by Chris Evans | May 21, 1908 8:42 pm
Poplar Grove, Saskatchewan
May 21st, 1908
Dear Cousin May,
Your welcome letter was received some time ago, but there is so much to write about that I never feel like undertaking the answer. I could write a full letter every day, but perhaps they would soon be too wearisome to read.
Your description of the tea party, or rather of the children’s remarks, was delightfully natural; my brood have grown up, SO those experiences are done with them. I have a white oil-cloth on my kitchen table, it is very easily washed, and newspapers save some of the washing of it. We seldom use a tablecloth when there is no company, and have only the kitchen to eat in, and but one table in the kitchen, so the white oil-cloth is clean and easily kept clean. Nearly every-one in the West has the same conveniences and inconveniences. I would think I had a small washing if only 100 pieces, and I wash every week, but I never iron. I expect I have a coarser wash, just four or five sheets, from 8 to 12 pillow-cases, perhaps 2 doz. towels, sometimes a table-cloth, a few serviettes, then underclothing of all descriptions and SOCKS, from 10 to 20 pairs, the men on the land get so much earth in their boots, such black earth! however it washes out easily; getting soft water to wash with is our greatest trial and drawback, the water in the wells is alkaline and so are the sloughs when it is a dry season. It rained last August, and then never again till last of April, but we had a little snow not very much in the winter. We had a snow-storm when you did in England (I read in the papers) and now we are having a mild one again. I have my three tubs out.
I scraped up clean snow to fill them, now if I can keep the water clean till Monday, we will have nice water, the slough water is so yellow it turns green when we put bluing in! Janet and Amy iron things that just have to be done, tablecloths, serviettes, handkerchiefs and their own shirtwaist blouses. Do you know, they wear thin wash shirtwaist blouses all winter?
I just leave the men’s heavy underwear out in the frost till they nearly freeze dry if it takes a week, it is so troublesome drying them in one room. If we should bring the clothes in when it is very cold, the clothes are frozen so stiff they break. I put three cups of beans in a three quart saucepan, cover with cold water, set in a cool place till next day; put them on to boil for one or two hours, put in half a cup of sugar, quarter tea spoon of pepper, heaping tea-spoon dry mustard, a piece of salt pork or bacon the size of a slice of bread off an ordinary loaf, then pop in oven and bake as long as possible, but always while boiling and baking keeping covered with hot water, cooked uncovered. Nearly everyone likes them.
Mr. Cairns always helps me wash bed-clothes, I have to wait till the seed is all in before he has time, and anyway it is useless to wash the bedding till the land is seeded, they carry so much earth to bed, and we have as much on our beds now as in winter; we wash the bed clothes outdoors with the washing machine – 50 blankets and quilts. We are waiting for time, health and weather to begin housecleaning. Last week time failed us, this week the weather failed. We have to white-wash walls and ceiling of the whole house, it is horrid work, whatever hired man we have usually does it. John broke two bones in his right hand and sprained the thumb and fore finger about five weeks ago, he was leading a colt out of the barn and thoughtlessly would the rope around his own wrist as he came out the door, some boys were standing there and one of their hats blew off, frightened the colt, who dragged John down against a post, and so on; he is beginning to use it again now.
We all enjoyed your letter, and thought it very interesting. Poor Maggie! those abominable headaches. I used to suffer from them, but now I never do, one of the consolations of my advanced years. We do all have excellent health.
Mr. Dickie has a partner promised, Janet wears an engagement ring again. The young man she was going to marry in Barney’s River died of blood-poisoning last summer, I am much better pleased with her choice this time, she gives up her school the first of July. Amy gave up hers the first of May, because she thought I needed her. I did need someone, but when they can earn $50 a month, I think I would need a long while before I would ask them to give it up; $50 a month and board $10 a month. Tom wants to be a teacher, a man gets $60 for the same grade; our Montgomery teacher is a boy of nineteen and gets $60. Our washing dries now in a few hours.
F. Gravener buys eggs from me now, he gets three doz. every two weeks. We are expecting a man from near Regie Pyne, Wilmot Wragham, I think is the name. We expected lots of men but as usual none came. We had terrible prairie fires this spring all day Easter Sunday Mr. Cairns and the boys were ploughing fire guards and fighting fire, even I went out with my broom! a broom is the very best thing to brush out a fire. Bob and Janet have been out to tea the last two afternoons after school. Bob mournfully says it was more trial than a refreshment to eat at stranger’s houses, because they used so many plates.
With love to all I remain your affectionate cousin
Alice Cairns
Thank you so much for writing me the little chatty neweses.
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