24 



and this Avns rioidlv enforced. In order, too, that diners 

 shoiihl not drink too nincli. or *;et under tlie table, only a 

 certain <inantity of liipior conld he furnished. In both cases 

 wise provision. 



It was not. with these old parishioners, all work and no 

 ])lay, for they had amusements in abundance, they had their 

 fishing ]»arties, their ('a]»e ])arties, their hunting' parties, 

 and jud<iing from the ball-rooms in some of the old houses, 

 they could not, at least, the young ])eoi>ie. have disdained 

 (!ancin<i-. A great custom of these days was to have dinner- 

 parties, partaken of by all the surrounding neighbors. 



Those that were fond of horse-racing, would go up to 

 IMneville, where was a fine track, and the best horses in the 

 country were raced once a year, and the jollity ended, usual 

 iy, with some kind of entertainment. 



Some of these horse-lovers must have had racing in this 

 I'arish, too, for a few miles above 82 Mile House, on tlie 

 "Blue-House tract," is the remains of a course. 



Ky whom built or used is now lost in the mist of time. 

 1 have heard that Dr. Cordes had said that a man by name 

 of Cox once kept the "32 House," and that he was a man 

 of s])orting pi-oclivities. It is i)robable that he might have 

 had something to do with the laying of it out. 



We do not know positively who lived at this "lilue 

 house." but I think Mr. Bonneau owned it at one time. The 

 house evidently took its name from being painted with In- 

 digo, as was one in St John's, which was so called from this 

 fact. Heniust have been a wealthy old fellow to use pain< 

 costing from $1.50 to f2 per pound, the then price of 

 Indigo. 



Of ironllrs and trials, tin se old people befo^^ our d^iy 

 haid a plenty, but they gave not away to repining or de- 

 sjtai]', bul went to work manfully to meet poverty and dis 

 asler \vi^h undaunted front, or we would not today be 

 enjoying the fruit of their good works. Of storms, of fresh- 

 ets, of loss of croj)S, they had an abundance, and after the 

 Revolutionary War they were in sore straits of poverty; 

 their staple crops. Indigo and rice, almost worthless. Cot- 

 ton not yet a paying crop, they had hard times to make ends 



