Lake Umbagog
1907
August 8
she chatted most entertainingly. I found her very intelligent
and as vivaceous and full of fun as a young girl. She
is of slight build and wiry rather than muscular but as
quick and agile of movement as a school girl. When she
got out of the buggy she made no use of the step nor of my
proffered help but instead rested her finger tips for an
instant on the dasher and then vaulted lightly over the
front wheel. Despite her masculine pursuits she is essentially
womanly, very sympathetic and devoutly religious, with
no trace of the narrow mindedless so common among most
of the regular church goers of this region. Yet she
is a good rifle shot and fond of hunting large game.
She pointed out several spots in opennings on the hillsides
where she had slain Deer within the past few years
and spoke with enthusiasm of a moose hunt which she
was planing to undertake in the Ottowa region of
Canada this coming autumn. As she talked about these
matters her bright eyes flashed and the tinge of red on
her nut-brown cheeks deepened perceptibly. But when
I questioned her closely about the Lake and its surroundings,
half a century ago, she had little to tell me and that
of almost no interest. My final estimate of her was
that while quick-witted, broad-minded, generous-hearted
and singularly wise and practical with respect to business
affairs, she had made, on the whole, but poor use of
her opportunities for general observation and that covering
most matters not directly connected with the occupation of
a farmer or with the pursuit of large game she had
only slight and superficial knowledge and recollection.
But no better example of the hardy, self reliant, resourceful type of
pioneer woman of early colonial times has ever come under  my
personal observation.
Mrs. West