Lady's Life on a Farm in Manitoba — 15 - Letter 15

June 12th.

We have had a real visitor lately--I mean one who has brought a change, and a toothbrush; and for the auspicious event we rigged him up a stretcher bed, the most comfortable of things, canvas stretched on to a wooden frame, with a mattress on the top.

You could not wish for anything softer.

He was one of our ocean companions; his nickname of Mike still sticks to him.

On getting to Winnipeg at night he had great difficulty in finding our whereabouts; even at the Club he was told the only W---- known kept a store in Main Street.

Luckily from the Club he went to A----'s livery stable, which is exactly behind it, where a man offered to drive him out forthwith, having driven another man here only four days ago; but he preferred waiting till the morning, getting here somewhere about 9 o'clock, when he was set down immediately to work to stone the raisins for a plum cake, and when tired of that had to help A---- planting potatoes.

He declares he never will come here with his best clothes and a "boiled" shirt on again, as we have worked him so hard.

The accounts he gives, in an exaggerated Irish brogue, of his experiences in Minnesota have kept us in fits of laughter.

The description of their first drive, when both he and his companions were all bogged; and how that twenty-seven mules and twenty-eight horses bought at St. Louis all arrived one night at the station about 5 o'clock, after sixty hours' travelling with no food or water, had to be unloaded from the cars, and they hadn't a halter or even a rope to do it with.

Eventually they got all the poor beasts into a yard with wooden pailing round, but, something startling them, they made a rush, the fence gave way, for which damage the proprietor charged them ten pounds, and all galloped straight on to the prairie, and it took the men all night getting them together again.

One pair of horses disappeared altogether;

but were brought back when a reward of thirty dollars was offered;

they had wandered nineteen miles.

Mike slept in A----'s room.

They talked so much, and told so many funny stories, that we despaired of ever getting them down to breakfast; Mike declaring he would like to bring his bed along with him, as he hadn't slept in one, or been between sheets since leaving New York, six weeks previously.

We drove him over one afternoon to fish in the creek about two and a half miles off; but as we had to go in a light waggon, and with only one spring seat, both Mike and A---- had to hang on behind, with a plank as seat, which was always slipping and landing them on their backs at the bottom of the waggon.

When we were about half a mile from home E---- made a wager that she would get through the wire fence and home across the prairie before we could get round and the horses be in their stable.

We had a most exciting race; the gates, which are only poles run from one end of the wire to another, were a great impediment, and I believe it was really a dead heat, through all the labourers entering into the joke and rushing to unhitch the horses, which were disappearing into the stable as E---- was at the kitchen-door.

I fancy that on the whole, in spite of his hard work, Mike enjoyed his visit, not only for the pleasure of our society, but as he had never seen a piece of meat, nor anything but pork and beans and bad coffee at Warren, nor had a bed to lie on, nor as much water as could be held in a tea-cup to wash in; he must have felt he had dropped into a land of Goshen by some happy mistake.

To give you a clearer insight into our daily life, and as I have nothing really to write about this week, I think I cannot do better than copy out our journals, which we try to keep regularly, though in our monotonous every-day life it is sometimes difficult to find incidents to chronicle.

_Monday_.

--Wash and cook all the morning; E---- and A---- plant willows in the marsh during the afternoon.

I wander about the prairie in search of a duck's nest I saw yesterday and thought I had marked;

but the tracks, stones, and ridges on the prairie are so alike, that it is almost impossible to remember any place; anyhow, I cannot find the nest.

I could not take it yesterday, as I was riding, and the animal will not stand still to let you mount, and had I had to scramble up on to her I should certainly have broken all the eggs I took.

An exhausting day with a hot wind blowing; we are craving for rain, and thankful for the slight showers that fell during last night.

It is marvellous how quickly vegetation will grow.

Some sample wheat planted in the garden, of which there was no sign yesterday, thanks to the rain and sun has grown quite an inch by 6 o'clock this evening.

The grass is beginning to look so green and nice.

_Tuesday_.

--E---- and Mrs. G---- finish their wash which they could not get through yesterday.

I go up to the tent, with Mr. H---- to drive his waggon, and help to unlumber the wood he brought out yesterday from Winnipeg.

Riding on these waggons loaded, and without a spring seat, is anything but pleasant over the prairie, but Mr. H---- is so accustomed to it now that he can stretch himself on the top and sleep soundly; and once or twice, coming out from town, has found himself in quite the wrong direction by allowing the horses to go their own way.

E---- and I spend our afternoon cleaning up the tent.

_Wednesday_.

--A---- and I drive into Winnipeg.

We have had various commissions to do, and A---- had to attend a meeting at the Club.

Mr. W.

H---- has most amiably put his house, consisting of two rooms and a kitchen below, at our disposal whenever we want to rest; so I spent my whole afternoon there, nominally reading the "St. James's Gazette," but, I fancy, indulging in "forty winks" whilst waiting for A----.

We afterward dined with the judge in his very nice pretty house called "The Willows," driving home later.

The cold was so great that A----, who had brought no great-coat, was forced to run behind the buggy some way to get warm and produce circulation.

The prairie fires quite lovely, on all sides, quivering high flames for miles, and the night being dark, they looked very bright.

_Thursday_.

--Was so tired after my day in town that I breakfasted in bed; disgraceful!

By the time I get down the family have all dispersed to their various works.

After dinner E---- and I drive a waggon over to the Boyd Farm to fetch oats for Mr. H----.

The students, who haven't much to do, are enlisted into the filling and loading of the sacks; rather glad, we fancy, of some occupation.

On our return we found a friend of Mr. B----'s, who, having heard of our proximity, he living at Headingley, has come over to dine and sleep.

Our "parlour" sofa, as usual, is called into requisition.

It will soon be worn out, so many sleep on it.

I think last week it was occupied nearly every night.

_Friday_.

--We have had very smart company to-day, as the judge, his wife, niece, and another man came over.

We hoped they would star to dinner, and had "killed fatted calf"; but I fancy the ladies dreaded the prairie by night, and insisted upon returning--we could hardly persuade them to take a cup of tea--fearing that they might be benighted.

_Saturday_.

--Hard at work cleaning all the morning.

Mr. B----'s friend leaves after dinner, and I drive the mares in the waggons whilst the men stretch the wire-fencing.

E---- rides to the tent with letters.

We sustained rather a shock to our nerves to-day; about 12 o'clock a buggy was seen coming towards the house just as we were sitting down to dinner, and as our food was scanty we did not know how we possibly could feed three extra men.

Luckily they only came to enquire their route to the tent, and it was a relief when they drove on; though we felt we ought to have given them some food, as the tent could only provide bacon and biscuits.

_Sunday_.

--Mrs. G----, our factotum, has a holiday, and goes over with some of the other labourers to spend the day at the other farm.

E----

and I have to undertake the _menage_ for the whole day.

Our mutton, a leg, was very nicely done, also our vegetables, rice, and beans; but the "evaporated" apples, which we use much, required boiling previous to being put in a tart, which we neither of us knew.

Therefore they were not done, and the crust was all burst.

The men from the tent, who generally spend their Sundays here, were allowed some dinner, on condition they washed up afterwards.

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