THE FIRST PROBLEMS 79 



partings. On Saturday morning, the day of rest, when 

 the train left, the station would be black with young 

 and old. There was great curiosity to see people go 

 and come, and to witness affectionate embraces, often 

 accompanied by tears, before departure. No wonder, 

 then, that once, when I was seated in the train, a lady 

 approached me and asked me whether all the people 

 who were bidding such affectionate good-byes were 

 leaving for the "other side," never to return? Her 

 amazement was great when I told her that to my knowl- 

 edge most of them were coming back on the same 

 train that evening; though some might not return for 

 a few days! 



There were, by this time, a great many children of 

 school age amongst us. An old two-story house on 

 the south side of the railroad was equipped with all 



the necessary school furnishings, and Miss H , 



a native of Dennisville, was engaged as teacher. So 

 the first Woodbine public school came into being. 

 A night school was opened in connection with it, to 

 teach the older folks English, the bookkeeper in the 

 office becoming the first instructor. 



The first public school teacher had rather a hard 

 time of it, as a number of the pupils were immigrants, 

 newly arrived, and teacher and children spoke differ- 

 ent languages. We might have engaged a teacher of 

 Russian descent, with the result of enabling teacher 

 and pupils to understand one another's speech, and 

 simplify the work. But so earnest was my husband's 



