Roughing It in the Bush

laughing rogue, and

mile on his lip, wh

reflects the light

low and dark within

e phosophoric glow

point out the r

s by birth, ay, and in mind, too; for a more knowing fellow at a bargain never crossed the lakes to abuse British institutions and locate himself comfortably among despised Britishers. But, then, he had such a good-natured, fat fa

a grant of land in the township of H--. He was the first settler in that township, and chose his location in a remote spot, f

to the site of a town. Well, I guess it's seldom I trouble the spring; and whenever I step that way to water the horse

r was a tem

e did not care a cent, not he, for the King of England. He thought himself as good, any how. But he found that he would have to work hard here to scratch along, and he was mightily plagued with the rheumatics

change agre

that fine orchard, and cleared his hundred acres, and we

his death, that obliged y

large family; and the women critters ran up heavy bills at the stores, and the crops did not yield enough to pay them; and from bad we got to worse, and Mr. C-- put in an execution, and seized upon the who

o with this change?" said I, look

o keep him from sinking outright. When your husband has had as many t

f five years old, dressed in a long-tailed coat and trousers,

-You're wan

t your

l me Uncle Joe. 'Tis a spry chap that-as cunning as a fox. I tell you what it i

and tell her yourself. She has wanted w

his forefinger significantly to the side of his nose, an

king that he could not leave the barn do

put us in possession of the good substantial log dwelling occupied by Uncle Joe and his family, which consis

earty laugh over the strange affectations which people designate here very handsome names. I prefer the old homely Jewish names, such as that which it pleased my godfather and godmothers to bestow upon me, to one of those high-sounding christianities, the Minervas, Cinderellas, and Almerias of Canada. The love of singular names is here carried to a marvellous extent. It is only yesterday that, in passing through one busy village, I stopped

rove up to the door, and Mr. -- alighted, accompanied by a fine-looking, middle-aged man, who proved to be Captain S--, who had just arrived from Demarara with his wife and family. Mr. --, who had purchased the farm of Old Satan, had brought Captain S-- over to inspect the land, as he wished to buy a farm, and settle in that neighbourhood. With some difficulty I contrived to accommodate the visitors with seats, and provide them with a tolerable dinner.

-- agreed to purchase, and asked if w

--, who was discussing his partridge with stoical ind

will force that old witch,

e to stow ourselves

arthest. This is October; Joe will be su

fuses to give

my husband, "she will go out for the sake of a few dollars. By-the-by, she refused to bar the dower when I bought the place;

ng my cloak over my shoulders, and tying on my bonnet without the a

us foliage, glowed in a mellow, golden light. A soft purple haze rested on the bold outline of the Haldimand hills

our future home lay smiled peacefully upoon us from amidst i

a local interest in the spot, springing up in my heart. "How I wish those odious

stick-took up nearly half the domicile; and the old woman's bed, which was covered with an unexceptionally clean patched quilt, nearly the other half, leaving just room for a small home-made deal table, of the rudest workmanship, two basswood-bottomed chairs, stained red, one of which was a rocking-chair, appropiated solely to the old woman's use, and a spinning wheel. Amidst this muddle of things-for small as was the quantum of f

spense with seats. Mr. -- then went up to the old woman, and pro

e ungracious reply. "You have cheated my poor boy out of his goo

could not help your son giving way to drink, and getting into my debt. If people will be s

would say to that? My son was a poor, weak, silly fool, to be sucked in by the like of you. For a debt of eight hundred dollars-the goods never cost you four hundred-you take fro

dred pound

many weeks. Well, I guess, you beat the Yankees hollow. And pray, what brought you here to-

old woman anything in reason to give up the cottage and reside with her son un

lt which is to receive him; and he is not a man to turn his back upon a warm hearth to camp in the wildernes

on promised to go out

head bare? It's neither the first snow nor the last frost that will turn Joe out of hi

exorable; and we were just turning to leave the house, when the cunning

give us possession next

guess you won't g

aid Mr. --, pointing with his cane to the dilapidated walls

week in it-but it is worth that to me, and more nor double that just now to him. But I will not be hard

ou think would be fool enough to give you such an

elf could not deal with you, for I guess he would have the worst of it. What do you say, sir?" and sh

I cannot help myself, and you take adva

d crone, holding out her hard,

on on Monday next; or you might

the help of him," pointing to Mr. --, "you will be able to go alone; but have a care of your teacher, for it's no good that y

will; I never

the poor creature, as a touch of natural feeling softened and agitated her world-hardened heart. "There is not an acre in cultivation but I helped to clear it, nor a tree in yonder orchard but I held it while my poor man, who is dead and gone, planted it; and I have watched the trees bud from year to year, until their boughs overshadowed the hut, where all my children, but Joe, were

to my eyes; but there was no moisture in hers. No ra

that the dead will be held sacred; the

s rough and hard, and they get out of humour with it, and leave it to their hired helps, and then all goes wrong. They are cheated on all sides, and in despair take to the whiskey bott

ly too true. Thank God! the last has

barring the dower. At first, she was outrageous, and very abusive, and rejected all his proposals with contempt

u will sign the papers before the proper authorities, the next

you will need it before I want a si

a black silk of t

y sins, or for the

icing her rejoinder, "at a dollar a yard. Thi

ith you! I neve

-, winking to us. "Well, my dea

elf to and fro in her chair; her eyes twinkling, and her hands moving

nd speculator. "When

t, remember, I'll not sign til

turning to me, he added, with a peculiar smile," That's a

, glad, at any rate, to be in a place of my own, however humble. Our new habitation, though small, had a decided advantage over the one we were leaving. It stood on a

in the stillness of night, always had an extraordinary effect upon my mind. Their ceaseless motion and perpetual sound convey to me the idea of life-eternal life; and looking upon them, glancing and flashin

the stones which choked its passage, were mournful types of my own mental struggles against the destiny which hemmed me in. Through the day the stream still moaned and travelled on,-but, engaged in my novel and dis

s dimensions were much smaller. The location was beautiful, and I was greatly console

llous strength

vine Mother, so long will she remai

ied to that which the condemned criminal entertains for his cel

med to look upon it still as their own, although we had literally paid for it twice over. Fine strapping girls they were, from five years old to fourteen, but rude and unnurtured as so many bears. They would come in without the least ceremony, and, young as they were, ask me a thousand impertinent questions; and when I civilly requested them to leave the room, they would range themselves upon the door-step

s able to drive a bargain and take an advantage of his juvenile companion as the grown-up, world-hardened man. The girl, a gossipping flirt, full of vanity and affe

vision of a Canadian child; while the sight of a dollar, or a new dress, or a gay bonnet, would swell its proud bosom with self-importance and delight. The glorious blush of modest diffidence, the tear of gentle sympathy, are so rare on the cheek, or in the ey

ed, and after making a great preparation, I determined to try my unskilled hand upon the operation. The fact is, I knew nothing

and let out the smoke, which otherwise would have enveloped us like a cloud. I was so busy that I did not

pe you may have to work as hard as I have. I don't see, not I, why y

f yours whether I work or sit still? I never interfere with you. If you took it

pose you Britishers are not made of flesh and blood like us. You don't choose to sit dow

each you to pay a little more respect to those who are possessed of superior advantages. But, Mrs. R--, my helps, as you call them, are civil

ur house; but I'm a free-born American, and I won't go at your bidding. Don't think I came here out of regard to you. No, I hate

and astonished that a woman whom I had never done a

aby to sleep, sitting upon a low stool by the fire. I pointed to the iron upon the shelf, and told the girl to take it. She di

giving me a severe blow upon my knee and foot; and glanced s

ter Ammon burst into a loud laugh. "If it had, Mandy, I guess we'd have cotched it." Provoked at their insolence, I told them to lea

e meadow in front of the house. Joe was out of breath, panting and puffing like a small steam-engine, and his face flushed to deep red wi

retorted the precocious child, as he jumped up upon the top of the

s out of breath, the perspiration streaming down his face. "I

at before," said Moodie.

yself, I know, and as the old cock crows, so crows the young one. It is not h

e mouth of a grown-up person, it is perfectly shocking in a child;

nnot drive oxen and horses without swearing. I dare say that you can sw

take any pains to conceal them. The concealment would infer a feeling of shame; and when people are conscious of the guilt

you can give me a piece of silk for a hood," sai

an it is at present," said I, givin

e, 'I'll live and die under their flag.' So he dragged me from my comfortable fireside to seek a home in the far Canadian wilderness. Trouble! I guess you think you have your troubles; but what are they to mine?" She paused, took a pinch of snuff, offered me the box, sighed painfully, pushed the red handkerchief from her high, narrow, wrinkled brow, and continued: "Joe was a baby then, and I had another helpless critter in my lap-an adopted child. My sister had died from it, and I was nursing it at the same breast with my boy. Well, we had to perform a journey of four hundred miles in an ox-cart, which carried, besides me and the children, all our household stuff. Our way lay chiefly through the forest, and we made but slow progress. Oh! what a bitter cold night it was when we reached the swampy woods where the city of Rochester now stands. The oxen w

and, though rude and uneducated might have been a very superior person under different circumstances-that

f, but, like all her people, was too proud to return a wor

g, or black sewing-silk, to

N

hen settled herself in her chair, and, after shaking her foot awhile, and fixing her pie

r fathe

years ago, when I

r mothe

es

e?" I satisfied

ever marr

he loved her husband too well,

uch notions here. Wh

ho lived upon h

e die

t of his property from b

that. And what brought you out to this poor country-you,

of land, and the false state

like the

fear I ne

lasts; the longer you remain in Canada the less you will like it; and when your money is all spent, you will be like a bird in a cage; you may beat your win

ou draw it from the old country,

oning, I replied, very impatiently, "Mrs. R--, is it the custom in

d, colouring, I believe, fo

evil habit of asking

nd left the house witho

LEIGH

o hear, at e

hearth the slei

bounding ste

one to our

e spring the

rs glow with t

igh-bells, our

to their

ng-dong, o'er

notes are tr

lithely the ga

sleigh o'er th

pass'd the da

now the ice

e light at t

s toilsome jo

gh-bells! My f

o hear the w

ng-dong, o'er

gladness,

mall, and ru

spread the

d springs to

ved and wel

g brow, his t

ing the merry

gh-bells, with

he noisy st

ng-dong, the

s ring his w

-swamp the gau

loud whoops t

rm sweeps in

reaks beneat

ist, with b

lls' distant

gh-bells, with

ss on the e

ng-dong, what

of those j

c in the States. I here give the original copy, written whilst leaning o