Winter Festivities 



split a match. I occupied myself with cooking, 

 baking, washing, and in many other ways. We 

 could not afford the luxury of a heater, which 

 would have kept in all night and have main- 

 tained our shack at a moderate temperature. 

 Our cooker, however, baked our bread well, and 

 served to keep us warm while it was under way, 

 and if our breath did freeze on our blankets, we 

 were usually snug when between them. 



Dances at one or other of the neighbouring 

 sehoolhouses were of common occurrence, and 

 on such occasions the company would assemble 

 early in the evening dressed in their Sunday best, 

 and coming with teams from far and near, as to 

 the grain growers* meeting. Naturally there was 

 a greater proportion of women than at the former 

 gathering, and with them came the children ; 

 and as such festivities are usually kept up all 

 night, a sort of common bed of furs, coats, and 

 wraps is made up for the youngsters in a quiet 

 corner. Sometimes such a dance is given by a 

 newly married couple, who are ** shivareed " (ragged) 

 into it, sometimes by a bachelor, and a distinctive 

 feature of a Canadian dance is the calling-off. 

 The caller-off is a sort of master of the ceremonies, 

 and should have a good voice and a turn for 

 humorous impromptu recitation. A really good 

 caller-off adds immensely to the go of square 



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