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Adeline’s Journal Part 7 ( January 1813)

A fictional account of a young woman’s life during the war of 1812

Sunday, January 3, 1813

Dearest Janetta,

It is difficult to believe that we are now in a fresh new year and that Christmas time is past. I have so much to tell you.

Father and William were able to spend Christmas day at home with us. Elizabeth and I have been staying here since Elizabeth had her unfortunate miscarriage. I am happy to say that Elizabeth has recovered as swiftly as Mrs. Randall had predicted and only Mother and I know what was the cause of her brief illness.

We decided to enjoy the holy season just as much as we could, considering the privations upon us now that we are unable to trade with our enemy across the river. Of course it is difficult to think of dear Mrs. Trott, the dressmaker and Mr. Addler, the shoemaker as enemies, but that is what war does to friends. We haven’t had cane sugar for some time, or any of the spices, but even so, Mother has always been frugal and she managed to mix together a lovely Christmas pudding using maple syrup and honey as well as the fruits we dried out this summer. The pudding had scant raisins, but Mother used currants, cranberries and black berries. Few could boast of such a delicious meal. We ate wild turkey that Henry had managed to bag, some rabbit and some partridge. Believe me when I say that our board was groaning under the weight of many different dishes.

Christmas Day we gathered around the hearth with our neighbours and sang songs till our voices were hoarse. Robert Randall has a good tenor voice and he sang “I Was Born in a Stall”, and ” I Saw Three Ships” remarkably well. Elizabeth and Evvy sang my favourite, “The Cherry Tree Carol” and Mother sang the “Coventry Carol” in her dear contralto. I’m not much of a singer, but I tried “In the Bleak Winter” and Robert said I did it justice. He is always kind. Mother had gathered chestnuts which we roasted over the fire and we heated the cider for our guests. After the Randalls departed in their sledge, we could hear the horse bells until they reached the road. Father read the Christmas story from the Bible, we had a prayer and then we all went to bed.

The following morning we exhanged a few gifts. Mother had knitted us all warm mittens; mine are a soft grey. Henry had supplied Evvy with enough rabbit skins to make Mother a new muff to keep her hands warm. Father presented William and Elizabeth with a new chair for their cabin. Mother made them a lovely warm quilt from two old blankets we had. I finally finished the scarf I have been knitting for the last two years and presented it to Father. I gave Henry a book that my Grandfather Price had given me when I was his age. It is stories of the Knights of the Round Table. Father made him a wooden shield and sword. Evvy liked the embroidery silk Mother had been saving for her and is already planning what to make with it. William and Elizabeth gave Mother and Father a new china jug and bowl for their wash stand which means that we can finally replace the old chipped bowl they have now. Evvy and I gave them the embroidered samplers we’ve been working on for the past two years. Evvy’s is perfect – two lovely blue birds sitting on a branch. Mine is an alphabet with flowers for each letter and sadly, a mess on the back side which I covered with a lining. Evvy has promised to help me with my sewing and I will be showing her how to do long division. All in all, we passed a very pleasant day.

The week following Christmas was uneventful on the farm, although a fox got into mother’s geese again and we lost another. Perhaps there will be some small ones in the spring. Henry and I reinforced the barn door and piled stones and logs against the sides of the barn. Now that the ground is frozen the foxes won’t be so keen to venture out of their dens.

New Year’s Eve was what we all looked forward to, as we were invited to share a Scottish New Years with the Randall family. Father and William were once again able to come home. We left our house in swaddled in warm woolens and furs, with hot bricks at our feet, in the middle of the afternoon. Of course, we carried lanterns for our return trip in the dark. Mother had made six loaves of bread, a venison pie and a delicious rabbit stew. We arrived at the Randall’s rambling log home at dusk and were ushered in to warm ourselves at their huge hearth. Mrs. Randall and her sister, had prepared a wonderful meal and we were completely sated by the time they announced the arrival of their other guests, the Spencers who are planning to build a mill on the south side of the Nation River. William arrived with Corporal Houghton and his friend, Jon Thompson, who brought his fiddle. Soon the woods were ringing with laughter, music and the sound of dancing feet.

I got flustered meeting Corporal Houghton again. We hadn’t seen each other for a few weeks and Arthur’s gossip had had an effect on my attitude towards Charles. I was polite but distant. Charles seemed nervous and pre-occupied. When we finally stood across from one another in the last dance before supper, he whispered, “Please come with me, Miss Adeline.”

Charles clasped my hand in his and led me over to a wooden settee along one wall. Arthur was glaring at us from the other side of the room and I felt the heat rising up my throat to my cheeks. Charles sat down beside me as I fanned my face, but he made no move to take my other hand. Slowly he turned to face me and asked,” Miss Adeline, have I done anything to offend you?”

My heart sank. How could I explain? Charles had ever only been complimentary and a gentleman towards me. Perhaps I had mistaken his intent. Had I presumed too much? Should I tell him that I had listened to Arthur’s gossip? And yet, shouldn’t I give him a chance to explain?

“No, of course not. You have only ever been kind,” I said choking back tears, “but I have been informed that you may not be free to court me, if that is your intention. Do you truly have an attachment to a young woman back home in England.”

Now it was Charles who flushed. His eyes seemed to blaze right through me and suddenly, I was a bit afraid.

“Who was it that told you this lie?” he growled. “I will require satisfaction immediately!’ Charles leapt up. All I could think, was thank goodness our host had relieved all the men of their weapons at the door. Weapons and whiskey do not mix.

“No, please. I should know better than to listen to idle talk. ” I dropped my fan into my lap and took both of his hands in mine.

“You shall not take the blame upon yourself. I have been insulted and you have been misled. The culprit will answer for it!”

“Oh, please, Charles, it must have been a misunderstanding. People are staring. ”

The dancing had stopped and there was absolute quiet in the room.

Charles dropped my hands and straightened up. He looked full into my burning face and said,” Miss Adeline, I am not now, nor have I ever been, involved with any other woman. I am not affianced to anyone. I am completely free to court you if you agree.”

I heard a gasp, and knew without looking that it had come from my mother. William was on the point of crossing the room, when my father, stopped him with a hand and strode across the floor towards us himself. He was clearly shocked by Charles’ declaration.

“Corporal Houghton,” he said, ” I will speak to you outside.”

“Yes, Lieutenant. At once.”

“And you, daughter, will go and help our hostess with the supper.”

Oh, Janetta, you can believe that I hurried to obey. I was aswirl with emotions. Happiness and embarrassment for certain. Mrs. Randall handed me some plates and Evvy winked at me as we set out the midnight meal. Mother was tight-lipped, so I didn’t dare look at her. Thankfully the flute and fiddle music resumed in a lively tune and so did the dancing.

My heart was pounding in my chest and I kept glancing toward the door. Eventually, my father and Charles re-entered stomping the snow off their boots. Arthur was pacing and I didn’t like the way he kept staring at Charles. Robert took his arm and led him away, saying something about checking on the horses.

Charles approached me at the table. He cleared his throat and said,” Miss Adeline, I must apologize to you. I ought to have spoken to your father first. He has informed me that you will not be of age to court until you turn seventeen. I am very sorry to have been so impertinent. I am not to speak to you again about this matter until I have his permission.”

I took Charles’ hand and said quietly that my birthday was in April. “I hope you will come and wish me happy birthday then.”

Charles smiled, squeezed my hand and said,” Indeed I will, Miss Adeline. Then Charles turned to our host and hostess and apologized for creating a scene. They accepted his apology and then he collected his cloak and armaments and left.

And that, Janetta ,was that. Father said no more to me about it and mother seemed relieved. We all ate supper, William was the “first-footer” at midnight as he had gone out with Arthur and Robert to check on the horses. So, according Scottish custom, the Randalls would have good luck in the coming year, as William is both tall and dark-haired. We drank a toast to everyone’s health and also one to brave Sir Isaac Brock. Then we left for home in our sledge with many warm wishes following us. The dancing was still continuing as a few more neighbours had arrived as we left. The woods were silent and cold as we drove home over the rough snow, but the sky was full of stars. It seems to me that 1813 is full of promise.

Hopefully, Adeline.

Adeline’s Journal Part 6 (December 1812)

Adeline’s Journal Part 6 – a fictional account of a young woman during the War of 1812

Saturday, December 5, 1812

Winter has made its appearance. Yesterday we awoke to a rime of frost on the inside wall of our bedroom and a fine dusting of white on the ground outside. Although everything looked like an enchanted land, you can be certain that Evvy and I did not spend long admiring it. We dressed quickly to do our chores. We have heavy woolen stockings and warm woolen cloaks to put on over our day dresses and pinafores. Mother also knitted us some cosy woolen mitts and hats, God bless her. I knit too, of course, but I must admit, I’m not as adept at the skill as is Evvy. She seems to have inherited all of Mother’s homemaking ways. I’m more bookish, Father says, but I am starved for the books to show it. I am good at figures though, and Father says I would make an excellent shopkeeper.

When I went out to the chicken coup the hens were all squatting on their nests with their heads tucked under their wings because of the cold. It was hard to push them off their nests to get the eggs. Henry was watering and feeding the horses and Evvy carried wood into the house for the hearth. We’ve had to double-up on chores since William and Elizabeth were married. Father has a miserable case of rheumatism, but keeps going in spit of it. Mother warms his stockings and shirt near the fire so that it is warm when he puts it on and that seems to help and so does the willow tea.

It was good to come back into the house and warm our toes by the fire. Henry said that there was ise in the water trough and no doubt, there was ice on the pond as well, but it won’t be thick enough to be walked on for some time yet.

Mother gave us breakfast, delicious biscuits, porridge and hot tea. Then she urged us to leave for our visit to Elizabeth so that we would be back before the late afternoon. Father said we needn’t rush as he would drive us there in the wagon and bring us back. We have a sleigh but there is not enough snow yet for it.

Elisabeth and William were glad to see us and brought us all inside for tea and some delicious bread with raspberry jam. William told us that Robert and Arthur Randal had come to visit the day before and brought news that plans for the building of the blockhouse and stockade were complete. More soldiers will be arriving in Prescott soon and building will begin on the fortifications in earnest in the new year. In the meantime, the soldiers, including Charles Houghton, are housed fairly comfortably in one of the two stone buildings in Prescott, but things would become a bit more uncomfortable with more men to accommodate.

William had set up some wooden boards as targets for us to practice our shooting. My aim has improved and this time I actually hit two of the boards and nicked the top corner of the third. Father was very pleased and said I had the makings of a true huntress Diana. Of course, he was teasing me, but he also said that it would be the last lesson as we need to save gunpowder for actual warfare. Elizabeth’s face drained of colour when he said it and I thought she was going to collapse, but William dashed over to her and steadied her as she walked back to the cabin.

One inside, we all had another round of tea and Elizabeth apologized for being so silly.

“I just dread when William must go away,” she said in a quavering voice. “Do you think, Father Price, that I could come and stay with Mother Price, Henry and the girls now and then?”

“Of course, you may, my dear Elizabeth, but I have also been taking to William and I have suggested that perhaps Adeline might stay with you from time to time so that you wouldn’t be so lonely here. What do you think of that?”

I was delighted by the idea although I wondered what Mother would say. Elizabeth was just as pleased as I at the suggestion and we shared an affectionate hug. It was snowing again as Father drove us home.

Thursday, December 17, 1812

Father and William have been away for a fortnight, as a larger contingent of American soldiers has moved into the town of Ogdensburg and their boats have been going up and down the St. Lawrence. It won’t be long now before the river will become impassible because of ice. The open water between the two banks is narrowing already in the cold. Snow is piling up around William and Elizabeth’s cabin, although Elizabeth and I have kept the path to the woodpile, privy and barn clear by shoveling each day. I have been staying with Elizabeth a week Monday past. Between the two of us there has grown a very close comradeship and we are more like real sisters now than friends. I had confided in her about my admiration for Charles Houghton and she told me that she suspects she may be with child. I urged her to tell Mother but she said that because it is her first experience she might very well be mistaken. Elizabeth is very shy. Even so, I have taken on the heavier chores. I felt she should talk to Mrs. Randal who attends all the births hereabouts.

Today, Arthur appeared at the barn. He startled me by coming in quietly while I was putting clean straw in the cow’s stall and then taking the pitch fork out of my hands.

“This isn’t a chore for a woman,” he said.

“I’m not a lady of the manor,” I retorted, “I’ve been doing this since I could hold the pitchfork!”

“Well, you shouldn’t have had to,” he replied as he easily finished the job and pushed Gertrude back into her stall.

“Someone has to do the chores the men aren’t here to do.”

“Robert and I are here today to check in on you and Missus Price, so we can take over for the moment. Your brother asked us to keep an eye on you.”

“That was thoughtful of him, but not really necessary.” I spluttered as I picked up the bucket to get water from the barrel for Gertrude’s trough.”

Arthur grabbed my wrist and muttered, “What is wrong with you, Adeline? You act as if I was poison lately!”

“I just don’t like to be man-handled, Arthur,” I said pushing him away, trying to put the cow between us.

“It’s Houghton. I know you are sweet on him!” Arthur said accusingly. “But he’s a liar, you know. He has a girl back in England.”

I could feel my face heating up so I turned my back on Arthur and walked away.

“Just ask Robert.” Arthur called after me. “Robert saw her picture in his camp chest.”

I kept walking toward the cabin. My head was pounding and I wanted nothing more to do with Arthur Randal. Robert was chopping wood behind the cabin. I could hear him but but couldn’t see him, so fortunately I needn’t speak to him. I pushed open the cabin door and almost stumbled over Elizabeth who was stretched out on the floor.

“Elizabeth, what is wrong?” I cried, lifting her head.

“I think that I fainted,” she said weakly. “I just came back from the privy and my knees just…”

At that moment Robert was trying to push the door open, a load of kindling in his arms.

“Robert, Elizabeth fainted. Can you help me get her into her bed?” I moved away from the door so that he could open it more easily and I heard him drop the wood outside.

He stepped inside and we two helped Elizabeth over the bed, but as we began to help her into it, I noticed blood on her skirt.

“Robert, I think we might need your mother,” I said and he nodded.

“I will send Arthur to get her right away,” he said and stepped outside to find his brother.

Elizabeth clutched my hand and protested, “Oh no, Adeline, please tell Mr. Randal not to bother. I’m sure I am not ill, just a bit tired. Please, they mustn’t bother her.”

“It’s no bother at all,” Robert reassured her as he re-entered the cabin, this time with the wood. He stoked the fire in the hearth. ” Mother is just pining for someone other than Cousin Constance Blaine and Father to talk to . She will happily oblige, I promise you.”

And come she did, ushering her two sons out to the barn while she assessed the situation. She shook off her Irish cloak and bonnet and then sat down beside the bed to talk quietly to Elizabeth while I busied myself at the hearth.

After a few moments she came over to me and bade me make tea for us.

” Just add this to Elizabeth’s cup,” she said handing me a small packet. ” It’s to help Elizabeth sleep after we get her into warm night clothes and have a little chat.”

Regina Randal is a round little sprite of a woman who’s head barely comes to my shoulder, but she has a businesslike presence that is pleasant, but firm so that one always does whatever she asks without question. I prepared the tea, we helped Elizabeth into her nightclothes and then we sat down beside the bed.

Mrs. Randal took Elizabeth’s hand in hers gently. She smoothed her hair back and smiled.

“Thee has no temperature, so that’s a good thing. My dear, thee has had a sad loss that is common to young women just married, but thee and William will have many more bairns in the coming years. Thy wee child was not far along so thee will recover quickly. Just rest now and I’ll be in to check on thee tomorrow. “

She patted Elizabeth’s hand as two large tears slid down my sister-in-law’s cheeks. I squeezed her other hand. How sad for Elizabeth! She begged us both not to tell my brother. I didn’t think it was right but then it wasn’t my secret to tell so I promised.

After Mrs. Randal and her sons left, I prepared a meal for Elizabeth and myself. Elizabeth gulped down some broth, but had no appetite for anything else. She was soon asleep and I wondered what would have happened had I not been there with her and the Randals hadn’t been there to help.

Sadly,

Adeline

Jesse Tree for Christmas

We begin decorating our church Christmas tree every year with just white lights and then add decorations that symbolize the advent themes of Hope (star), Peace (dove), Joy (harps, trumpets, angels) and Love (hearts). The decorations are added by the members of our congregations each Sunday. This year, instead of the Advent themes, I thought it would be good to make our Christmas tree into a “Jesse Tree” – a tree with symbols of the Old Testament and New Testament people who led to the birth of Jesus, beginning with Adam and Eve. I cut out circles of art foam and glued on paper, felt or foam symbols. It is a good reminder of how the prophets and Kings of the Old Testament contributed to the line of David and eventually to the lineage of Jesus. I’m hoping that this will start a new tradition in our church as each Sunday of Advent I have the congregation guess the person that each symbol represents and have the children put the symbols on the tree.

Dolls, Dolls, Dolls!

Dolls, Dolls, Dolls!

Maybe I’ve entered my second childhood…or maybe I never really left my first. Anyhow, I wanted to do something extra for our neighbour’s daughter for her Halloween Treat bag. I printed up some crossword puzzles, search-a-words etc. to put into it. Then I remembered how much I loved playing with paper dolls when I was her age. I decided to make a doll that was a bit more substantial than paper so I cut my doll shape out of an art foam sheet (pink) and glued paper underwear, socks, shoes and halter top to it. I made her hair out of foam too and glued on eyes, mouth etc. Then I made a paper dress which folded over one shoulder with tabs to hold it on, but I also added a small paper clip to keep it secure. I thought she could make clothes for the doll herself using the pattern from the one I’d made. She was very pleased with the doll.

Then I thought I might do the same sort of thing for our foster child in Africa. I thought foam would be light enough to send in an envelope. This time I decided to cover the foam with some felt – a warm light brown. I cut out two pieces of felt to cover the front and back of the doll. I glued them on to the foam with white glue and then I thought I should make it even more secure by stitching the felt to the foam. To dress the doll, I got out my felt scraps and glued, then sewed on the panties, halter top, socks and shoes. I then embroidered on her face. The hair posed a problem, but I solved it by cutting out a black felt pattern and attaching it to the front and back of the figure. To make her dress, I just traced around her, allowing some extra for a small seam and sewed the dress by hand as neatly as I could (sewing machines would be easier). I think it turned out okay.

I was happy with the way the first doll turned out so I made another, this one for one of our granddaughters. I cut out the foam again, this time covering it with beige felt. I made a few improvements. I embroidered on the face before gluing it to the foam. I made the dolls hair out of darn, sewing it to the felt and foam in overlapping layers of loops.

I chose red felt for the dress and cut out a piece for the front and two for the back. I sewed up the sides and shoulders, slipped the doll into it and then made elastic button loops on one side of the dress back and sewed small white buttons on the other. Yellow felt flowers with dark brown centers provided the decoration. I sewed them on. I plan to make another doll for our other granddaughter and hopefully make each doll two dresses. The next project afterwards is to make a boy doll. I’m having such fun making these dolls. I’m thinking of making them fold-up dolls houses out of felt. foam and cardboard. We shall see how ambitious I feel as it gets closer to Christmas.

Autumn’s End

Autumn Joy 2 — Autumn Joy: A collage by Mollie Pearce McKibbon

Autumn’s End

by Mollie Pearce McKibbon October 2012

The golden gowns of Autumn

Are tarnished now and shed

By Octobers scathing winds;

In tatters they are spread.

Scarlet robes vainglorious

Lie trampled underfoot

As bonfires bright burn up the night

Turning all to ash and soot.

The burnished moon of harvest

Is shrunken small and wan,

And all of summer’s singers

Have flown their nests and gone.

Adeline’s Journal: Part 5

Adeline’s Journal: A fictional account of a young woman’s life during the War of 1812.

Friday, Oct. 16, 1812

Oh Janetta,

We almost lost Henry today. It was a terrifying moment that seemed to last hours. Henry has been so brave about it all and Mother won’t stop fussing over him. But, I must tell you this might have happened even if we had not been at war. It was one of the frightful possibilities of this wild country.

Mother and Evvy were making bread at the time. I was pulling turnips from the garden, getting them ready for winter storage. We have very harsh winters here. I heard Henry calling from the barn where he had gone to milk the cow. I dropped my spade and went to see what was wrong. Our barn is just a bit larger than our house and has only two windows, both open to the air, one large for tossing down hay bales and one small. They don’t let in a lot of light, because of the tall trees behind the barn. There are three stalls, one for our two horses and one for our cow. We have a lot of farm implements hanging on the opposite wall or leaning up against it. I could hear Henry, but I couldn’t see him at first.

“Henry, has Molly trod on your foot ?” I asked.

“Get Father’s gun, Addie,” he replied . I still couldn’t see him but I could hear something snarling and Molly lowing.

The horse stalls were empty, because Father had gone to help William cut his hay. He usually kept his gun with him during the day, so I knew there was no use going to look for it. I picked up the pitchfork and walked cautiously towards Molly’s stall. By then my eyes had adjusted to the dimness of the barn and I could see my little brother at Molly’s head, his hand gently stroking her muzzle. There, behind her, crouched with its teeth bared and back bristled, was a tawny cougar.

I have to tell you, Janetta, that I never once thought I was in danger. All I knew was that I must do something to protect Henry. I gripped that pitchfork with both hands and lunged directly at the cat. I fell short of killing it but the fork grazed its ribs and it turned on me furiously, at which point I lunged again, this time more successfully. Hearing the commotion, Mother and Evvy rushed to the barn, in time to see Henry hit the wounded cat soundly on its head with a shovel.

Mother screamed and grabbed Henry. Evvy stood still staring at me in shock. I began to shudder and couldn’t stop shaking. Henry made sure the cougar was dead and retrieved the pitchfork.

Permit me to state, dear Janetta, that I was never so frightened in all my life. Father later said that it was a young cougar, probably half-starved, that had smelled the cow and entered the barn. William thought perhaps it may have been in the early stages of hydrophobia, because cougars usually keep away from mankind. To be on the safe-side, Father and William donned gloves, dragged the cougar away and burned it and the wooden pitchfork.

Later, Father spoke to Henry, Evvy and me very seriously, telling us that he had decided, because he and William might be called away in the militia, we must learn to shoot a musket to protect each other, but because it would upset her, Mother must never know.

I know I shall be dreaming about that cougar tonight. I don’t like to hurt God’s creatures, but I am so thankful that there isn’t yet another grave in the orchard.

Thankfully, Adeline

Sunday, November 1, 1812

Dearest Janetta,

It is much colder now and the frost gets heavier every day. A few snowflakes fell yesterday, but not enough to deter Evvy and me from our weekly visit to Elizabeth. Elizabeth asked Mother if we could come to see her on Saturday mornings as she was very lonely without female company. It is true of course, that Elizabeth does get lonely when William is working in their bush or spending time with the militia, but it is partly to hide from Mother, what William and Father are teaching us, all three of us. It is no problem for Father to teach Henry. It is expected that a son should know how to shoot. I doubt that even Mrs. Randall and her sister, Miss Blaine, would approve of three young ladies learning to shoot a musket. I expect even Charles would be shocked.

However, Father is determined that we become capable of protecting our home from intruders, animal or enemy. William is just as concerned for Elizabeth. In the past few weeks we have learned to load and shoot Father’s and William’s muskets. Shooting is one thing; actually making the musket ball go where it is intended is quite something else. Evvy, Elizabeth and I are improving somewhat, but it has taken some discipline to overcome the tendency to shut one’s eyes when pressing on the trigger. Father says, if nothing else, the noise we make and the shock of seeing a woman with a musket, should scare anything off.

Corporal Charles Houghton, rode up from Fort Wellington, to bring us the latest news of the war. It is very encouraging and yet so very sad. Despite overwhelming odds, General Isaac Brock and his valiant troops met the American forces in the Battle of Queenston Heights and won the day on October 13. Sadly, General Brock was also killed during the hard-fought battle.

Charles said that the flag hung at half-mast for a week at the fort. General Proctor will now be in command of our forces.

Charles has paid me a very kind compliment about my smile. He said it lifted his spirits immensely and that he would be honoured if I would accept a poem he had written in my honour. Of course I thanked him and blushed.

He pressed a very pretty scroll wrapped with a lovely blue satin ribbon into my hands. He asked me not to read it until he had left and so I said I would not. When I did open the scroll, it was addressed to the “Heroine of My Heart” and was praising my killing of the cougar. It made me blush to read such flowery praise. I don’t think William or Father would have approved but no other person shall ever see it, not even Evvy.

Secretly, Adeline.

Adeline’s Journal: Part 4 October 1812

A fictional account of a young woman’s life during the War of 1812.

Sunday, October 11, 1812 Thistledown Farm

Dear Janetta,

It has been a momentous week in the life of the Price family. All week long we women folk have been sewing and cooking. Father and William spent most of the first part of the week working on William’s property, fitting in the cabin windows and finishing off the roof so that it is water tight. Mr. Osteen, the stone mason from Johnstown, is a good friend of Father’s and he built William’s hearth from rocks that William had cleared from his land. William found some flat stones to use as a partial floor for Elizabeth’s cooking area. The rest of the floor is made of wood planks, as our’s is at home. Then Father and William constructed a table and benches. Elizabeth’s father, Mr. Branch, drove up from his farm with a wonderful pine bedstead he had them as a wedding present along with a quilt made by Elizabeth’s two sisters, Susanna and Gwendolyn.

Last Thursday, Mother, Evvy and I went to William’s cabin with the straw mattress we had made them and the set of down pillows made of the eider down Mother had saved. Father helped us take everying there in the wagon. William showed us all the new improvements and he was particularly proud of the andirons and cast iron kettle he had purchased for the hearth.

Mother, Evvy and I had took such pleasure in making everything comfortable and warm. We hung up the curtains Elizabeth had made for the two small windows and put the linens she had sewn on their bed. Our neighbours, the Randalls and their visitor, Miss Blaine, sent over two lovely rag rugs for the cabin floor. Evvy brought out the secret project she worked on most of the summer – a sampler she had cross-stitched on a bleached sugar bag. The sampler reads”God bless this house and all who dwell herein.” She hung it up on a nail over their bed. I had made two pillow cases and trimmed them with some left over material from our new dresses. When Elizabeth saw the results of everyone’s labour she cried happy tears and hugged us. I must say the cabin did look snug and pretty.

I do wish you could have attended the wedding, Janetta. Probably by now you are engaged to some nice gentleman from Waddington or perhaps a soldier away at war with Napoleon. England seems so far away and indeed it is, but our life back there hardly seems real to me anymore. Life here is very difficult and yet, so rewarding.

Saturday dawned bright and clear; the sun shining down through red and gold leaves. Elizabeth was handsomely clothed in a new blue cotton gown with a matching bonnet and coat trimmed in squirrel. William looked so grown-up in his dark green militia uniform. They were married by the Anglican reverend under the most beautiful scarlet maple near their cabin. Afterwards we had a delicious supper and some very happy celebration to the music of a fiddler from Fort Wellington who played some lively reels. Gwendolyn and Susanna sang “The Flowers of Edinburgh” , “The White Cockade”, and “The Gypsy Laddie”. Some of William’s militia friends sang “The Girl I Left Behind” and other army songs. It was very entertaining. Dancing on the forest floor is not like dancing in a town hall, but it can be done carefully so as not to trip on tree roots.

Unfortunately, Charles was not able to attend, this being his watch at the fort, but I did dance with Robert Randall and Charle’s friend, John Thompson. Arthur snubbed me. He monopolized Elizabeth’s sister, Susanna and made a total boor of himself on the cider that Col. Jessup’s family had provided for the occasion. Robert was disgusted with his brother and apologized to my father. The Randall’s were exasperated and I overheard Mr. Randall have harsh words with his youngest son. Finally, Robert had to take Arthur away from the festivities, much to everyone’s relief, and the rest of the party stayed until dusk. At dusk, William carried his happy bride over their threshold and we all went home.

Today, we all got up early and after the animals were fed and other chores done, Father gathered us around the table for our usual Sabbath Bible study and prayers. Then Mother led us in a hymn sing in her lovely contralto voice and we sang as many of the dear old hymns as we could remember. Of course, it’s not like being in the church in Wendover, which I do miss a great deal, especially at Christmas.

Much love,

Adeline

Monday, Oct. 12, 1812

Dear Janetta,

Arthur Randall rode over on his new horse today and made a half-hearted apology to my father and mother. I don’t think Father was very impressed, but Mother has a softer heart and invited him in for lunch. Thankfully, Arthur politely declined the invitation and rode away without so much as a glance in my direction.

How can two brothers be so very different in nature? They certainly look like brothers, both having dark brown eyes (Charles’ are hazel I’ve noticed) and sand-coloured hair and mustaches (Charles is blond), but otherwise they are totally different in character. Robert is a quiet, soft spoken lad with a pleasant smiling disposition while Arthur is given to moodiness and angry outbursts. Robert carefully considers his replies and is more likely to laugh than complain. Arthur is a hard worker and helpful, but blurts out just what he thinks when he thinks when he thinks it with out due consideration to the feelings of others. I simply cannot understand his petulance.

With exasperation,

Adeline

More Clip-on Earrings

Seasonal Clip Earrings — Seasonal Clip-ons

Today my husband and I grabbed our passports and crossed over the bridge from Johnstown, Ontario to Ogdensburg, New York. I was on a mission to find a dress pattern for an 1812 costume and findings for more clip-on earrings. My husband wanted to fill up our gas tank. We headed first to the Joanne store where I was thrilled to discover the very things I was looking for and more. I bought up all the remaining packages of clip-on backs. I was looking for the silvery kind, but only found one package of them. The rest were gold coloured. Then I pored over the buttons and found a bag of pumpkins, two bags of Christmas buttons, a card of two Santa head buttons, some shamrocks and a pretty pair of violet flowers I couldn’t resist. I would have liked to fill up my basket, because there were some cute daisy buttons, some pansies, a bag of snowflakes and one of cute ghosts. As it was, I managed to find a white paint pen that I needed too. The dress pattern took a bit longer but it was in the Burda pattern book as a “Josephine” gown (otherwise known as Regency). I didn’t need material, because I am planning to use an old sheet set that has been sitting in my linen closet. I will post a picture of it when it is finished.

As soon as I got home, I took out my wire cutters and took the loops off the backs of the buttons. Then I heated up my glue gun and went to work making my earrings. The ones pictured above are the result. I am very pleased with how they turned out and can’t wait to wear my pumpkins for Thanksgiving (Oct. 8 here in Canada) and for Halloween.

One of These Things is Not Like the Other

I was inspired to do this drawing one day after falling in love with a photo of a Parisian garden. I love the leaf patterns and the contrast with the deep brown of the soil. After doing this sketch I wondered if I could do something like it in acrylics on canvas. I hemmed and hawed a bit and then decided to try it. The photo below shows the results of my attempt.

As you can see the two pictures do have some things in common, but don’t look exactly like each other. The acrylic painting has a much darker background and fewer flowers. Now I wonder if I had done the painting in gouache or water colours would I have captured the “sunny” aspect better. Which painting do you prefer? Perhaps, I will try to do it again in a different medium.

I’m not disappointed with the results, but they are two different paintings. I didn’t set out to exactly duplicate the drawing, but I didn’t expect the two pictures to turn out so differently.

Thrill of the Hunt

I spent the day doing research for my writing. It took me a while to decide on the question to use to find the resources I needed online but I finally decided on “What weddings were there in Leeds and Grenville in 1812?” To my delight, there was a listing of all the ministers and marriages on one site. I revisited the list of resources and found an even more engrossing amount of information from the Historical Archives in Toronto. There was the complete text of “The History of Leeds and Grenville from 1749 to 1879” as compiled by Thadeus Leavitt. God bless the amateur and professional historians, but even more, God bless the journal and diary writers of the time.

Within the memories of the early settlers was a gold mine of information, including a description of the earliest log cabins and even the method of grinding corn before the coming of grist mills to Eastern Ontario. The method was exhausting and time consuming. It consisted of making a pestle out of ironwood and a mortar out of a hollowed-out log. Eventually, grist mills were constructed, but traveling back and forth to Kingston took a great deal of time and trouble.

Another part of the history, described the basic seeds given to the earliest settlers and the equipment they were given to begin farming. Throughout the manuscript were little gems of information and facts that showed me my ideas were not that far from the facts. For instance, there weren’t many clergy in the area at the time, so couples often had to wait months to marry or go to the magistrates of the county for their ceremonies. Tea wasn’t very available either, so instead the settlers used sassafras, hemlock, and something called, “tea-plant” which I want to find out more about.

Researching is so interesting, especially when finding out about family members and history. My daughter was looking up the family background on my father’s family. We had always been told their names were “Hall” but in looking through my grandfather’s papers I came across a wedding certificate from England giving the maiden name of my paternal great-grandmother as “Alcock”. This fact made all the difference to her research and brought up a mystery as well. I wish one of my ancestors had written in a diary about the name change.

So, if you write a diary or journal pat yourself on the back and please, leave it for your grandchildren. Even if you think that the information is too mundane. Mundane is what historians love. It gives them a window into the culture and concerns of the times. Sure, a journal written by an historic figure is valuable, but even more so are the diaries of “ordinary” people. Besides, there’s no such thing as ordinary when it comes to the stories of people’s lives. Everyone has intrigue and mystery about them, and drama in their history. So, God bless the journal and diary writers! You are rendering a true historical service.

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