|
Edlund, Ontario
June 24, 1929
Dear Mr. Fitzpatrick:
Your brother told me he was writing to you and for me to add a line if I wished. I arrived safely here at 10:30 Sunday night. Your brother and Mr. Burcette were down at the track to meet me. They told me Mrs.Burcette was ill and asked if I would go over. I went over right straight and stayed the night. They got the French doctor out from Kapuskasing, and at 6 in the morning another boy arrived to swell the already numerous family of the Burcettes. I stayed till about ten o'clock and helped to straighten things as far as they could be straightened in that crowded cabin. Our brother came over, we got the trunk, and I settled down in the log house. Mr. Fitzpatrick came over last night for tea. He made pancakes and we had a royal feed.
I started school yesterday and four of the Brissettes came over. We had a big time. We started at two o'clock and school was out at 4:30. We studied arithmetic, geography, and history, went over the alphabet, and got the first six sounds. If the three smallest can't read a little by the time summer's over, I'll be disappointed. They're smart youngsters. Little Marie is quite an artist, or going to be one at least.
Then there were eight today. School overflowed into the other room. Three LeBlancs and some Fontaines came to learn English. My French is just about nil - I've forgotten most of what I did know. But one girl knew enough English to translate me to the others. We got along famously. I think some of them want to study music and there isn't a good elementary book here. I wonder if you could find a book called "Root's Pleasant Hours" in some of the music stores. It's the best beginner's book that I know of. There are enough scribblers here for the present, but I think a few more of the Canada Atlases could be made use of. And they need erasers - all those on the ends of their pencils are worn off. A dozen one cent soft rubber ones would do.
I'm going to teach every afternoon of the five school days, and some nights if anybody wants to come. July 1 is a holiday, and that day Mr. Fitzpatrick and I are going on a jaunt westward. We'll take the team and call on Mrs. Langdon and see about her two girls and some school for them.
Now about the car. Mr. Fitzpatrick and I have talked it over and agreed that we'd be better without it. It would be convenient for us, but all the neighbors would want to borrow it. Brissette, George and Albert all came home from Kapuskasing drunk tonight and nearly tore the Brissette house down. Mrs. B. was quite worked up and almost ill. I went over and by that time things had quieted a bit. It would never do to have a car with fellows like that borrowing it, which they would want to do straight off. So no car for us. A saddle would be very acceptable. George says there may be one in Edlund. We're going to hunt it out July 1st if there is one there. If not, we'll let you know and you could send one up.
Hope this is satisfactory to you.
Yours sincerely,
MARGARET STRANG
Selected Frontier College Letters
|
