Chapter 58.
When I got home, I found our household reduced. Will Pennington, for reasons best known to himself, had left our establishment and was domiciled in the cottage of the Miss. Monsells, two very worthy ladies, old fashioned and prim as the cottage they lived in, but the soul of kindness. We were sorry to have him leave us, but he was not far off and we often saw him. The cow might have missed him, had we not at that juncture changed our cook. The new damsel was very fond of animals and being a country girl was well used to milking. Ada Coulter was her name. She was a great talker, but so kind hearted and good tempered that we all felt the change was very much for the better, Speaking of the cow, I must really relate our first experiences in keeping one. Will had declared that he knew all about cows, so we left the care of the animal we purchased to him. We were soon distressed to find the supply of milk getting smaller and smaller, while the poor beast looked thin and dejected. Will at once spoke of tuberculosis and we promptly got a veterinarian to look her over. He was not encouraging and it ended in our selling her for a good deal less than we gave for her. But with a good stable, free pasture land and five children it seemed almost wrong not to sport a cow, so we tried again. Fortunately Jack began to inquire from his farmer friends about feeding, and we found the poor beast was being half starved. This was soon remedied, and henceforward we had all the milk we could use.
But I have wandered a long way from my home coming on that April day. Oh what joy there was and how excited the children were, and how delighted Dorothy was to show the shells and corals we had brought with us. It was a very happy home coming and everyone felt that I must now be quite well. Of course I was better and Mother and Dorothy had benefitted greatly. We had not been home long, however, before we found poor Dora was completely worn out with her exertions. Just at that time Mrs. Covert, whose daughter she had taught for some years, was purposing a trip to England to visit Birdie, who was now at school there. She begged Dora to accompany her and I do not think Dora needed much persuasion. She had enjoyed her last visit to England so much and found both the climate and the people so congenial, that she was more than ready to go again. So it was decided they should start, I think, in June.
Mother was to remain in her own house with her faithful servant Annie. The house was quite near; you had to cross a little patch of woods and you were there. It was in that patch of woods Mother had met Helen trotting along alone, arrayed in my hat, and on being questioned she said she “was going to Wickey’s to get biccies”. Kind Mrs. Wickett always took a great interest in our children and Helen rarely accompanied me to the store without receiving a sweet biscuit.
But again to return to the summer of 1896, I had been begging Mrs. Irwin to come and pay me a visit, and that spring she really came. Looking back, one feels that there have been very few seasons, however pleasant, without some drawback, some thorn in the rose. But I look back on that visit as a week of almost pure enjoyment. My domestic arrangements were running so smoothly I had no worry with either house or children, and for that one week gave myself up to my friends. The weather was perfect and we would stroll off into the garden with our Bibles and read or talk by the hour together.
At the end of the week the two girls came down and we had a very elaborate picnic. Queenie Galna was still with my sister, and she and Violet and Nannie were great friends. The two girls were now about fifteen and sixteen and nice-looking girls, clever and capable, Violet perhaps rather self-centered but Nannie’s one thought seemed to be for others. Our children were devoted to them both, but Nannie was the one they went to for help and sympathy.
Our next visitors were Cousin Sarah Gamble and our little cousin Mary Boulton. Cousin Sarah had always been very kind to me, and it had long been a great wish of mine to show her a little attention, and now that a suitable time seemed to have come she spent a fortnight with us and I think enjoyed it. Afterward she stayed a little while with Mother. Mary Boulton, the daughter of my father’s brother, I also wished to show a little kindness. She was about fifteen and a very nice girl; we all enjoyed having her. Miss Hicks was now with us and a great help in entertaining these visitors, though very little use with the children, although I found her a congenial companion and she helped me in various ways.
Our next visitor was Mrs. Job. She asked me point blank to invite her, so of course I did. She and Dorothy came from Toronto together. I think Dorothy had been spending a few days at the Irwin’s but anyway they did not succeed in getting off at Port Hope but were carried on to Coburg, causing us much anxiety for a couple of hours, but finally they arrived in a carriage.
I must confess to remembering very little about these visits. I had all I could do to keep things going. Every day I seemed to feel less strength and energy, but no one seemed to notice it and I did not realize there was anything the matter. Our last visitors were Mrs. Gausby and Mary. Poor Mary got asthma almost at once and had to go home, but Mrs. Gausby stayed on and was most kind. She looked at my big mending basket and while she was there emptied it, which meant a good deal to me. When I begged her to rest or come out to walk she would say: “What greater pleasure can I have than helping a tired little mother?” Dear Mrs. Gausby, she certainly was one of the excellent of the earth. Our little darling who was taken from us was named “Elizabeth” for I said the three best women I knew bore that name: Mrs. Reid of Bowmanville, Lady Robinson and Mrs. Gausby.
Dear little Elizabeth: I carefully saved every cent I could, putting away ten cents and twenty-five cents at a time until I had the $8 which a little stone would cost. I had the words put on: “Elizabeth” and underneath “Talitha Cumi” (Little Darling Arise—the literal reading, I believe). And though I mourned yet for her, I felt so sure of her rising again it was a great comfort.
It was the end of the summer when Mrs. Gausby stayed with us and by that time we had learned that my sister was going to spend the winter in England. We then made arrangements for Miss Hicks to stay on and teach the children, for I was not well enough to undertake it. Dorothy was nearly ten years old and it was time for her education to begin in earnest. Mother shut up her house and came over, bringing her cat with her, to spend the winter with us. But the story of that winter must wait for another chapter.