Chapter 63
I must close my account of our summer in Muskoka with the account of two expeditions which we took towards the end of August, as our time was drawing to a close. Our English cousins, Mrs. Aden-Brooke and Miss Peacock came up at the beginning of the month for a week. They were nice middle aged ladies, both very fond of animals. Mrs. Aden-Brooke had a parrot which she called “The One Perfect Thing in Canada”. After they left Dora came up with Miss Annie Reid. Of these ladies none of them stayed with us; we had too much of a children’s home to make them comfortable, but a very nice boarding-house was found not far off and there they took up their abode.
It was between our various visitors that Cousin George took us on a wonderful trip in the woods. We started early, just he and I and the five children in an iron-bound wagon with two seats. A man came to drive the two big strong horses. The first ten miles was over what one might call ordinary rough roads, then we stopped in the woods, built a fire and made tea, gypsy fashion, and enjoyed a good dinner. After this, driving began in earnest. I could not have believed a cart could get over such rocks. Sometimes there would be four or five steps and then when the horses had dragged us up we came down with a crash on the other side. Before we had time to take our breath it was a log we were climbing over. I hung on as best I could, clasping the baby in one arm and Helen with the other. It was truly thrilling. After six miles of this we arrived at a log shanty in the midst of the woods. I think it was a widow and five children who lived there. I suppose there must have been other houses at no great distance. She received us gladly and got us a good tea, but we had to leave early so as to get out of the woods before dark. We arrived home about eight o’clock, having much enjoyed our adventure. On unpacking the lunch basket I found that the cream on the bottle of milk I had taken for Hope had churned into butter.
Later on, while Dora and Miss Reid were with us, a large picnic was organized to go up the Mary River. We must have had several boats, for besides our own party we had two or three of the Chowne boys and Leah Ware, Mrs. Ware’s eldest girl, who had been promised this treat for a long time. Great preparations were made, as this was the last big picnic we were to have. We set off quite early. It was a lovely day and the beauty of the river as we passed bend after bend charmed us all. We had to go through several locks, which of course delayed us, and by noon we were far from the head of the river.
It had been looking threatening for some time, and just as we moored our boats preparatory to getting dinner the rain suddenly came down. There was no shelter near, but the boys and Hawkins made huts of boughs, into which we crept. We hoped it would pass off, and waited several hours, but the rain only seemed to increase, so at last we decided to brave it home. How wet we got, but it was not so bad until we reached the open space of lake between the shore and our house. I well remember holding Hope wrapped up in a shawl and an umbrella over her, while with the other hand I steered us over that wild stretch of lake. How thankful I was when we got in. Mrs. Ware had a fire and we had hot drinks all round, and I do not think anyone took cold, even Miss Reid. Little Hope was as warm and dry as if she had been at home. During the following winter Dagmar Chowne, who was then teaching in the girls’ school Leah Ware went to, told the girls to write an account of the happiest day of their lives. Poor little Leah wrote an account of this rainy picnic. Her life was a very gray one and an adventure of any kind was delightful.
It was now September, and we began to feel a desire for home once more. My sister undertook to keep the three older children while I went down with Helen and Hope and found a house. But I was very sorry to leave our pleasant quarters. Thyra Chowne came down with me; my mother had offered her to come and live with them and go to the high school. Our luggage was much and various. We had the bird Teddy, who had accompanied us up, the young bird, three chipmunks in a home made cage, and a baby red squirrel I had been given two days before. Alas! On getting into the rowing boat to go to the station, I happened to lift the covering of Teddy’s cage, I found the door had accidentally come open and my good singer was gone. We fancied we saw him in a tree at a distance, but there was no time to wait and we never saw him again. I sorrowfully said goodbye to the rocks and the hills and the water, and once more we were on the train steaming back to an unknown future.