined to have her own way. "Now or never. While we wait for thebroken cutter, the broken hearted Mrs. N____ may starve. We can stop atColonel C____'s and warm ourselves, and you can leave the cutter at hishouse until our return. "

"It was upon your account that I proposed the delay, " said the good Mr. T____, taking the sack, which was no inconsiderable weight, upon hisshoulder, and driving his horse before him into neighbour W____'s stable. "Where you go, I am ready to follow. "

When we arrived, Colonel C____'s family were at breakfast, of which theymade us partake; and after vainly endeavouring to dissuade us from whatappeared to them our Quixotic expedition, Mrs. C____ added a dozen finewhite fish to the contents of the sack, and sent her youngest son to helpMr. T____ along with his burthen, and to bear us company on our desolateroad. 

Leaving the Colonel's hospitable house on our left, we again plunged intothe woods, and after a few minutes' brisk walking, found ourselves uponthe brow of a steep bank that overlooked the beaver-meadow, containingwithin its area several hundred acres. 

There is no scenery in the bush that presents such a novel appearance asthose meadows, or openings, surrounded, as they invariably are, by dark, intricate forests; their high, rugged banks covered with the light, airytamarack and silver birch. In summer they look like a lake of soft, richverdure, hidden in the bosom of the barren and howling waste. Lakes theycertainly have been, from which the waters have receded, "ages, ages longago;" and still the whole length of these curious level valleys istraversed by a stream, of no inconsiderable dimensions. 

The waters of the narrow, rapid creek, which flowed through the meadow wewere about to cross, were of sparkling brightness, and icy cold. Thefrost-king had no power to check their swift, dancing movements, or stoptheir perpetual song. On they leaped, sparkling and flashing beneath theirice-crowned banks, rejoicing as they revelled on in their lonely course. In the prime of the year, this is a wild and lovely spot, the grass is ofthe richest green, and the flowers of the most gorgeous dyes. The gayestbutterflies float above them upon painted wings; and the whip-poor-willpours forth from the neighbouring woods, at close of dewy eve, his strangebut sadly plaintive cry. Winter was now upon the earth, and the once greenmeadow looked like a small forest lake covered with snow. 

The first step we made into it plunged us up to the knees in the snow, which was drifted to a great height in the open space. Mr. T____ and ouryoung friend C____ walked on ahead of us, in order to break a trackthrough the untrodden snow. We soon reached the cold creek; but here a newdifficulty presented itself. It was too wide to jump across, and we couldsee no other way of passing to the other side. 

"There must be some sort of a bridge hereabout, " said young C____, "or howcan the people from Dummer pass constantly during the winter to and fro. Iwill go along the bank, and halloo to you if I find one. "

In a few minutes he gave the desired signal, and on reaching the spot, wefound a round, slippery log flung across the stream by way of bridge. Withsome trouble, and after various slips, we got safely on the other side. Towet our feet would have been to ensure their being frozen; and as it was, we were not without serious apprehensions on that score. After crossingthe bleak, snowy plain, we scrambled over another brook, and entered thegreat swamp, which occupied two miles of our dreary road. 

It would be vain to attempt giving any description of this tangled maze ofclosely-interwoven cedars, fallen trees, and loose-scattered masses ofrock. It seemed the fitting abode of wolves and bears, and every otherunclean beast. The fire had run through it during the summer, making theconfusion doubly confused. Now we stopped, half doubled, to crawl underfallen branches that hung over our path, then again we had to clamber overprostrate trees of great bulk, descending from which we plumped down intoholes in the snow, sinking mid-leg into the rotten trunk of sometreacherous, decayed pine-tree. Before we were half through the greatswamp, we began to think ourselves sad fools, and to wish that we weresafe again by our own firesides. But, then, a great object was in view, --the relief of a distressed fellow-creature, and like the "full of hope, misnamed forlorn, " we determined to overcome every difficulty, and toilon. 

It took us an hour at least to clear the great swamp, from which weemerged into a fine wood, composed chiefly of maple-trees. The sun had, during our immersion in the dark shades of the swamp, burst through hisleaden shroud, and cast a cheery gleam along the rugged boles of the loftytrees. The squirrel and chissmunk occasionally bounded across our path;the dazzling snow which covered it reflected the branches above us in anendless variety of dancing shadows. Our spirits rose in proportion. YoungC____ burst out singing, and Emilia and I laughed and chatted as webounded along our narrow road. On, on for hours, the same interminableforest stretched away to the right and left, before and behind us. 

"It is past twelve, " said my brother T____, thoughtfully; "if we do notsoon come to a clearing, we may chance to spend the night in the forest. "

"Oh, I am dying with hunger, " cried Emilia. "Do, C____ give us one or twoof the cakes your mother put into the bag for us to eat upon the road. "

The ginger-cakes were instantly produced. But where were the teeth to befound that could masticate them? The cakes were frozen as hard as stones;this was a great disappointment to us tired and hungry wights; but it onlyproduced a hearty laugh. Over the logs we went again; for it was aperpetual stepping up and down, crossing the fallen trees that obstructedour path. At last we came to a spot where two distinct blazed roadsdiverged. 

"What are we to do now?" said Mr. T____. 

We stopped, and a general consultation was held, and without onedissenting voice we took the branch to the right, which, after pursuingfor about half-a-mile, led us to a log hut of the rudest description. 

"Is this the road to Dummer?" we asked a man, who was chopping woodoutside the fence. 

"I guess you are in Dummer?" was the answer. 

My heart leaped for joy, for I was dreadfully fatigued. 

"Does this road lead through the English Line?"

"That's another thing, " returned the woodman. "No; you turned off from theright path when you came up here. " We all looked very blank at each other. "You will have to go back, and keep the other road, and that will lead youstraight to the English Line. "

"How many miles is it to Mrs. N____'s?"

"Some four, or thereabouts, " was the cheering rejoinder. "'Tis one of thelast clearings on the line. If you are going back to Douro to-night, youmust look sharp. "

Sadly and dejectedly we retraced our steps. There are few triflingfailures more bitter in our journey through life than that of a tiredtraveller mistaking his road. What effect must that tremendous failureproduce upon the human mind, when, at the end of life's unretraceablejourney, the traveller finds that he has fallen upon the wrong trackthrough every stage, and instead of arriving at the land of blissfulpromise sinks for ever into the gulf of despair!

The distance we had trodden in the wrong path, while led on by hope andanticipation, now seemed to double in length, as with painful steps wetoiled on to reach the right road. This object once attained, soon led usto the dwellings of men. 

Neat, comfortable log houses, surrounded by well-fenced patches ofclearing, arose on either side of the forest road; dogs flew out andbarked at us, and children ran shouting indoors to tell their respectiveowners that strangers were passing their gates; a most unusualcircumstance, I should think, in that location. 

A servant who had hired two years with my brother-in-law, we knew mustlive somewhere in this neighbourhood, at whose fireside we hoped not onlyto rest and warm ourselves, but to obtain something to eat. On going up toone of the cabins to inquire for Hannah J____, we fortunately happened tolight upon the very person we sought. With many exclamations of surprise, she ushered us into her neat and comfortable log dwelling. 

A blazing fire, composed of two huge logs, was roaring up the widechimney, and the savoury smell that issued from a large pot of pea-soupwas very agreeable to our cold and hungry stomachs. But, alas, therefreshment went no further! Hannah most politely begged us to take seatsby the fire, and warm and rest ourselves; she even knelt down and assistedin rubbing our half-frozen hands; but she never once made mention of thehot soup, or of the tea, which was drawing in a tin tea-pot upon thehearth-stone, or of a glass of whiskey, which would have been thankfullyaccepted by our male pilgrims. 

Hannah was not an Irishwoman, no, nor a Scotch lassie, or her very firstrequest would have been for us to take "a pickle of soup, " or "a sup ofthae warm broths. " The soup was no doubt cooking for Hannah's husband andtwo neighbours, who were chopping for him in the bush; and whose want ofpunctuality she feelingly lamented. 

As we left her cottage, and jogged on, Emilia whispered, laughing, "I hopeyou are satisfied with your good dinner? Was not the pea-soup excellent?--and that cup of nice hot tea!--I never relished any thing more in my life. I think we should never pass that house without giving Hannah a call, andtestifying our gratitude for her good cheer. "

Many times did we stop to inquire the way to Mrs. N____'s, before weascended the steep, bleak hill upon which her house stood. At the door, Mr. T____ deposited the sack of provisions, and he and young C____ wentacross the road to the house of an English settler (who, fortunately forthem, proved more hospitable than Hannah J____), to wait until our errandwas executed. 

The house before which Emilia and I were standing had once been atolerably comfortable log dwelling. It was larger than such buildingsgenerally are, and was surrounded by dilapidated barns and stables, whichwere not cheered by a solitary head of cattle. A black pine foreststretched away to the north of the house, and terminated in a dismal, tangled cedar swamp, the entrance to the house not having been constructedto face the road. 

The spirit that had borne me up during the journey died within me. I wasfearful that my visit would be deemed an impertinent intrusion. I knew notin what manner to introduce myself and my embarrassment had been greatlyincreased by Mrs. S____ declaring that I must break the ice, for she hadnot courage to go in. I remonstrated, but she was firm. To hold any longerparley was impossible. We were standing on the top of a bleak hill, withthe thermometer many degrees below zero, and exposed to the fiercestbiting of the bitter, cutting blast. With a heavy sigh, I knocked slowlybut decidedly at the crazy door. I saw the curly head of a boy glance fora moment against the broken window. There was a stir within, but no oneanswered our summons. Emilia was rubbing her hands together, and beating arapid tattoo with her feet upon the hard and glittering snow, to keep themfrom freezing. 

Again I appealed to the inhospitable door, with a vehemence which seemedto say, "We are freezing, good people; in mercy let us in!"

Again there was a stir, and a whispered sound of voices, as if inconsultation, from within; and after waiting a few minutes longer--which, cold as we were, seemed an age--the door was cautiously opened by ahandsome, dark-eyed lad of twelve years of age, who was evidently theowner of the curly head that had been sent to reconnoitre us through thewindow. Carefully closing the door after him, he stepped out upon thesnow, and asked us coldly but respectfully what we wanted. I told him thatwe were two ladies, who had walked all the way from Douro to see hismamma, and that we wished very much to speak to her. The lad answered us, with the ease and courtesy of a gentleman, that he did not know whetherhis mamma could be seen by strangers, but he would go in and see. Sosaying he abruptly left us, leaving behind him an ugly skeleton of a dog, who, after expressing his disapprobation at our presence in the mostdisagreeable and unequivocal manner, pounced like a famished wolf upon thesack of good things which lay at Emilia's feet; and our united effortscould scarcely keep him off. 

"A cold, doubtful reception, this!" said my friend, turning her back tothe wind, and hiding her face in her muff. "This is worse than Hannah'sliberality, and the long, weary walk. "

I thought so too, and begun to apprehend that our walk had been in vain, when the lad again appeared, and said that we might walk in, for hismother was dressed. 

Emilia, true to her determination, went no farther than the passage. Invain were all my entreating looks and mute appeals to her benevolence andfriendship; I was forced to enter alone the apartment that contained thedistressed family. 

I felt that I was treading upon sacred ground, for a pitying angel hoversover the abode of suffering virtue, and hallows all its woes. On a rudebench, before the fire, sat a lady, between thirty and forty years of age, dressed in a thin, coloured muslin gown, the most inappropriate garmentfor the rigour of the season, but, in all probability, the only decent onethat she retained. A subdued melancholy looked forth from her large, dark, pensive eyes. She appeared like one who, having discovered the full extentof her misery, had proudly steeled her heart to bear it. Her countenancewas very pleasing, and, in early life (but she was still young), she musthave been eminently handsome. Near her, with her head bent down, andshaded by her thin, slender hand, her slight figure scarcely covered byher scanty clothing, sat her eldest daughter, a gentle, sweet-lookinggirl, who held in her arms a baby brother, whose destitution sheendeavoured to conceal. It was a touching sight; that suffering girl, juststepping into womanhood, hiding against her young bosom the nakedness ofthe little creature she loved. Another fine boy, whose neatly-patchedclothes had not one piece of the original stuff apparently left in them, stood behind his mother, with dark, glistening eyes fastened upon me, asif amused, and wondering who I was, and what business I could have there. A pale and attenuated, but very pretty, delicately featured little girlwas seated on a low stool before the fire This was old Jenny's darling, Ellie, or Eloise. A rude bedstead, of home manufacture, in a corner of theroom, covered with a coarse woollen quilt, contained two little boys, whohad crept into it to conceal their wants from the eyes of the stranger. Onthe table lay a dozen peeled potatoes, and a small pot was boiling on thefire, to receive this their scanty and only daily meal. There was such anair of patient and enduring suffering in the whole group, that, as I gazedheart-stricken upon it, my fortitude quite gave way, and I burst intotears. 

Mrs. N____ first broke the painful silence, and, rather proudly, asked meto whom she had the pleasure of speaking. I made a desperate effort toregain my composure, and told her, but with much embarrassment, my name;adding that I was so well acquainted with her and her children, throughJenny, that I could not consider her as a stranger; that I hoped that, asI was the wife of an officer, and, like her, a resident in the bush, andwell acquainted with all its trials and privations, she would look upon meas a friend. 

She seemed surprised and annoyed, and I found no small difficulty inintroducing the object of my visit; but the day was rapidly declining, andI knew that not a moment was to be lost. At first she coldly rejected alloffers of service, and said that she was contented, and wanted fornothing. 

I appealed to the situation in which I beheld herself and her children, and implored her, for their sakes, not to refuse help from friends whofelt for her distress. Her maternal feelings triumphed over her assumedindifference, and when she saw me weeping, for I could no longer restrainmy tears, her pride yielded, and for some minutes not a word was spoken. Iheard the large tears, as they slowly fell from her daughter's eyes, dropone by one upon her garments. 

At last the poor girl sobbed out, "Dear mamma, why conceal the truth? Youknow that we are nearly naked, and starving. "

Then came the sad tale of domestic woes:--the absence of the husband andeldest son; the uncertainty as to where they were, or in what engaged; theutter want of means to procure the common necessaries of life; the sale ofthe only remaining cow that used to provide the children with food. It hadbeen sold for twelve dollars, part to be paid in cash, part in potatoes;the potatoes were nearly exhausted, and they were allowanced to so many aday. But the six dollars she had retained as their last resource! Alas!she had sent the eldest boy the day before to P____, to get a letter outof the post-office, which she hoped contained some tidings of her husbandand son. She was all anxiety and expectation--but the child returned lateat night without the letter which they had longed for with such feverishimpatience. The six dollars upon which they had depended for a supply offood were in notes of the Farmer's Bank, which at that time would not passfor money, and which the roguish purchaser of the cow had passed off uponthis distressed family. 

Oh! imagine, ye who revel in riches--who can daily throw away a large sumupon the merest toy--the cruel disappointment, the bitter agony of thispoor mother's heart, when she received this calamitous news, in the midstof her starving children. For the last nine weeks they had lived upon ascanty supply of potatoes;--they had not tasted raised bread or animalfood for eighteen months. 

"Ellie, " said I, anxious to introduce the sack, which had lain like anightmare upon my mind, "I have something for you; Jenny baked some loaveslast night, and sent them to you with her best love. "

The eyes of all the children grew bright. "You will find the sack with thebread in the passage, " said I to one of the boys. He rushed joyfully out, and returned with Mrs. ____ and the sack. Her bland and affectionategreeting restored us all to tranquillity. 

The delighted boy opened the sack. The first thing he produced was theham. 

"Oh, " said I, "that is a ham that my sister sent to Mrs. N____; 'tis ofher own curing, and she thought that it might be acceptable. "

Then came the white fish, nicely packed in a clean cloth. "Mrs. C____thought fish might be a treat to Mrs. N____, as she lived so far from thegreat lakes. " Then came Jenny's bread, which had already been introduced. The beef, and tea, and sugar, fell upon the floor without any comment. The first scruples had been overcome, and the day was ours. 

"And now, ladies, " said Mrs. N____, with true hospitality, "since you havebrought refreshments with you, permit me to cook something for yourdinner. "

The scene I had just witnessed had produced such a choking sensation thatall my hunger had vanished. Before we could accept or refuse Mrs. N____'skind offer, Mr. T____ arrived, to hurry us off. 

It was two o'clock when we descended the hill in front of the house, thatled by a side-path round to the road, and commenced our homeward route. Ithought the four miles of clearings would never be passed; and the EnglishLine appeared to have no end. At length we entered once more the darkforest. 

The setting sun gleamed along the ground; the necessity of exerting ourutmost speed, and getting through the great swamp before darknesssurrounded us, was apparent to all. The men strode vigorously forward, forthey had been refreshed with a substantial dinner of potatoes and pork, washed down with a glass of whiskey, at the cottage in which they hadwaited for us; but poor Emilia and I, faint, hungry, and foot-sore, it waswith the greatest difficulty we could keep up. I thought of Rosalind, asour march up and down the fallen logs recommenced, and often exclaimedwith her, "Oh, Jupiter! how weary are my legs!"

Night closed in just as we reached the beaver-meadow. Here our ears weregreeted with the sound of well-known voices. James and Henry C____ hadbrought the ox-sleigh to meet us at the edge of the bush. Never wassplendid equipage greeted with such delight. Emilia and I, now fairlyexhausted with fatigue, scrambled into it, and lying down on the strawwhich covered the bottom of the rude vehicle, we drew the buffalo robesover our faces, and actually slept soundly until we reached ColonelC____'s hospitable door. 

An excellent supper of hot fish and fried venison was smoking on thetable, with other good cheer, to which we did ample justice. I, for one, was never so hungry in my life. We had fasted for twelve hours, and thaton an intensely cold day, and had walked during that period upwards oftwenty miles. Never, never shall I forget that weary walk to Dummer; but ablessing followed it. 

It was midnight when Emilia and I reached my humble home; our good friendsthe oxen being again put in requisition to carry us there. Emilia wentimmediately to bed, from which she was unable to rise for several days. Inthe mean while I wrote to Moodie an account of the scene I had witnessed, and he raised a subscription among the officers of the regiment for thepoor lady and her children, which amounted to forty dollars. Emilia lostno time in making a full report to her friends at P____; and before a weekpassed away, Mrs. N____ and her family were removed thither by severalbenevolent individuals in the place. A neat cottage was hired for her;and, to the honour of Canada be it spoken, all who could afford a donationgave cheerfully. Farmers left at her door, pork, beef, flour, andpotatoes; the storekeepers sent groceries, and goods to make clothes forthe children; the shoemakers contributed boots for the boys; while theladies did all in their power to assist and comfort the gentle creaturethus thrown by Providence upon their bounty. 

While Mrs. N____ remained at P____ she did not want for any comfort. Herchildren were clothed and her rent paid by her benevolent friends, and herhouse supplied with food and many comforts from the same source. Respectedand beloved by all who knew her, it would have been well had she neverleft the quiet asylum where, for several years, she enjoyed tranquillity, and a respectable competence from her school; but in an evil hour shefollowed her worthless husband to the Southern States, and again sufferedall the woes which drunkenness inflicts upon the wives and children of itsdegraded victims. 

CHAPTER XII. 

A CHANGE IN OUR PROSPECTS. 

During my illness, a kind neighbour, who had not only frequently come tosee me, but had brought me many nourishing things, made by her own fairhands, took a great fancy to my second daughter, who, lively and volatile, could not be induced to remain quiet in the sick chamber. The noise shemade greatly retarded my recovery, and Mrs. H____ took her home with her, as the only means of obtaining for me necessary rest. During that winter, and through the ensuing summer, I only received occasional visits from mylittle girl, who, fairly established with her new friends, looked upontheir house as her home. 

This separation, which was felt as a great benefit at the time, greatlyestranged the affections of the child from her own people. She saw us soseldom that she almost regarded us, when she did meet, as strangers; and Ioften deeply lamented the hour when I had unwittingly suffered thethreefold cord of domestic love to be unravelled by absence, and theflattering attentions which fed the vanity of a beautiful child, withoutstrengthening her moral character. Mrs. H____, whose husband was wealthy, was a generous, warmhearted girl of eighteen. Lovely in person, andfascinating in manners, and still too young to have any idea of formingthe character of a child, she dressed the little creature expensively;and, by constantly praising her personal appearance, gave her an idea ofher own importance which it took many years to eradicate. 

It is a great error to suffer a child, who has been trained in the hardschool of poverty and self-denial, to be transplanted suddenly into thehot-bed of wealth and luxury. The idea of the child being so much happierand better off blinds her fond parents to the dangers of her newsituation, where she is sure to contract a dislike to all usefuloccupation, and to look upon scanty means and plain clothing as adisgrace. If the reaction is bad for a grown-up person, it is almostdestructive to a child who is incapable of moral reflection. Whenever Isaw little Addie, and remarked the growing coldness of her manner towardsus, my heart reproached me for having exposed her to temptation. 

Still, in the eye of the world, she was much better situated than shecould possibly be with us. The heart of the parent could alone understandthe change. 

So sensible was her father of this alteration, that the first time he paidus a visit he went and brought home his child. 

"If she remain so long away from us, at her tender years, " he said, "shewill cease to love us. All the wealth in the world would not compensate mefor the love of my child. "

The removal of my sister rendered my separation from my husband doublylonely and irksome. Sometimes the desire to see and converse with himwould press so painfully on my heart that I would get up in the night, strike a light, and sit down and write him a long letter, and tell him allthat was in my mind; and when I had thus unburdened my spirit, the letterwas committed to the flames, and after fervently commending him to thecare of the Great Father of mankind, I would lay down my throbbing head onmy pillow beside our first-born son, and sleep tranquilly. 

It is a strange fact that many of my husband's letters to me were writtenat the very time when I felt those irresistible impulses to hold communionwith him. Why should we be ashamed to admit openly our belief in thismysterious intercourse between the spirits of those who are bound to eachother by the tender ties of friendship and affection, when the experienceof every day proves its truth? Proverbs, which are the wisdom of agescollected into a few brief words, tell us in one pithy sentence that"if we talk of the devil he is sure to appear. " While the name of along-absent friend is in our mouth, the next moment brings him into ourpresence. How can this be, if mind did not meet mind, and the spirit hadnot a prophetic consciousness of the vicinity of another spirit, kindredwith its own? This is an occurrence so common that I never met with anyperson to whom it had not happened; few will admit it to be a spiritualagency, but in no other way can they satisfactorily explain its cause. Ifit were a mere coincidence, or combination of ordinary circumstances, itwould not happen so often, and people would not be led to speak of thelong absent always at the moment when they are just about to presentthemselves before them. My husband was no believer in what he termed myfanciful, speculative theories; yet at the time when his youngest boy andmyself lay dangerously ill, and hardly expected to live, I received fromhim a letter, written in great haste, which commenced with this sentence:"Do write to me, dear S____, when you receive this. I have felt veryuneasy about you for some days past, and am afraid that all is not rightat home. "

Whence came this sudden fear? Why at that particular time did his thoughtsturn so despondingly towards those so dear to him? Why did the dark cloudin his mind hang so heavily above his home? The burden of my weary anddistressed spirit had reached him; and without knowing of our sufferingsand danger, his own responded to the call. 

The holy and mysterious nature of man is yet hidden from himself; he isstill a stranger to the movements of that inner life, and knows little ofits capabilities and powers. A purer religion, a higher standard of moraland intellectual training, may in time reveal all this. Man still remainsa half-reclaimed savage; the leaven of Christianity is slowly and surelyworking its way, but it has not yet changed the whole lump, or transformedthe deformed into the beauteous child of God. Oh, for that glorious day!It is coming. The dark clouds of humanity are already tinged with thegolden radiance of the dawn, but the sun of righteousness has not yetarisen upon the world with healing on his wings; the light of truth stillstruggles in the womb of darkness, and man stumbles on to the fulfilmentof his sublime and mysterious destiny. 

This spring I was not a little puzzled how to get in the crops. I stillcontinued so weak that I was quite unable to assist in the field, and mygood old Jenny was sorely troubled with inflamed feet, which requiredconstant care. At this juncture, a neighbouring settler, who had recentlycome among us, offered to put in my small crop of peas, potatoes, andoats, in all not comprising more than eight acres, if I would lend him myoxen to log-up a large fallow of ten acres, and put in his own crops. Trusting to his fair dealing, I consented to this arrangement; but he tookadvantage of my isolated position, and not only logged-up his fallow, butput in all his spring crops before he sowed an acre of mine. The oxen wereworked down so low that they were almost unfit for use, and my crops wereput in so late, and with such little care, that they all proved a failure. I should have felt this loss more severely had it happened in any previousyear, but I had ceased to feel that deep interest in the affairs of thefarm, from a sort of conviction in my own mind that it would not longremain my home. 

Jenny and I did our best in the way of hoeing and weeding; but no industryon our part could repair the injury done to the seed by being sown out ofseason. 

We therefore confined our attention to the garden, which, as usual, wasvery productive, and with milk, fresh butter, and eggs, supplied thesimple wants of our family. Emilia enlivened our solitude by her company, for several weeks during the summer, and we had many pleasant excursionson the water together. 

My knowledge of the use of the paddle, however, was not entirely withoutits danger. 

One very windy Sunday afternoon, a servant-girl, who lived with my friendMrs. C____, came crying to the house, and implored the use of my canoe andpaddles, to cross the lake to see her dying father. The request wasinstantly granted; but there was no man upon the place to ferry heracross, and she could not manage the boat herself--in short, had neverbeen in a canoe in her life. 

The girl was deeply distressed. She said that she had got word that herfather could scarcely live till she could reach Smith-town; that if shewent round by the bridge, she must walk five miles, while if she crossedthe lake she could be home in half-an-hour. 

I did not much like the angry swell upon the water, but the poor creaturewas in such grief that I told her, if she was not afraid of venturing withme, I would try and put her over. 

She expressed her thanks in the warmest terms, accompanied by a shower ofblessings; and I took the paddles and went down to the landing. Jenny wasvery averse to my _tempting Providence_, as she termed it, and wished thatI might get back as safe as I went. However, the old woman launched thecanoe for me, pushed us from the shore, and away we went. The wind was inmy favour, and I found so little trouble in getting across that I began tolaugh at my own timidity. I put the girl on shore, and endeavoured toshape my passage home. But this I found was no easy task. The water wasrough, and the wind high, and the strong current, which runs through thatpart of the lake to the Smith rapids, was dead against me. In vain Ilaboured to cross this current; it resisted all my efforts, and at eachrepulse I was carried further down towards the rapids, which were full ofsunken rocks, and hard for the strong arm of a man to stem--to the weakhand of a woman their safe passage was impossible. I began to feel ratheruneasy at the awkward situation in which I found myself placed, and forsome time I made desperate efforts to extricate myself, by paddling withall my might. I soon gave this up, and contented myself by steering thecanoe in the path it thought fit to pursue. After drifting down with thecurrent for some little space, until I came opposite a small island, I putout all my strength to gain the land. In this I fortunately succeeded, andgetting on shore, I contrived to drag the canoe so far round the headlandthat I got her out of the current. All now was smooth sailing, and Ijoyfully answered old Jenny's yells from the landing, that I was safe, andwould join her in a few minutes. 

This fortunate manoeuvre stood me in good stead upon another occasion, when crossing the lake, some weeks after this, in company with a youngfemale friend, during a sudden storm. 

Two Indian women, heavily laden with their packs of dried venison, calledat the house to borrow the canoe, to join their encampment upon the otherside. It so happened that I wanted to send to the mill that afternoon, andthe boat could not be returned in time without I went over with the Indianwomen and brought it back. My young friend was delighted at the idea ofthe frolic, and as she could both steer and paddle, and the day was calmand bright, though excessively warm, we both agreed to accompany thesquaws to the other side, and bring back the canoe. 

Mrs. Muskrat had fallen in love with a fine fat kitten, whom the childrenhad called "Buttermilk, " and she begged so hard for the little puss, thatI presented it to her, rather marvelling how she would contrive to carryit so many miles through the woods, and she loaded with such an enormouspack; when, lo! the squaw took down the bundle, and, in the heart of thepiles of dried venison, she deposited the cat in a small basket, giving ita thin slice of the meat to console it for its close confinement. Pussreceived the donation with piteous mews; it was evident that mice andfreedom were preferred by her to venison and the honour of riding on asquaw's back. 

The squaws paddled us quickly across, and we laughed and chatted as webounded over the blue waves, until we were landed in a dark cedar swamp, in the heart of which we found the Indian encampment. 

A large party were lounging around the fire, superintending the drying ofa quantity of venison which was suspended on forked sticks. Besides theflesh of the deer, a number of muskrats were skinned, and extended as ifstanding bolt upright before the fire, warming their paws. The appearancethey cut was most ludicrous. My young friend pointed to the muskrats, asshe sank down, laughing, upon one of the skins. 

Old Snow-storm, who was present, imagined that she wanted one of them toeat, and very gravely handed her the unsavoury beast, stick and all. 

"Does the old man take me for a cannibal?" she said "I would as soon eat achild. "

Among the many odd things cooking at that fire there was something thathad the appearance of a bull-frog. 

"What can that be?" she said, directing my eyes to the strange monster. "Surely they don't eat bull-frogs!"

This sally was received by a grunt of approbation from Snow-storm; and, though Indians seldom forget their dignity so far as to laugh, he for oncelaid aside his stoical gravity, and, twirling the thing round with astick, burst into a hearty peal. 

"_Muckakee!_ Indian eat _muckakee?_--Ha! ha! Indian no eat _muckakee!_Frenchmans eat his hind legs; they say the speckled beast much good. Thisno _muckakee!_--the liver of deer, dried--very nice--Indian eat him. "

"I wish him much joy of the delicate morsel, " said the saucy girl, who wasintent upon quizzing and examining every thing in the camp. 

We had remained the best part of an hour, when Mrs. Muskrat laid hold ofmy hand, and leading me through the bush to the shore, pointed upsignificantly to a cloud, as dark as night, that hung loweringly over thebush. 

"Thunder in that cloud--get over the lake--quick, quick, before itbreaks. " Then motioning for us to jump into the canoe, she threw in thepaddles, and pushed us from the shore. 

We saw the necessity of haste, and both plied the paddle with diligence togain the opposite bank, or at least the shelter of the island, before thecloud poured down its fury upon us. We were just in the middle of thecurrent when the first peal of thunder broke with startling nearness overour heads. The storm frowned darkly upon the woods; the rain came down intorrents; and there were we exposed to its utmost fury in the middle of acurrent too strong for us to stem. 

"What shall we do? We shall be drowned!" said my young friend, turning herpale, tearful face towards me. 

"Let the canoe float down the current till we get close to the island;then run her into the land. I saved myself once before by this plan. "

We did so, and were safe; but there we had to remain, wet to our skins, until the wind and the rain abated sufficiently for us to manage ourlittle craft. "How do you like being upon the lake in a storm like this?"I whispered to my shivering, dripping companion. 

"Very well in romance, but terribly dull in reality. We cannot, however, call it a dry joke, " continued she, wringing the rain from her dress. "Iwish we were suspended over Old Snow-storm's fire with the bull-frog, forI hate a shower-bath with my clothes on. "

I took warning by this adventure, never to cross the lake again without astronger arm than mine in the canoe to steer me safely through thecurrent. 

I received much kind attention from my new neighbour, the Rev. W. W____, atruly excellent and pious clergyman of the English Church. The good, white-haired old man expressed the kindest sympathy in all my trials, andstrengthened me greatly with his benevolent counsels and gentle charity. Mr. W____ was a true follower of Christ. His Christianity was not confinedto his own denomination; and every Sabbath his log cottage was filled withattentive auditors, of all persuasions, who met together to listen to theword of life delivered to them by a Christian minister in the wilderness. 

He had been a very fine preacher, and though considerably turned ofseventy, his voice was still excellent, and his manner solemn-andimpressive. 

His only son, a young man of twenty-eight years of age had received aserious injury in the brain by falling upon a turf-spade from a loftwindow when a child, and his intellect had remained stationary from thattime. Poor Harry was an innocent child; he loved his parents with thesimplicity of a child, and all who spoke kindly to him he regarded asfriends. Like most persons of his caste of mind, his predilection for petanimals was a prominent instinct. He was always followed by two dogs, whomhe regarded with especial favour. The moment he caught your eye, he lookeddown admiringly upon his four-footed attendants, --patting their sleeknecks, and murmuring, "Nice dogs--nice dogs. " Harry had singled out myselfand my little ones as great favourites. He would gather flowers for thegirls, and catch butterflies for the boys; while to me he always gave thetitle of "dear aunt. "

It so happened that one fine morning I wanted to walk a couple of milesthrough the bush, to spend the day with Mrs. C____; but the woods werefull of the cattle belonging to the neighbouring settlers, and of these Iwas terribly afraid. Whilst I was dressing the little girls to accompanyme, Harry W____ came in with a message from his mother. "Oh, " thought I, "here is Harry W____. He will walk with us through the bush, and defend usfrom the cattle. "

The proposition was made, and Harry was not a little proud of beinginvited to join our party. We had accomplished half the distance withoutseeing a single hoof; and I was beginning to congratulate myself upon ourunusual luck, when a large red ox, maddened by the stings of the gadflies, came headlong through the brush, tossing up the withered leaves and driedmoss with his horns, and making directly towards us. I screamed to mychampion for help; but where was he?--running like a frightened chissmunkalong the fallen timber, shouting to my eldest girl, at the top of hisvoice, "Run, Katty, run!--The bull, the bull! Run, Katty!--The bull, the bull!"--leaving us poor creatures far behind in the chase. 

The bull, who cared not one fig for us, did not even stop to give us apassing stare, and was soon lost among the trees; while our valiant knightnever stopped to see what had become of us, but made the best of his wayhome. So much for taking an innocent for a guard. 

The next month most of the militia regiments were disbanded. My husband'sservices were no longer required at P____, and he once more returned tohelp to gather in our scanty harvest. Many of the old debts were paid offby his hard-saved pay; and though all hope of continuing in the militiaservice was at an end, our condition was so much improved that we lookedless to the dark than to the sunny side of the landscape. 

The potato crop was gathered in, and I had collected my store of dandelionroots for our winter supply of coffee, when one day brought a letter to myhusband from the Governor's secretary, offering him the situation ofsheriff of the V____ district. Though perfectly unacquainted with thedifficulties and responsibilities of such an important office, my husbandlooked upon it as a gift sent from heaven to remove us from the sorrowsand poverty with which we were surrounded in the woods. 

Once more he bade us farewell; but it was to go and make ready a home forus, that we should no more be separated from each other. 

Heartily did I return thanks to God that night for all his mercies to us;and Sir George Arthur was not forgotten in those prayers. 

From B____, my husband wrote to me to make what haste I could in disposingof our crops, household furniture, stock, and farming implements; and toprepare myself and the children to join him on the first fall of snow thatwould make the roads practicable for sleighing. To facilitate this object, he sent me a box of clothing, to make up for myself and the children. 

For seven years I had lived out of the world entirely; my person had beenrendered coarse by hard work and exposure to the weather. I looked doublethe age I really was, and my hair was already thickly sprinkled with gray. I clung to my solitude. I did not like to be dragged from it to mingle ingay scenes, in a busy town, and with gayly-dressed people. I was no longerfit for the world; I had lost all relish for the pursuits and pleasureswhich are so essential to its votaries; I was contented to live and die inobscurity. 

My dear Emilia rejoiced, like a true friend, in my changed prospects, andcame up to help me to cut clothes for the children, and to assist me inpreparing them for the journey. 

I succeeded in selling off our goods and chattels much better than Iexpected. My old friend, Mr. W____, who was a new comer, became theprincipal purchaser, and when Christmas arrived I had not one article leftupon my hands save the bedding, which it was necessary to take with us. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

THE MAGIC SPELL. 

Never did eager British children look for the first violets and primrosesof spring with more impatience than my baby boys and girls watched, dayafter day, for the first snow-flakes that were to form the road to conveythem to their absent father. 

"Winter never means to come this year. It will never snow again!"exclaimed my eldest boy, turning from the window on Christmas-day, withthe most rueful aspect that ever greeted the broad, gay beams of theglorious sun. It was like a spring day. The little lake in front of thewindow glittered like a mirror of silver, set in its dark frame of pinewoods. 

I, too, was wearying for the snow, and was tempted to think that it didnot come as early as usual, in order to disappoint us. But I kept this tomyself, and comforted the expecting child with the oft-repeated assertionthat it would certainly snow upon the morrow. 

But the morrow came and passed away, and many other morrows, and the samemild, open weather prevailed. The last night of the old year was usheredin with furious storms of wind and snow; the rafters of our log cabinshook beneath the violence of the gale, which swept up from the lake likea lion roaring for its prey, driving the snow-flakes through every opencrevice, of which there were not a few, and powdering the floor until itrivalled in whiteness the ground without. 

"Oh, what a dreadful night!" we cried, as we huddled shivering, around theold broken stove. "A person abroad in the woods to-night would be frozen. Flesh and blood could not long stand this cutting wind. "

"It reminds me of the commencement of a laughable extempore ditty, " said Ito my young friend, A. C____, who was staying with me, "composed by myhusband, during the first very cold night we spent in Canada:

 "Oh, the cold of Canada nobody knows, The fire burns our shoes without warming our toes, Oh, dear, what shall we do? Our blankets are thin, and our noses are blue-- Our noses are blue, and our blankets are thin, It's at zero without, and we're freezing within. (_Chorus_. ) Oh, dear, what shall we do?

"But, joking apart, my dear A____, we ought to be very thankful that weare not travelling this night to B____. "

"But to-morrow, " said my eldest boy, lifting up his curly head from mylap. "It will be fine to-morrow, and we shall see dear papa again. "

In this hope he lay down on his little bed upon the floor, and was soonfast asleep; perhaps dreaming of that eagerly-anticipated journey, and ofmeeting his beloved father. 

Sleep was a stranger to my eyes. The tempest raged so furiously withoutthat I was fearful the roof would be carried off the house, or that thechimney would take fire. The night was far advanced when old Jenny andmyself retired to bed. 

My boy's words were prophetic; that was the last night I ever spent in thebush--in the dear forest home which I had loved in spite of all thehardships which we had endured since we pitched our tent in the backwoods. It was the birthplace of my three boys, the school of high resolve andenergetic action, in which we had learned to meet calmly, and successfullyto battle with, the ills of life. Nor did I leave it without manyregretful tears, to mingle once more with a world to whose usages, duringmy long solitude. I had become almost a stranger, and to whose praise orblame I felt alike indifferent. 

When the day dawned, the whole forest scenery lay glittering in a mantleof dazzling white; the sun shone brightly, the heavens were intenselyblue, but the cold was so severe that every article of food had to bethawed before we could get our breakfast. The very blankets that coveredus during the night were stiff with our frozen breath. "I hope the sleighswon't come to-day, " I cried; "we should be frozen on the long journey. "

About noon two sleighs turned into our clearing. Old Jenny ran screaminginto the room, "The masther has sent for us at last! The sleighs are come!Fine large sleighs, and illigant teams of horses! Och, and it's a cowldday for the wee things to lave the bush. "

The snow had been a week in advance of us at B____, and my husband hadsent up the teams to remove us. The children jumped about, and laughedaloud for joy. Old Jenny did not know whether to laugh or cry, but she setabout helping me to pack up trunks and bedding as fast as our cold handswould permit. 

In the midst of the confusion, my brother arrived, like a good genius, toour assistance, declaring his determination to take us down to B____himself in his large lumber-sleigh. This was indeed joyful news. In lessthan three hours he despatched the hired sleighs with their loads, and weall stood together in the empty house, striving to warm our hands overthe embers of the expiring fire. 

How cold and desolate every object appeared! The windows, half blocked upwith snow, scarcely allowed a glimpse of the declining sun to cheer uswith his serene aspect. In spite of the cold, several kind friends hadwaded through the deep snow to say, "God bless you!--Good-bye;" while agroup of silent Indians stood together, gazing upon our proceedings withan earnestness which showed that they were not uninterested in the scene. As we passed out to the sleigh, they pressed forward, and silently heldout their hands, while the squaws kissed me and the little ones withtearful eyes. They had been true friends to us in our dire necessity, andI returned their mute farewell from my very heart. 

Mr. S____ sprang into the sleigh. One of our party was missing. "Jenny!"shouted my brother, at the top of his voice, "it is too cold to keep yourmistress and the little children waiting. "

"Och, shure thin, it is I that am comin'!" returned the old body, as sheissued from the house. 

Shouts of laughter greeted her appearance. The figure she cut upon thatmemorable day I shall never forget. My brother dropped the reins upon thehorses' necks, and fairly roared. Jenny was about to commence her journeyto the front in three hats. Was it to protect her from the cold? Oh, no;Jenny was not afraid of the cold! She could have eaten her breakfast onthe north side of an iceberg, and always dispensed with shoes, during themost severe of our Canadian winters. It was to protect these preciousarticles from Injury. 

Our good, neighbour, Mrs. W____, had presented her with an old sky-bluedrawn-silk bonnet, as a parting benediction. This, by way of distinction, for she never had possessed such an article of luxury as a silk bonnet inher life, Jenny had placed over the coarse calico cap, with its fullfurbelow of the same yellow, ill-washed, homely material, next to herhead, over this, as second in degree, a sun-burnt straw hat, with fadedpink ribbons, just showed its broken rim and tawdry trimmings, and, tocrown all, and serve as a guard to the rest, a really serviceable graybeaver bonnet, once mine, towered up as high as the celebrated crown inwhich brother Peter figures in Swift's "Tale of a Tub. "

"Mercy, Jenny! Why, old woman, you don't mean to go with us that figure?"

"Och, my dear heart! I've no bandbox to kape the cowld from desthroying myilligant bonnets, " returned Jenny, laying her hand upon the side of thesleigh. 

"Go back, Jenny; go back, " cried my brother. "For God's sake take all thattomfoolery from off your head. We shall be the laughing-stock of everyvillage we pass through. "

"Och, shure now, Mr. S____, who'd think of looking at an owld crathar likeme! It's only yorsel' that would notice the like. "

"All the world, every body would look at you, Jenny. I believe that youput on those hats to draw the attention of all the young fellows that weshall happen to meet on the road. Ha, Jenny!"

With an air of offended dignity, the old woman returned to the house torearrange her toilet, and provide for the safety of her "illigantbonnets, " one of which she suspended to the strings of her cloak, whileshe carried the third dangling in her hand; and no persuasion of minewould induce her to put them out of sight. 

Many painful and conflicting emotions agitated my mind, but found noutterance in words, as we entered the forest path, and I looked my lastupon that humble home consecrated by the memory of a thousand sorrows. Every object had become endeared to me during my long exile from civilizedlife. I loved the lonely lake, with its magnificent belt of dark pinessighing in the breeze; the cedar swamp, the summer home of my dark Indianfriends; my own dear little garden, with its rugged snake-fence, which Ihad helped Jenny to place with my own hands, and which I had assisted thefaithful woman in cultivating for the last three years, where I had sooften braved the tormenting mosquitoes, black-flies, and intense heat, toprovide vegetables for the use of the family. Even the cows, that hadgiven a breakfast for the last time to my children, were now regarded withmournful affection. A poor labourer stood in the doorway of the desertedhouse, holding my noble water-dog, Rover, in a string. The poor fellowgave a joyous bark as my eyes fell upon him. 

"James J____, take care of my dog. "

"Never fear, ma'am, he shall bide with me as long as he lives. "

"He and the Indians at least feel grieved for our departure, " I thought. Love is so scarce in this world that we ought to prize it, however lowlythe source from whence it flows. 

We accomplished only twelve miles of our journey that night. The road laythrough the bush, and along the banks of the grand, rushing, foamingOtonabee river, the wildest and most beautiful of forest streams. We sleptat the house of kind friends, and early in the morning resumed our longjourney, but minus one of our party. Our old favourite cat, Peppermint, had made her escape from the basket in which she had been confined, andhad scampered off, to the great grief of the children. 

As we passed Mrs. H____'s house, we called for dear Addie. Mr. H____brought her in his arms to the gate, well wrapped up in a large fur capeand a warm woollen shawl. 

"You are robbing me of my dear little girl, " he said. "Mrs. H____ isabsent; she told me not to part with her if you should call; but I couldnot detain her without your consent. Now that you have seen her, allow meto keep her for a few months longer!"

Addie was in the sleigh. I put my arm around her. I felt I had my childagain, and I secretly rejoiced in the possession of my own. I sincerelythanked him for his kindness, and Mr. S____ drove on. 

At Mr. R____'s, we found a parcel from dear Emilia, containing a plum-cakeand other good things for the children Her kindness never flagged. 

We crossed the bridge over the Otonabee, in the rising town ofPeterborough, at eight o'clock in the morning. Winter had now set infairly. The children were glad to huddle together in the bottom of thesleigh, under the buffalo skins and blankets; all but my eldest boy, who, just turned of five years old, was enchanted with all he heard and saw, and continued to stand up and gaze around him. Born in the forest, whichhe had never quitted before, the sight of a town was such a novelty thathe could find no words wherewith to express his astonishment. 

"Are the houses come to see one another?" he asked. "How did they all meethere?"

The question greatly amused his uncle, who took some pains to explain tohim the difference between town and country. During the day, we got rid ofold Jenny and her bonnets, whom we found a very refractory travellingcompanion; as wilful, and far more difficult to manage than a young child. Fortunately, we overtook the sleighs with the furniture, and Mr. S____transferred Jenny to the care of one of the drivers; an arrangement thatproved satisfactory to all parties. 

We had been most fortunate in obtaining comfortable lodgings for thenight. The evening had closed in so intensely cold, that although we wereonly two miles from C____ Addie was so much affected by it that the childlay sick and pale in my arms, and, when spoken to, seemed scarcelyconscious of our presence. 

My brother jumped from the front seat, and came round to look at her. "That child is ill with the cold; we must stop somewhere to warm her, orshe will hardly hold out till we get to the inn at C____. "

We were just entering the little village of A____, in the vicinity of thecourt-house, and we stopped at a pretty green cottage, and askedpermission to warm the children. A stout, middle-aged woman came to thesleigh, and in the kindest manner requested us to alight. 

"I think I know that voice, " I said. "Surely it cannot be Mrs. S____, whoonce kept the ____ hotel at C____?"

"Mrs. Moodie, you are welcome, " said the excellent woman, bestowing uponme a most friendly embrace; "you and your children. I am heartily glad tosee you again after so many years. God bless you all!"

Nothing could exceed the kindness and hospitality of this generous woman;she would not hear of our leaving her that night, and, directing mybrother to put up his horses in her stable, she made up an excellent firein a large bedroom, and helped me to undress the little ones who werealready asleep, and to warm and feed the rest before we put them to bed. 

This meeting gave me real pleasure. In their station of life, I seldomhave found a more worthy couple than this American and his wife; and, having witnessed so many of their acts of kindness, both to ourselves andothers, I entertained for them a sincere respect and affection, and trulyrejoiced that Providence had once more led me to the shelter of theirroof. 

Mr. S____ was absent, but I found little Mary--the sweet child who used tolisten with such delight to Moodie's flute--grown up into a beautifulgirl; and the baby that was, a fine child of eight years old. The nextmorning was so intensely cold that my brother would not resume the journeyuntil past ten o'clock, and even then it was a hazardous experiment. 

We had not proceeded four miles before the horses were covered withicicles. Our hair was frozen as white as Old Time's solitary forelock, oureyelids stiff, and every limb aching with cold. 

"This will never do, " said my brother, turning to me; "the children willfreeze. I never felt the cold more severe than this. "

"Where can we stop?" said I; "we are miles from C____, and I see noprospect of the weather becoming milder. "

"Yes, yes; I know, by the very intensity of the cold, that a change is athand. We seldom have more than three very severe days running, and this isthe third. At all events, it is much warmer at night in this country thanduring the day; the wind drops, and the frost is more bearable. I know aworthy farmer who lives about a mile ahead; he will give us house-room fora few hours, and we will resume our journey in the evening. The moon is atfull; and it will be easier to wrap the children up, and keep them warmwhen they are asleep. Shall we stop at Old Woodruff's?"

"With all my heart. " My teeth were chattering with the cold, and thechildren were crying over their aching fingers at the bottom of thesleigh. 

A few minutes' ride brought us to a large farm-house, surrounded bycommodious sheds and barns. A fine orchard opposite, and a yard wellstocked with fat cattle and sheep, sleek geese, and plethoric-lookingswine, gave promise of a land of abundance and comfort. My brother raninto the house to see if the owner was at home, and presently returned, accompanied by the staunch Canadian yeoman and his daughter, who gave us atruly hearty welcome, and assisted in removing the children from thesleigh to the cheerful fire, that made all bright and cozy within. 

Our host was a shrewd, humorous-looking Yorkshireman. His red, weatherbeaten face, and tall, athletic, figure, bent as it was with hard labour, gave indications of great personal strength; and a certain knowing twinklein his small, clear gray eyes, which had been acquired by long dealingwith the world, with a quiet, sarcastic smile that lurked round thecorners of his large mouth, gave you the idea of a man who could noteasily be deceived by his fellows; one who, though no rogue himself, wasquick in detecting the roguery of others. His manners were frank and easy, and he was such a hospitable entertainer that you felt at home with him ina minute. 

"Well, how are you, Mr. S____?" cried the farmer, shaking my brotherheartily by the hand. "Toiling in the bush still, eh?"

"Just in the same place. "

"And the wife and children?"

"Hearty. Some half-dozen have been added to the flock since you were ourway. "

"So much the better--so much the better. The more the merrier, Mr. S____;children are riches in this country. "

"I know not how that may be; I find it hard to clothe and feed mine. "

"Wait till they grow up; they will be brave helps to you then. The priceof labour--the price of labour, Mr. S____, is the destruction of thefarmer. "

"It does not seem to trouble you much, Woodruff" said my brother, glancinground the well-furnished apartment. 

"My son and S____ do it all, " cried the old man. "Of course the girls helpin busy times, and take care of the dairy, and we hire occasionally; butsmall as the sum is which is expended in wages during seed-time andharvest, I feel it, I can tell you. "

"You are married again, Woodruff?"

"No, sir, " said the farmer, with a peculiar smile; "not yet;" which seemedto imply the probability of such an event. "That tall gal is my eldestdaughter; she manages the house, and an excellent housekeeper she is. ButI cannot keep her for ever. " With a knowing wink. "Gals will think ofgetting married, and seldom consult the wishes of their parents upon thesubject when once they have taken the notion into their heads. But 'tisnatural, Mr. S____, it is natural; we did just the same when we wereyoung. "

My brother looked laughingly towards the fine, handsome young woman, as she placed upon the table hot water, whiskey, and a huge plate ofplum-cake, which did not lack a companion, stored with the finest appleswhich the orchard could produce. 

The young girl looked down, and blushed. 

"Oh, I see how it is, Woodruff! You will soon lose your daughter. I wonderthat you have kept her so long. But who are these young ladies?" hecontinued, as three girls very demurely entered the room. 

"The two youngest are my darters, by my last wife, who, I fear, mean soonto follow the bad example of their sister. The other _lady_, " said the oldman, with a reverential air, "is a _particular_ friend of my eldestdarter's. "

My brother laughed slyly, and the old man's cheek took a deeper glow as hestooped forward to mix the punch. 

"You said that these two young ladies, Woodruff, were by your last wife. Pray how many wives have you had?"

"Only three. It is impossible, they say in my country, to have too much ofa good thing. "

"So I suppose you think, " said my brother, glancing first at the old manand then towards Miss Smith. "Three wives! You have been a fortunate man, Woodruff, to survive them all. "

"Ah, have I not, Mr. S____? but to tell you the truth, I have been bothlucky and unlucky in the wife way, " and then he told us the history of hisseveral ventures in matrimony, with which I shall not trouble my readers. 

When he had concluded, the weather was somewhat milder, the sleigh wasordered to the door, and we proceeded on our journey, resting, for thenight at a small village about twenty miles from B____, rejoicing that thelong distance which separated us from the husband and father wasdiminished to a few miles, and that, with the blessing of Providence, weshould meet on the morrow. 

About noon we reached the distant town, and were met at the inn by himwhom, one and all so ardently longed to see. He conducted us to a pretty, neat cottage, which he had prepared for our reception, and where we foundold Jenny already arrived. With great pride the old woman conducted meover the premises, and showed me the furniture "the masther" had bought;especially recommending to my notice a china tea-service, which sheconsidered the most wonderful acquisition of the whole. 

"Och! who would have thought, a year ago, misthress dear, that we shouldbe living in a mansion like this, and ating off raal chaney? It is butyestherday that we were hoeing praties in the field. "

"Yes, Jenny, God has been very good to us, and I hope that we shall neverlearn to regard with indifference the many benefits which we have receivedat His hands. "

Reader! it is not my intention to trouble you with the sequel of ourhistory. I have given you a faithful picture of a life in the backwoods ofCanada, and I leave you to draw from it your own conclusions. To the poor, industrious workingman it presents many advantages; to the poor gentleman, _none!_ The former works hard, puts up with coarse, scanty fare, andsubmits, with a good grace, to hardships that would kill a domesticatedanimal at home. Thus he becomes independent, inasmuch as the land that hehas cleared finds him in the common necessaries of life; but it seldom, ifever, in remote situations, accomplishes more than this. The gentleman canneither work so hard, live so coarsely, nor endure so many privations ashis poorer but more fortunate neighbour. Unaccustomed to manual labour, his services in the field are not of a nature to secure for him aprofitable return. The task is new to him, he knows not how to perform itwell; and, conscious of his deficiency, he expends his little means inhiring labour, which his bush farm can never repay. Difficulties increase, debts grow upon him, he struggles in vain to extricate himself, andfinally sees his family sink into hopeless ruin. 

If these sketches should prove the means of deterring one family fromsinking their property, and shipwrecking all their hopes, by going toreside in the backwoods of Canada, I shall consider myself amply repaidfor revealing the secrets of the prison house, and feel that I have nottoiled and suffered in the wilderness in vain. 

THE MAPLE-TREE. 

A CANADIAN SONG. 

 Hail to the pride of the forest--hail To the maple, tall and green; It yields a treasure which ne'er shall fail While leaves on its boughs are seen. When the moon shines bright, On the wintry night, And silvers the frozen snow; And echo dwells On the jingling bells As the sleighs dart to and fro; Then it brightens the mirth Of the social hearth With its red and cheery glow. 

 Afar, 'mid the bosky forest shades, It lifts its tall head on high; When the crimson-tinted evening fades From the glowing saffron sky; When the sun's last beams Light up woods and streams, And brighten the gloom below; And the deer springs by With his flashing eye, And the shy, swift-footed doe; And the sad winds chide In the branches wide, With a tender plaint of woe. 

 The Indian leans on its rugged trunk, With the bow in his red right-hand, And mourns that his race, like a stream, has sunk From the glorious forest land. But, blithe and free, The maple-tree, Still tosses to sun and air Its thousand arms, While in countless swarms The wild bee revels there; But soon not a trace Of the red man's race Shall be found in the landscape fair. 

 When the snows of winter are melting fast, And the sap begins to rise, And the biting breath of the frozen blast Yields to the spring's soft sighs, Then away to the wood, For the maple, good, Shall unlock its honied store; And boys and girls, With their sunny curls, Bring their vessels brimming o'er With the luscious flood Of the brave tree's blood, Into caldrons deep to pour. 

 The blaze from the sugar-bush gleams red; Far down in the forest dark, A ruddy glow on the trees is shed, That lights up their ragged bark; And with merry shout, The busy rout Watch the sap as it bubbles high; And they talk of the cheer Of the coming year, And the jest and the song pass by; And brave tales of old Round the fire are told, That kindle youth's beaming eye. 

 Hurra! for the sturdy maple-tree! Long may its green branch wave; In native strength sublime and free, Meet emblem for the brave. May the nation's peace With its growth increase, And its worth be widely spread; For it lifts not in vain To the sun and rain Its tall, majestic head. May it grace our soil, And reward our toil, Till the nation's heart is dead!

Reader! my task is ended. 

THE END