Dear Canada: A step back in time

From A Season for Miracles: Twelve Tales of Christmas

Friday, December 7

One week before Grandma Forrest arrives, and I am to Watch My Manners. My first lesson was this morning.

"You're a young lady now, Kate," says Mama. "No more slamming of doors and stomping your foot when you don't get your own way."

Have I been doing that?

"No more of your ill-mannered curses."

But "Hell's Gate" isn't a curse, it's a real place.

"No more of your talking back."

Being Mama, she says this in the nicest possible way, without a flutter of impatience or anger. If only I could be like her, a saint! Life would be so much easier.

"No more bursting into tears at the dinner table. Grandma will think you're suffering from hysterics."

Like last night? I couldn't help it! As for hysterics, why shouldn't I suffer, now that I'm burdened with the womanly chores of housekeeping, cooking and baby-minding? Worst of all: "I'd rather you didn't mention to Grandma that you want to be a newspaper reporter. It isn't seemly for a young woman."

Hell's Gate and Galoshes! Is there anything I can do to please Grandma Forrest? And where, oh where is my ring??

Saturday, December 8

Small Victory for Kate: Three Entries in a Row!Put on galoshes and mackinaw and took Sheba for a vigorous walk along the railway tracks. And since no one besides Sheba could hear me, I gave full voice to my out-of-sorts temper and RAILED — mostly in the tunnels, and mostly over Mama's List of Manners. OHH! It felt good to behave in a hysterical, unladylike manner for once, By the time I got home I was a sorry sight, as drenched and muddy as Sheba, but it was worth the scolding.

Sunday, December 9

Papa left after Sunday dinner. He told me my ring would turn up as soon as I stopped looking for it. He meant well, but it did not cheer me up.

Tuesday, December 11

Mary is two months old today. Kate is two months short of sleep.

Thursday, December 13

A storm of activity has swept through our house. As soon as Toby and I got home from school, Mama put us to work preparing for Grandma Forrest's arrival. Out came the boxes of Christmas decorations, up went the garlands. Toby started putting up the cedar boughs we'd cut yesterday, while I arranged the nativity scene on the mantle.

After supper I helped Mama with more Christmas baking, then made some pomanders by sticking cloves into oranges. I hung three in my bedroom.

I was about to start my homework when a horse and wagon pulled up outside our house. Rusty! His mother is lending us a cot, since I'm going to let Grandma have my bed. Rusty set it up for me, and said my bedroom smelled just like Christmas.

He brought us some bad news. A big slide east of here wrecked a part of the railway line and blocked the wagon road with tons of rock. It happened this morning, and won't be cleared for another few days. So Papa won't be home tomorrow.

Mary was quiet as a lamb all evening.

From Dear Canada: A Season for Miracles, copyright © 2006 by Julie Lawson.