"He and the Indians at least feel grieved for our departure," I
thought. Love is so scarce in this world that we ought to prize it,
however lowly the source from whence it flows.
We accomplished only twelve miles of our journey that night.
The road lay through the bush, and along the banks of the grand,
rushing, foaming Otonabee river, the wildest and most beautiful of
forest streams. We slept at the house of kind friends, and early in
the morning resumed our long journey, but minus one of our party.
Our old favourite cat, Peppermint, had made her escape from the
basket in which she had been confined, and had scampered off, to
the great grief of the children.
As we passed Mrs. H - -'s house, we called for dear Addie. Mr. H - -
brought her in his arms to the gate, well wrapped up in a large fur
cape and a warm woollen shawl.
"You are robbing me of my dear little girl," he said. "Mrs. H - - is
absent; she told me not to part with her if you should call; but I
could not detain her without your consent. Now that you have seen
her, allow me to keep her for a few months longer?"
Addie was in the sleigh. I put my arm about her. I felt I had my
child again, and I secretly rejoiced in the possession of my own.
I sincerely thanked him for his kindness, and Mr. S - - drove on.
At Mr. R - -'s, we found a parcel from dear Emilia, containing a
plum-cake and other good things for the children. Her kindness never
flagged.
We crossed the bridge over the Otonabee, in the rising town of
Peterborough, at eight o'clock in the morning. Winter had now set in
fairly. The children were glad to huddle together in the bottom of
the sleigh, under the buffalo skins and blankets; all but my eldest
boy, who, just turned of five years old, was enchanted with all he
heard and saw, and continued to stand up and gaze around him. Born
in the forest, which he had never quitted before, the sight of a
town was such a novelty that he could find no words wherewith to
express his astonishment.
"Are the houses come to see one another?" he asked. "How did they
all meet here?"
The question greatly amused his uncle, who took some pains to
explain to him the difference between town and country. During the
day, we got rid of old Jenny and her bonnets, whom we found a very
refractory travelling companion; as wilful, and far more difficult
to manage than a young child. Fortunately, we overtook the sleighs
with the furniture, and Mr. S - - transferred Jenny to the care of
one of the drivers; an arrangement that proved satisfactory to all
parties.
We had been most fortunate in obtaining comfortable lodgings for the
night. The evening had closed in so intensely cold that although we
were only two miles from C - -, Addie was so much affected by it that
the child lay sick and pale in my arms, and, when spoken to, seemed
scarcely conscious of our presence.
My brother jumped from the front seat, and came round to look at
her. "That child is ill with the cold; we must stop somewhere to
warm her, or she will hardly hold out till we get to the inn at
C - -."
We were just entering the little village of A - -, in the vicinity of
the court-house, and we stopped at a pretty green cottage, and asked
permission to warm the children. A stout, middle-aged woman came to
the sleigh, and in the kindest manner requested us to alight.
"I think I know that voice," I said. "Surely it cannot be Mrs. S - -,
who once kept the - - hotel at C - -?"
"Mrs. Moodie, you are welcome," said the excellent woman, bestowing
upon me a most friendly embrace; "you and your children. I am
heartily glad to see you again after so many years. God bless you
all!"
Nothing could exceed the kindness and hospitality of this generous
woman; she would not hear of our leaving her that night, and,
directing my brother to put up his horses in her stable, she made
up an excellent fire in a large bedroom, and helped me to undress
the little ones who were already asleep, and to warm and feed the
rest before we put them to bed.
This meeting gave me real pleasure. In their station of life, I
seldom have found a more worthy couple than this American and his
wife; and, having witnessed so many of their acts of kindness, both
to ourselves and others, I entertained for them a sincere respect
and affection, and truly rejoiced that Providence had once more led
me to the shelter of their roof.
Mr. S - - was absent, but I found little Mary - the sweet child who
used to listen with such delight to Moodie's flute - grown up into a
beautiful girl; and the baby that was, a fine child of eight years
old. The next morning was so intensely cold that my brother would
not resume the journey until past ten o'clock, and even then it was
a hazardous experiment.
We had not proceeded four miles before the horses were covered
with icicles. Our hair was frozen as white as old Time's solitary
forelock, our eyelids stiff, and every limb aching with cold.
"This will never do," said my brother, turning to me; "the children
will freeze. I never felt the cold more severe than this."
"Where can we stop?" said I; "we are miles from C - -, and I see no
prospect of the weather becoming milder."
"Yes, yes; I know, by the very intensity of the cold, that a change
is at hand. We seldom have more than three very severe days running,
and this is the third.
