222 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



herself only she had to go down to the Fort to 

 attend the Woman's Aid Meeting." 



Hazel, who was one of the brightest, kindest 

 children I remember in Canada, had offered to 

 stop herself. But I always envy Canadians the 

 power of getting through their household duties as 

 easily as one puts on one's clothes. If I hadn't 

 learned to achieve mine with glory, at least I could 

 get through without shame — in silence. But if 

 conversation was expected of me there was no end 

 to contretemps ; baking-powder went into the 

 gravy instead of flour, salt was in the place where 

 sugar should have been, and everything in need of 

 the temporary process of the oven was completely 

 forgotten until the perfume of its ashes told the 

 tale ; and the teapot could never be found. 



Miss Ryan came in before the dishwashing hour, 

 but she had come from assisting some bachelors 

 through their threshing, and was obviously suffering 

 from severe headache caused by overwork. I 

 dispatched her to my room for rest and sleep, 

 having served the meal of beefsteak and potatoes, 

 scones and stewed apples v^thout mishap. Utterly 

 weary and worn out my guest slept until morning. 

 I had told Roddy McMahon to tell the men on the 

 outfit that they could use the two remaining bed- 

 rooms as they had no caboose and sleeping in 

 granaries is cold and uncomfortable when once 

 frost has set in ; but I hadn't bargained for a 

 guest in my own room. However, the training 

 in my brother's homesteader's shack and its atten- 

 dant tent has often made difficult matters easier 

 to deal with, and I spent the night on my bedroom 

 floor covered with a travelling-rug and an evening 



