Chapter 50
I had hardly reached home when the little children round us began to ask if I would not begin the children’s meeting again. This I was only too glad to do and the numbers increased until I had about forty or more children. It was a very great interest and pleasure and with my sister’s help the sewing meeting was once more set on foot and well attended.
We had not been long back from Mrs. Meadows when Edie was taken ill with typhoid and could not come back to us for many weeks. It was a long hard time for me and the way sometimes seemed very weary and the work almost more than I was equal to. But Christmas came and Edie came back and life seemed a little easier for awhile.
Christmas was a great joy to the children. For weeks beforehand they were busy making little presents, in particular shaving balls for all their friends who shaved. How exciting it was to go and choose the colored paper. How long it took to decide between the blue and pink and purple. Then there were visits to Mr. John Wickett’s store in the town. I remember Dorothy amusing him very much one day when he ventured some advice. She looked gravely at him and remarked: “Do not interfere with my conspicuous arrangements”.
A little while before Christmas the big iron money box was opened and each child counted its pennies and decided what to do with them. On this particular Christmas Christopher needed all his money to pay for a little tricycle he had long been saving for, but when he heard Dorothy talking of buying a chicken for our dear old washerwoman, Mrs. Taylor, he felt he must not be outdone and exclaimed: “And then she could ride down to the market on my tricycle to buy it”. The picture of tall, gaunt Mrs. Taylor on his minute tricycle quite overcame us. I will let Dorothy describe Christmas Day.
“We had a wonderful Christmas in that house. Mother lent us her stockings and we hung them up with much ceremony on each side of the dining room fireplace. Then we woke early next morning and had breakfast by lamplight in the drawing room instead of the dining room. The doors were open between, but it was so dark we could only see dim outlines of toys. Then after breakfast we had to wait with consuming impatience for Granny and Aunt Dora. Daddy set us to jumping downstairs; who could jump the most steps? I can feel the excitement of jumping five steps now. At last Granny and Aunt Dora arrived very smiling and were kissed and embraced. They had brought parcels, which were hurriedly taken into the room. At last the door was thrown open and we went in, in a procession, the youngest first; a most thrilling moment. What a delight the unpacking of the stocking and the contents of the chair which stood beside it. I know there was a doll’s bed for me and there were all the dolls with new dresses. Mother always made new dresses for each doll every Christmas. Afterward Daddy played with us most of the day, but mother and Daddy always walked to the post office together during the morning, and usually there was a bundle of letters and often parcels from Aunt Vesie and Aunt Lou and other friends. Then what a joyful dinner we had all together. A most gloriously cheerful time—I mean when one is a child.”
They were happy Christmas Days, and I am glad the children have them to look back to. I always began on December 1st to dress the dolls and spent my evenings on it until the day arrived. The dolls often had to be mended, but I do not think Dorothy ever discarded a doll; they were her great joy, sharing her affection with her cats. I do not remember what happened to Alice Henry, but at this time we had a Gray Maltese cat named Mr. Gray. He was very fond of Dorothy and would stand on the back of her chair at meals with his paws round her neck.
It was, I think, in March of this year that an epidemic of measles visited Port Hope. Of course we had them in our house and, as I thought, rather more than my share. I had a young girl sewing for me at the time. She lived in the country and always came and stayed with us when doing our sewing. She took it almost immediately and was very sick with it. I was changing servants at the time. The old one hurried off and the new one refused to come, so Edie and I had to manage as best we could. “Never mind,” said my dear mother, that first day, “Annie and I will help you.” Annie was her servant; a very nice, kind girl. Alas, the next morning Annie ran over to see how we were getting along, fell down on the slippery sidewalk and sprained her ankle so badly that she was laid up for several weeks, and mother had all she could do, caring for her and doing the work.
Looking back, one wonders sometimes how one got through, but then the Lord is faithful and He does not give more than we can bear. Christopher was very ill and could not eat or speak for several days. The baby too had to be nursed most of the time. Dorothy was not so bad and Somerville waited until the rest were better to get it. Jack did all he could and often came home early to help, and so the weary time passed and through mercy all recovered without any after effects.