The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-08-23
THE PROVINCE MAN,s STORY.


"Yes, I've no doubt that blizzards
are fearful to encounter, but l do not
think they can be much worse than a
downright north-easter of the PROV
ince,N said gray-bearded New Bruns-
wicker to Western man, who had
been relating TO the few passengers of
the steiner plying on the river between
Tobque and st. John his experience of
one of those terrible winter storms
which so frequently sweep down upon
the exposed people of the Northwest.
Il remember one in particular" he
said, ''for it gave me a lameness that's
going to stay by me as long as | live. .
After listening to the Western mans
adventure, we were all anxious to hear
that Of the Province mans, and urged
him to favor us. He at last assented.
81 was eighteen he said, 'that
winter, and tough as young buffalo.
had never been sick, and scarcely
knew what it was to be tired. NV
father was mmberman. He went
into the logging-swamp that winter, to-
ward the head of the Miramichi River,
and left me to take care of the family
"a pretty large one, counting in all
the children. was the Oldest.
"Ihe winters are long in that part of
New Brunswick, and good deal of
snow falls. At that time there were
oGt few settlements, the one nearest to
where we lived being about forty miles
away; so you may know there wasn't
much going back and forth for the
women-folks.
but Tor that matter, there were five
or SIX families living in our settlement,
and will say we used to have some
pretty good times together. We seemed
almost like one family, and when
one was in need Of help the others were
sure to give it. :
:, "One OF our neighbors was Mr..
Moore. He married a Girl who lived in
the settlement next to ours. and ali
ner iolks lived there. In the winter he
worked IN the woods with the rest of
.ne men,and as his children were small,
ne used to hire me TO look after the
house. ''40
We'll, about the middle of that win
ter,Tit was in February, l think-Ma.
uldy, that was Mrs. Moore, rot word
mat her mother was sick, and that, if
Sne wanted to see her alive, she must
60 to her at once.
"Ihe poor woman was nearly frantic
WIN anxiety. Her husband was IN the
WOODS, and she had no way Of rettino
10 her fathers house. I think She had
~. !. sven Sgil,i ner mother for two years.
~ william, said my mother, coming
hone l9e nom the Moore CABIN, where She
mau peen to spin flax and comfort the
to'rO%lng to 10 woman. 4 think you'll have
I'm going at once, mother, T
sa'G, Tor Thought she meant / must 90
~ ~ Mrs. Moere's and attend to the
vha. Nqt that, she replied, surInising
r,,,at MA. 4 was thinking about. you
IIust go to the settlementwith Matildv.
how should | feel if my mother was
wing and could not see herp Now
-. your chores all done up tonight. so
igb,O Oan 1,,i start IN the morning BY day
nsne nSno III sec tothings' while you're
..,p ssf{a lan EfVf
ob;,st but what's to be done with the
o".iuren. ,s, asked. lss si!iS .13gl
until N.Y. ny re coming, to stay with me
el.ii M Matlldy gets back
w;,s oosls was settled that / should 90
~, san MIS-. Moore, and if she did not
lh.ay more than a dav or two. / was to
enai T her homee Tie sky had threat
al storm for a number of davs.
mo.ai 11 expected to get up the next
y and sec a snow-storm. But
~ was bitter cold ,no,-,,;,,l -. -,tJ
20, - snow then, though t6e slSv sy.s was
enousb ,ay and heavy, showing plainly
snow snat there'd be a heavy fall Of
warmer. 'ne weather was
and :. s,aI dlon't take long to get the horse
moosa r saeI 81 ready, and putting on father s
Ss-sAln ear,.,.; coat, we started, Matilda
varying her baby, that was not more