Lady's Life on a Farm in Manitoba — 18 - Letter 18

* * * * * July 5th.

We have received our letters most unexpectedly to-day; two of our gentlemen coming out last night from town brought sundry parcels, newspapers, etc. , but never thought of turning round to see if all was safe in back of carriage, declaring it was such rough driving they could only think of how to hang on and not be jolted out, so that by the time they got home, letters, a horse-collar, spare cushions, etc. were all gone.

It was too late to send after them;

but one of the men started back at 3:30 this morning, finding most of the lost things strewn broadcast over the prairie, even to within a short distance of Winnipeg.

He went on to feed and bait his horses, at the same time enquiring for letters, finding ours just come in, and which would have lain there until our next opportunity.

Our variety to-day has been the absence of our cook, and we are again left in charge, and we flatter ourselves the dinner was "immense."

Stewed-beef, rice, mushrooms, (of which some were rather burnt, others not quite done enough, but that is a trifle), yorkshire pudding (baking-powder making an excellent substitute for eggs), and an apple tart.

What more could you want?

We are quite ambitious now, and have curries, rissoles, etc. A---- used to say he hoped, we should not expect either him or his friends to eat our dishes, as they would have to go to bed afterwards for at least three or four hours; but they very much appreciate any change made in the _menu_.

We are longing to make bread, which takes up a great deal of our factotum's time, as it has to be set over night and kneaded three or four times the following day; but are begged to defer that amusement until within a few days of our departure, as it would so entirely upset our American trip if we had to attend A----'s obsequies.

The bread is perfectly delicious, so light and so white in colour.

The flour is excellent.

It is not made with brewers yeast, but with a yeast gem dissolved in warm water, to which is added a handful of dried hops boiled beforehand for about ten minutes, and strained.

To that is added a cupful of flour a teaspoonful of salt, and one of sugar, and the whole is put into a warm place to ferment; when fermented, which takes about twelve hours, into a cool place, where it will remain good and sweet some time.

_A Receipt for Bread-Making_.

Put ten large spoonfuls of flour in a breadpan, and add enough warm water to make it into a thin batter, add half a pint of yeast, mix well, and, having covered the bread-pan with a cloth, put it in a warm place near the stove over night.

During the night it should rise and settle again.

In the morning add enough flour to make it in into a thick dough, and knead it on a bread-board for ten minutes.

Put it back into pan for two hours and let it rise again.

Grease your baking-tins, knead your dough again, and then fill the tins half full, put them close to the stove to rise, and when they have risen thoroughly, grease the tops of your loaves with a little butter (preventing the crust breaking and giving it a nice brown colour) and put them into the oven and bake for an hour to an hour and a quarter.

As E---- had not Mrs. G---- to wash up with her, she enlisted one of the men, and it was very funny to see him in a hat three times too big for his head, pipe in his mouth, sleeves turned up, drying the dishes and putting a polish on them.

Talking of hats, E---- has at last got one and a half, it literally covers even her shoulders, and at midday she declares she is as much in shade as under a Japanese umbrella; for trimming a rope is coiled round the crown, the only way to make it stay on the head.

Of her gloves there is only the traditional one left; the other is among the various articles we have left on the prairie, bumped out of the buggy one day when she took them off to take care of them in a shower of rain.

That driving on the prairie is loathsome, but if we want to get about at all we must do it, as we don't like the riding horses.

At the present moment we have got one of the plough animals, which is rideable.

The poor beast was frightened one night three weeks ago, during a fearful storm of thunder and lightning, and ran into the barb wire, wounding itself horridly on the shoulders and neck.

The skin had to be sewn up, and it cannot wear a collar for the present so we have it to ride if we like.

It is not a slug like the other two.

The thunder-storms here are frightful; they are also very grand to watch, as we can see them generally for miles before they come up.

We, luckily, have about ten lightning conductors on the houses and stables, so that we feel safe.

A thunder-bolt fell pretty near the other day, destroying about six posts and the wire of our north fence.

Thanks to the rain we have lately had, and the warm sun, we find such quantities of mushrooms all over the prairie.

They grow to such a size!

We measured two, one was 21 1/2 inches round, the other 21, very sweet and good, and as pink underneath as possible.

The labourers have been so pleased with them that last Sunday they began picking and cooking them in early morning, going on with relays more or less all day, so that by the evening they couldn't look another in the face, and it will be some time before they touch them again.

We have them for every meal.

Our diaries here are more or less public property, and as we have been nowhere or seen anything at all exciting since we last wrote, I am going to copy down from the journals the incidents, if any, of the last week.

You seemed to appreciate it the last time we sent you home a copy, but you must forgive if it is somewhat of a repetition to our numerous letters.

The weather, for one thing, is daily chronicled, as it takes up much of our thoughts, so much in the future depending on its being propitious just at this time of year, when the seeds are all sown and the hay almost ready to cut.

_Tuesday_.

--Beautiful day, so warm and nice, without being hot; everything growing, too, marvellously; even the seeds in the garden, which we began to despair of, are coming up.

The men have been very low, on account of the scarcity of rain;

but we have had one or two thunder-storms lately which, have done good, and in this climate I do not think one ought ever to give up hopes.

E---- has been painting wild flowers, which at this moment are in great profusion and variety all over the prairie, most of the day, varying her work by painting the doors of the room, which were such an ugly colour, a pale yellow green, that they have offended our artistic eyes ever since we have been here.

I am said to have wasted my whole morning watching my two-days-old chickens, supposed to be the acme of intelligence and precocity.

The afternoon was spent in shingling the hen-house.

It was only roofed over with tar-paper laid on to the rafters, which answers well if the wind doesn't blow the paper about, or that it has not any holes; but as the hen-house is only a lean-to of the stable, the roof of which we have been very busily painting, it has been trodden upon a good deal in getting on and off the roof, and, in consequence, the paper is much like a sponge, letting any rain in, and drenching the poor sitting fowls; but with the shingles overlapping each other on the tar-paper, the roof, will be quite water-tight.

_Wednesday_.

--Our factotum has gone into town, and we are left in charge, E---- parlour-maid, Mr. B---- scullery-man, and I cook.

We have heaps of mushrooms at every meal, a most agreeable change to the rice and white beans we have only hitherto had.

_Thursday_.

--Hot day.

A---- went into town to some meeting at the Club.

We have been dreadfully tormented with mosquitoes today, also the big "bull-dog" fly, which, whenever the kitchen door was left ajar, came into the house in myriads; but we find that Keating's powder most effectually destroys them, and in a very few seconds.

We have been busy making a mattress and pillow for Mr. H----, really one does not realise how clever one is until our genius is put to the test in an establishment like this.

E---- and I drove up to the tent after supper with our handiwork, and had great pleasure in seeing it filled with hay.

Our drive was not of the most enviable: we had a waggon with no spring seat, only a board, which was always moving, to sit upon; one horse would tear along, the other not pull an ounce, in spite of applying the whip a good deal, and we were nearly smothered with mosquitoes, I never saw such clouds of them, and on our return home there was a general rush for the bottle of ammonia, which is the only thing that allays the irritation.

_Friday_.

--Excitements have been crowding in upon us to-day.

Bob, one of the labourers, who went into Winnipeg yesterday, only arrived home at 3 A. M.

this morning.

He left town at 6, but the night being dark he lost his way, and finding himself on the edge of a marsh, having a feed of oats with him, wisely unhitched his horses, tied them to the wheels, and waited patiently for daylight.

Just as we were sitting down to dinner, three men who have been surveying the Government ditch near here, came and begged to be fed.

Luckily we had soup and plenty of cold meat; but our pudding--the less said about that the better.

We always have the evaporated apples as a stand by, and they are delicious; so with quantities of butter and milk we never need starve.

Then in the evening, when Mr. B---- was going to the stable to serve out the oats for the horses, he came in for the finish of an exciting race between two of the plough horses.

The jockeys or riders were told forthwith that a waggon was going into town the following morning, and that their services would be dispensed with in future.

Just as we were going to bed we heard A---- coming in, and with him a stranger who turned out to be our cousin, only fifteen days out from England, _via_ Canada.

He looks very delicate.

_Saturday_.

--We had made no preparation for E. P---- last night, so he had to occupy the "parlour" sofa, and says he slept like a top;

doubtlessly did not require much rocking, as he had travelled through almost without stopping.

We were busy all this morning writing letters for the discharged miscreants to take into town.

It has been very hot and close all day.

I, rode up to the tent, and hurried home, seeing a thunder-storm coming up, which was grand; and it was very lucky that I got home, as it began to rain at 3 o'clock, and is still pouring in perfect torrents at 10 o'clock P. M.

_Sunday_.

--The yard is in such a fearful state of dirt, and the water standing inches deep, that it has been nearly impossible to move beyond the door.

I put on A----'s long waterproof boots, and managed to get as far as my hen-house, and found two of my chickens dead.

Another sitting hen has been a source of great anxiety, as she will peck her chicks to death as they hatch, and out of a sitting of eleven eggs we have only been able to save five birds.

A wet Sunday hangs very heavily on our hands here, as there is nothing to be done.

_Monday_.

--Big wash as usual all the morning, and just as E---- and I were to drive a waggon over to Mr. Boyle for some oats which required fetching, we had quite a scare.

A _lady_ and gentleman were seen to be riding up.

We both of us rushed up-stairs to put on some clean aprons to do honour to our guests, who, with another man, also out from town, remained the whole afternoon.

We have never dined as many as nine people in our vast apartments before, but we managed very nicely.

We have had heavy showers with a high wind, and the thermometer down to 50 all the afternoon.

We tried to persuade our lady visitor to stay the night, A---- offering to give up his room; but she persisted in going back, and, I am afraid, will have got very wet, in spite of E---- lending her waterproof jacket.

_Tuesday_.

--The household had a long turn in bed this morning, Mr. B---- only getting down at about 7. 15, when various things were offered him to prop open his eye-lids when he did appear.

The weather has been slightly better than yesterday, but the wind has been high, and it was really quite cold; varied by slight showers of rain in the morning.

In the afternoon we all made hay.

I worked my rake until my horse beat me by refusing to move in any direction excepting homewards; and I had to call A----, who was stone getting, to my rescue.

He, with judicious chastisement in the shape of a kick or so, made the horse work.

E---- and E. P----

loaded hay.

Thanks to the late rains the marshes were heavy, and they very nearly stuck once or twice in going through them.

There were no mosquitoes, which was a blessing, but one is never troubled with them in a high wind.

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