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The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the kind consent of the following institution: National Library of Canada L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grSce d la gdnirositd de I'dtablissement prdteur suivant : Bibliothdque nationale du Canada Maps or plates too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper Inft hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartas ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul clich6 sont film^es d partir de Tangle sup6rieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 rrata to pelure, n d n 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 ^^..«_r — .--f— ' V f /^/. AMONG THE FOREST TREES OR, HOW THE BUSHMAN FAMH.Y GOT THEIR HOMES. liElNi; \ HOOK OK FACTS AND INCIDKNTS OF PIONF.F.R LIFE IN UPPER CANADA. ARRAN(;F.D IN THlv FORM OF A STORY. nv TIIF. RF.V. JOSKPH H. HILTS, Anther of " Kx,.orioii..cH of a Backwoods Preacher," etc. TORONTO: PRINTF.n FOK THE AUTHOR BY fVILLIAM J3RIGGS, 78 & 80 KING STREET EAST. 1S88. T Entered, according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand elpht hiindred and eighty-eight, by Rkv. Joseph H. Hii.tm. in Ok Office of the Minister of Agriculture, at Ottawa. BY jpcdtcatloii TO THF DESCKNDANTS OF TIIOSF. RRA\"F. MF.N AND WOMF.N WHO BRAVEl") THE DANCERS, FACFH ruK Dill icri/riKs, endl'red the hardships AND SCFKERED THE PRIVATIONS OF PIONEER I. IKE IN THIS OPR NATIVE PROVINCE, THIS BOOK IS RF.SPECTFl'Ll.Y DEDICATED. AND THE AITHOR INDUI,(.ES I HE HOPE THAT ITS PROniMTION AND I'ERITSAl, MAY BE THE MEANS OF CAUSING HOIM WRITER AND READER MORE HIGHLY TO APPRECIATE THE BOON SECURED TO THEM BY THE NOBLE EFFORTS OF THE EARLY HOME BUILDERS OF OUR COUNTRY. '' ' rji iNTEODuanoN DVERSE criticism has sounded the deatli-knell of so many literary productions, that I felt many misgivings when 1 sent out my tirst book, " Ex- Iperiences of a Backwoods Preacher,'' to seek a, place in the arena of Canadian literature. But the favorable comments lof tiie Press, and the hearty commendations of hundreds of [the readers of these " F]xperiencps," have encouraged me [to try find produce a work that would be more worthy of Ipublic favor than my tirst effort can claim to be. Acting on the advir^e of persons of large experience in the book trade, I have written "Among the Forest Trees," in the form of a story. The book is really a narrative of facts and incidents, around wliich the imagination has been :)ermitted to throw some of the draperies of fiction. But bi'uth is none the less true because some fancy pictures are found in its surroundings. A good piece of cloth is no less .valuable because, by coloring, it is made beautiful. And il though a man may be as good a man in an outfit made j)f sail-cloth, or of an Indian blanket, as he would be if he /ere dressed in the finest production of the weaver's and |he tailor's art, yet no one will say that he would be just Ls presentable in the one case as in the other. So facts may become more impressive, when nicely clothed. In writing the following pages, three things have been [ept steadily in view. 1st. The facts and incidents must e substantially true, 2nd. All the drapery and coloring VI iNTODnrc^TioN. must he in strict harmony with piuo nioralitv, and with the dpiiiands of a sound religious sentiniont. 3rd. And the wholo must ho illustrative of pioiK^er life, in its conditions and surroundings, and calculated to show something of the toils, privations, hardships, ditKculties and sorrows of the early settlers. Keeping within these limits, 1 believe that I have produced a book that can with entire safety, and not without profit, Ije put into the hands of either young or old, since there is not one line from the beginning to the ending that will excite bad passions or mislead the judgment. And while this is true, there is much that will toucii the finer sensi- bilities and sympathies of the i-eader. It will be observed that the author has recorded the narrations and conversations as though they were the utterances of others. Hence the first pei'son is generally left in the background. This method was adopted, because by it a great variety of characters could be brought on the scene, and a larger diversity of style could be presented. Another thing to which I would call the reader's atten- tion is the fact that dates and localities have mostly been left out of the text of the book. Where these are given they are found in the explanatory notes. This plan was adopted to atibrd greatei* facilities for grouping together facts and incidents, that were separated by time and distance, so as to give an aspect of unity to the whole production. The reader will also observe that the names of persons and places are mostly taken from trees and shrubs and plants and flowers, as these are found in the forest wilds. It may be a mere fancy of mine ; but I thought that it would add to the attractiveness of the book, if the names found in i treated of John Hi means a ti lived, i woi almost ul)ii the questio to say wh< neigliborho( tirst woman Another vai-ied char; pages, there tioned in th if they are n are not relijj writing that good, in hui far as mysell lip left to do And now the thousan( came to thi wonderful el continue in t on the part c that the bra unless some i to the future But vei'v fi to gain from pioneer life. frontier soon INTKOnurTION. Vll found in it coinrirled, as far as possible, M'ith the subject treatf^d of in its pa^es. John iiusliinan is i\ ticrtitious name. But lie is by no luciins a fictitious character. If you asked me wliere he lived, i would answer, you mi^dit as well try to confine the almost ubitjuitous John Smith to one locality, as to settle the (jue.stion where John Bushman lives, or more properly' to say where he don't live. Every township and every neighborhood have, at some time, had their first man and first woman, their John and Mary Bushman. Another thing that is to be noted is this : among the varied characters, and diversitied actions described in these pages, there is not a wicked act, nor a vicious per.son men- tioned in the whole book. All the actors are strictly moral it' they are not pious, and all the actions are virtuous if they are not religious. I have no sympathy with that style of writing that gives more prominence to the bad than to the good, in human character. Therefoi'e 1 resolved that, so far as myself and my book are concerned, the devil shall he left to do his own advertising. And now as to why the book has been written. Since the thousands of refugees, known as the U. E. Loyalists, came to this country a little over a hundred years ago, wonderful changes have been effected. And these will continue in the future. Tn the race for ease and opulence, on the part of the people of this country, there is danger that the brave p'oneers and their works may be forgotten. iniless some records of their noble deeds are handed down to the future. But very few persons had Vjetter facilities than the writer to gain from personal experience a practical knowledge to pioneer life. Both of my parents were born on the Niagara frontier soon after the Loyalists came to this country. I hi t f * VUl IMTKODUCTION. wiis but tliret' yc.'irs old when my fatlii-r cut lii.s Wiiy to his shiiuty throuj,'h seven inilpsof unbroken wilderness; and tivc sevenths of my wlioh; life have been s])ent Jinio.;;^ pioneer s(!ttlers. So tluit if a personal knowled<;e of the thin<,'.s written al)Out be of any advantage, I have that knowledge. One word n)ore. To those readers who, like myself, make no claim to elassieal learning, 1 wish to say that I have tried to pi-oduce a book that would at the same time both please and instruct you. How far my ellbrt has been suc- cessful can be decided only after you have read it. To my scholarly readers, if I should be so fortunate as to secure any such, I wish to say, Don't u.se a telescope in searching for defects; you can see plenty of them with the naked eye. And when you Hnd them, which no douht you will, don't be too severe witli your criticisms. But remember that the writer never saw the inside of a coUecp in his life. Remember that he never attended a hi(jh school until he went as a member of a school board to settle a rumpus among the teachers. And remember that he never had twelve months' tuition in any sort of school. His book- learning has been picked up by snatches of time and while other people slept. No, don't be too sevei-e in judging, nor too quick in condemning. Please don't ! J. H. H. Octohrr 7, 1S^8. ClIAHTEIl (/'oriiii .■\t( ChaI'IKK I Ihwi po- Chai'tkh 1 Till- I) !l I ClI.M'TKK I J oil II }l S(ii ("HAI'TKK \ A 'I C'UAi'TKK V Treed Cha CHAnKH V Tlie Ui ("llAPTKK V^: VVillian Poel Chai'TER O Migrate a Cc Chai'Ter X. A Wife plori Chapter X] Hcinloel Motl Chapter XI The Thi ~Vo. Chapter XI Threshlr Wild TABLK OF CONTEiNTS. lile nor Chapter I. —Found by Sohvkyoks (Ndiiriiciiciiit; Life -Till' Littlt! Sluiiily Sylvan Lake Hiiiulay MoriiinK Alone with Nature aiul with Ood. Chaitick II. TiiK RoAh Makkks - - ... UiHT and WolvcH Solilndti HousekeeiJinK Mr. Koot'.s I'ro- po.sal 'I'he Travoy The TogKled Chain. ("llAl'TKH III. HoCSK-BlMLDI.NCi The Dinner I'oe'ie Ktfusions A Ueniiniseonco— Wants to he a I'oet A Surprise, I'liAi'TKii IV.- A I'aktnkk FoUM) John Makes a Discovery Asking Consent Conung Home - .Squire Myrtle— -\ Glad Mother. ("iiAi'TKR V" —An Old-Timk. Wkddini! lilunders -Practical Courting— A Wedding Sister Holsy A Thrilling Tale-A l»lucky Hoy. C'uAi'TKK VI. -Talk About Wolvks Treed by Wolves -Good Luck Wolf Scalps and Bread Chasing the Deer— The Last Jtace. C MAin-KR VII.— Some Oral History The United Empire Loyalists- Tho Gourley Trial A He- fogged Jury— A Harsh Verdict— A Cruel Sentence. ClIAHTKtt VIII.— PrePAKINO TO MoVE William Hriars— lafe's Realities— Friendly Offerings— Betsy's Poetry— The Old Man's Story Little Bright Eyes. Chapter IX. — Homeward Bound Migratory Waves— Moses Moosewood's Resolve— Picture of a Court— Take a Gun Along— A Mother's Vision. Chapter X.— Some White (tipsies A Witch Story— Backwoods Welcome- Housekeeping— Ex- ploring the Premises— Forest Aristoci'ats. Chapter XI, — Clearing Land Hemlock Compass — Poor Grip's Fate — Log Rolling — A Mother-in-law's Question— Philosophers in Petticoats, Chapter XII. — Sowing and Reaping The Three-square Harrow— Tests of Character— Post OtHccs —Forty Miles' Walk— A Letter- Plenty of News, Chapter XIII, — Harvesting the Crop .... Threshing-flooi-s- Skilful Housekeeper — Beavers— Gathering Wild Fruit— Finding a Dutcliman— A Fawn. ■AOR II 22 34 58 72 86 99 115 128 141 155 168 -#.' OONTKNTS. CHAiitB XIV.— Makv Kinds a Friend . . . . Being Isolateil A Glad Siiriirinc Canadian Girls (^art \Taking Dr. Ashgrovo rndorhriisliing. OUAVTKK X\'. WiNTKK IN TIIK WoOD.s . . . . Threeliing ('loaning White Gaps Ivatrina !VIixnd>H) Droanis .Fohn Goes to .Mill Killing Veni.son. Chapter XVI. — Vi.sitoks a.nd C;allkr.s . . . . Familiar Faeus Harkvvoods I'olite Woman's IntuitioiiH— Making .Sap-Troughs The Hig Ston -Trough. Chapter X\'II. -Sr»MK-MAKiN 261 274 287 3O0 313 320 331) 354 360 AM( Shaded spread ovi on t,he d behind th uninviting betook the before the: . ;-#■ AMONG THE FOREST TREES •23J '24S Chapter I. •261 274 •287 300 313 I 326 1^54 m FOUND BY SURVEYORS. NUMBER of men were on their way to lay out some townships in the unsurveyed parts of Upper Canada. While passing through the rear range of the surveyed townships one day about noon, they came to a beautiful spring of water that issued in streams of refreshing coolness out of a ledge of rocks that arose on one side of a valley through which ran a large creek, whose waters were making their way to Lake Ontario. Being weary and hungry, they stopped for dinner. Shaded by the thick branches of the hemlock, which spread over them like a protecting canopy, and resting on the dried leaves that passing seasons had left behind them, making a couch that was by no means uninviting to weary limbs and jaded bodies, they betook themselves to the task of demolishing the food before them as only hungry backwoodsmen can do. a ,t' ' 12 AMONC; THE FOREST THEES. They were too intent on taking their dinners to spend any time in unnecessary talk. The stillness that reigned around was only broken by the murmuring sounds that came from the creek that ran but a short distance from them, and the gentle rippling of the spring that issued from rocks just beside them. While they were busily engaged in satisfying the demands of appetite, they were startled by the sound of an axe not far from where they were. " What is that ? " came from two or three at once. They all listened. Sure enough, there was distinctly heard the blows of a man chopping. Every doubt was soon removed by the falling of a tree in the direction of the sound of the axe. Although they were seven or eight miles from any settlement, it was evident that some one was working near by. They resolved to find out what he was doing, and who he was. Accordingly they went to the place. There they found a young man of about twenty-one or two years of age, with his coat ott' and his sleeves rolled up, swinging an axe with as much dexterity as though he had been accustomed to that sort of work all his life. " What are you doing here ? " said one of the men, after a few friendly words had been spoken. " Commencing life in the backwoods," was his quick I reply. " I have no house, as yet, to invite you into, nor have I any chair to ofFer you. But both the! house and the chair are on the list of thino-s that I hope for in the not very distant future. - But, in the meantii and res " Hoi come fi' " I h( the vici " Hov " Two from tl bought t " Is it " Yes ; two hun "Do y life ? " w{ " A ma degrading so," said i liis vest p " That man. " £ costs to h( you know bored Ian* it ofi" meai more, and so that ev weeks of \ " Yes," r hII of that. hi the tov FOUND BY SURVEYORS. 13 meantime, make yourselves as comfortable as possible, and rest for awhile." " How long have you been here, and where did you come from ? " asked the foreman of the company " I have been here just one week, and I came from the vicinity of the " Falls." " How much land have you here ? " " Two hundred acres. One hundred I got as a ofrant from the Government, and the other my father bought and gave it to me." " Is it all good land ? " " Yes ; there is not an acre of useless land on the two hundred acres." " Do you think that you shall enjoy this sort of life ? " was asked by one of the men. " A man can enjoy almost any sort of life that is not degrading nor sinful, if he makes up his mind to do so," said the young man, as he took a small stone from his vest pocket, and began to whet his axe v/ith it. " That seems like sound philosophy," said the fore- man. " But have you made an estimate of what it costs to hew out a homestead in the wilderness ? Do you know that to chop an acre of this heavily tim- bered land means six days of hard work, and to clear it ort' means three days more, and to fence it, two days more, and another day to sow and harrow in the seed, so that every acre you put into crop will cost two weeks of hard work." " Yes," replied the other, " my father has told me all of that. He cleared up the farm he still lives on in the township of Pelham. He says that , clearing 14 AMONG THE FOREST TREES. land is hard work. But he says, too, that not very much can be honcdly j?ot in this world without hard work." " Are you married ? " This question was put by a young man who had recently Vjeen " engaged," but whose marriage had been deferred till the return of the surveying party. Young Bushman colored up, and in an emphatic manner said, " No ; not yet. ' Build your cage before you catch your bird,' is old advice ; but it is good, and I intend to act upon it." " Where do you sleep and take your meals ? " was asked. " I have a small wigwam or shanty not far away, where, like Robinson Crusoe, ' I am monarch of all I survey,' and where I live, much as that far-famed gen- tleman did, only I have no man ' Friday ' to help while away the time. Will you come and see it ? " They consented to go. He led them over a lot of fallen trees, and around some " brush-heaps," and soon brought them to his shanty. It was made of poles small enough for one man to handle. They were notched together at the corners. The spaces between them were tilled with moss. It was covered with hemlock bark, such as is now sold by the cord at the tanneries. The doorway was just wide enough for a man to pass in and out, and a couple of cedar slabs an- swered for a door. There was nothing very inviting | about this little substitute for something better. But plenty of men in this Canada of ours have lived for | months in just such humble homes. Buti] wild-wo Just i clear spi and it w a frintre right doi in the di their con maple tr their brai fied the si protectior right a ni toward th All of the enirac a log in fi lake, he b " There, !"isthefut The tran I so sudden, FOUND BY SURVEYORS. 16 of lOon loles ere een ith the )V a an- iBut for But in the surroundings were found such a scene of wild-wood beauty as is seldom met with. Just in front of the shanty was a miniature lake of clear spring water. It was about an acre in extent, and it was as round as a hoop. It was surrounded by a fringe of beautiful spruce and cedar trees that grew right down to the water's edge. On the opposite side, in the distance, were a number of upland pines, raising tlieir cone-like heads far above the forest of beech and maple trees around them, that seemed to be lifting their branches in homage to those giants that had de- fied the storms of fifty decades, appealing to them for protection against the woodman's axe. A little to the riofht a nice brook tiowed out of the lake, and ran off toward the creek before spoken of. All of them agreed that it was a lovely spot. But the engaged young man became poetical. Standing on a log in front of the shanty, and pointing out over the lake, he broke out in the following : ' ' What beauteous mirror here ia found Set in a fringe of evergreen ; On whose smooth surface may be seen The tops of all the trees around. Were I commissioned from above To find some spot of earthly bliss, I'd want no nicer place than this To spend my days with one I love." " There," said young Bushman, pointing to the lake, is the future Mrs, Bushman's duck-pond." The transition from the poetical to the practical was [so sudden, that the whole company saw the incon- 16 AMONG THE FOREST TREES. gruity of sentiment as expressed by the two young men, and indulged in a hearty laugh. " My friend," said the foreman, " I wish, before leaving you, to congratulate you on the beauties of your home on the border of Syb an Lake, and I hope that under the guiding hand of our kind and good Father above, the coming years may bring to you all the prosperity and happiness that your manly courage and your fearless energy deserve." " Thank you for your kindly and encouraging- words," said the young man in a somewhat trembling voice, " and if ever you come this way again don't for- get Sylvan Lake. You will tind a welcome here at any time. They shook hands and parted, and young Bushman was left alone.* " That young fellow deserves to succeed," said the foreman, as the party walked away. " He has got the sort of stuff in him of which true manhood is made up." " Yes," said the poetic young man. " I wish that I could face things with as much self-reliance as he seems to do. But the bringing up, I suppose, makes the difference." " Bringing up," replied the foreman, " has a good * In the Township of Elma was a man by the name of Twamley, who for two mouths never saw a human face. One day he heard some men talking. He ran after them and persuaded them to stop with him for a day and night, and then they went on their way. He told the writer that he never was so much pleased to see any one j before. They were entire strangers to him. FOUND BY SURVEYOUS. 17 )re of lood leard stop /ay. one deal to rlo with the formation of character ; but no kinggled together?" lasked Mr. Root. 32 AMONG THE FOREST TREES. ■'l!:l " Why ! Don't you know what a ' toggle ' is ?" said the young man, laughing. " No ; I do not," was the reply. "Well; I will tell you. When we broke a link of| our chain, and had not time to go away to a black- smith's, we took the ends of the broken chain and put I one link into another. We then took a piece of hard wood and drove it into the link that passed through j the other, thus fastening the chain solidly together." "All right," said the American, "I understand now." " As I was saying," replied Bushman, " the chain hadj a break in it. While driving along among the stumps, by some means the toggle fell out, and let the steers away from the harrow. After some trouble I got them around to their place again and went in between them to fix the chain. Just then the steers made a! start to run away. Before they got fairly under way, I caught hold of the tops of the ox-bows, where they projected through the yoke and held, on for life, think- ing that if I lost my hold and fell between the steers I the harrow would run over me and tear me to pieces. But a few rods had been travelled over in this peril- ous way, when the harrow caught firmly on a stump.j and stopped the runaways." " My father came up just then with a face as white! as a sheet. He had seen the whole affair. He helped me out of my unpleasant position, saying : ' My boy, this is no place for you.' He took the steers in hand,! and finished the job himself. Yes, Mr. Root, I have a! right to know what an old fashioned three-square! harrow is," THE KO AD-MAKE US. 33 " I say, Buslnnan," said Mr. Root, after a iiioinont's silence, " I have an offer to make you. Now, by a little managment I can arrange my plans so that we can be in the vicinity during the coldest months in the winter. We shall need a warmer place to stay in ourselves, and a better stable for the oxen, than I could artbrd to build for the short time that we should use them. Now, my proposition is thi.s. We will turn in and help you build your house. Then we will put up a stable for the cattle, after which we will go to another part of my job and work until the cold winter comes on. Then we will come back here and stop till we complete all that is within reach of this place." "All right. That will suit me exactly. And after the house and stable are done, I will go to work for you to pay you for your time and trouble," was the young man's answer. " Very well," replied Mr. Root. " We will work it out on that line." And they did, to the entire satisfaction of all parties. They were honest men, and between such there is sel- dom any difficulty about business matters. In two days' time the house-logs were cut, and on the ground where the house was to be erected. The spot was a nice one for a residence, it was be- tween the lake and the line where the road was to be. From the front door the future occupants would be able to look up and down the prospective road, and from the back there would be a splendid view of Sylvan Lake. Chapter III. HOUSE-BUILDING. to raise a log house of any great size re([uires some mechanical contrivance, as well as considerable force, either mechanical or otherwise ; and to lay up the walls properly demands a good deal of practice, and not a little skill. To notch up a corner perfectly is a piece of work that but few men can do. Either it will be " out of plumb," or it will " bow in," or " bow out." Or maybe the logs will " ride," that is, rest on each other, or they will be too far apart, leaving too much of a " crack " between them. The fact that so few men are able to do a nice job on a corner, makes good cornermen an important factor at log-raisings. Such men sometimes go long distances. And there have been instances in which cornermen have been hired to sfo into other neighborhoods than their own to lay up corners. When Bushman enquired among Mr. Root's men he found that three of them claimed to be good corner- men. He could do something at that work himself so that he felt easy on that score. He then went to Mr. Root and asked him if he had a large auger among his tools. HOUSK-BUILDING. 35 " What do you want with it ? " asked the American- " I want to make some 'bull heads ' for the raisinight at first that shel seemed a little cool and distant; but on second thou2;ht he made up his mind that it was only his own fancy. He was conscious that his feelinj^s towards her had been fTjreatly intensified since his conversation with her parents, so that now, if she failed to respond fully to his warmth of manner, it was not because she was| too fricjid in her deportment, but it was because he| had been too sanguine in his expectations. After conversing for some time on a variety of I topics, they stood in silence for a while. They both seemed to be a little embarrassed. Presently John broke the silence by saying, "Mary, I came here to- day to ask from you a great favor — such as men, as a rule, only ask once in a life-time, and one which, if granted, I hope you may never regret, and I pray that I may never have occasion to seek the like again, Mary, can you guess what that favor is ? But, stay: I don't want you to guess it. I want to tell it to you | in plain, honest English. Now, Mapy, we have known each other from childhood. I know that you have tool much modesty to be a coquette, and too much honesty to be a flirt. And I trust that I have too much true I manhood in me to court either a coquette or a flirt. I intend, vso far as I know how, by the help of God, to be a true man. I want a true woman. I believe that j you are qne. Will you be my wife ?" \\ AN OLD-TIME WEDDING. 61 She looked for a moment into his honest face, and then said : " Your outspoken, truthful honesty entitles you to expect the fullest candor from me. I will be just as frank with you as you have been with me. I have dreamed of this hour oftentimes in my sleep, and I have sometimes thought of it in my wakeful mo- ments. But I hardly allowed myself to hope that it would ever come, and yet I could see no reason why it min;lit not. I know that I love you, and I feel that I can trust you. Yes, I will be your wife." One long, loving kiss, which was fully reciprocated, sealed the contract. Just then they heard the noise of the Squire's lum- ber waggon rattling over the frozen ground. They looked out and saw him and his wife coming home from the chief town of the district, and they won- dered where the afternoon had gone to. The young man bid his affianced good-bye, and started for home. As he passed out at the bars he met the old people, and accosted them in a friendly, though somewhat timid manner. As he was passing on, Mary's father said, in a loud tone of voice, so that the girl, M^ho was standing in the door, could hear : " I say, John, have you a very hard time in finding [ some one to go with you to the bush ? " " No, sir," replied John ; " the first (me that I asked [has consented to go." " I wonder," said Mrs. Myrtle, " if he and Mary are j engaged ?" " Very likely," was the only answer the Squire re- I turned to his wife's query. 62 AMONG THK KOREST TREES. "I am afraid, after all, that you are not just satis- fied to let him have Mary," said she thouirhtfully. " What objections can I have ? The yonn^ man is all that I could wish. "But the trouble with me is to get my feelings to I • harmonize with my judgment. It seems to me that in taking Mary from us, John will, in^ some way, do me an injury." "Well," answered she, "I remember overhearing; I father talk like that to mother after we wei'o enrjajjed, Your words sound just like echoes of what he said I about you. Probably men do feel like that when some one takes away one of their pets. You know, it has been said that a man has three pets, viz. ; the youngest child, the eldest daughter and the living wife." " Well, I don't know how it is with other men, but I| do know that my greatest pet is the living wife," sa he, as he jumped out of the waggon and lifted her to I the ground. As John walked home that evening he felt that he I was a highly favored man. The Myrtle family wa? among the most respectable in the township, and Mary was looked upon b; all her acquaintances as being one of the best young women in the neighborhood. That such a one should say that she loved him, am she could trust him with her life's happiness was, he thought, enough to make any young man imagine that the hard rough frozen road was as smooth as a flag- stone pavement. As he walked along he fancied that he heard a soft| voice singing in sweet and soothing cadence — AN OLD-TIME WEDDING. 63 " John IJushinan , who will be your wife, And walk with you the path of life, ' To help you in its toil antV strife? Sweet Mary Myrtle. John liushnian, if in coming years, Your eyes should he hedimnied with tears. Who then shall try to (juell jour fears ? Sweet Mary Myrtle. John Bushman, when life's dream is past, And darkness gatliers round you fast, Who will stand by you till the last? Sweet Mary Myrtle." Here the voice seemed to stop. The young man listened for a while, but he heard no more. Then, as he was musin(^ by himself, he began in a low modu- lated voice to sing — "John Busliman, whom do you intend. To honor cherish and defend, And live with until life shall end ? Sweet Mary Myrtle. " " John," said a voice, '' what is all this about Mary Myrtle ? " The young man was awakened from his reverie. The speaker was his sister. She was coming out for an armful of kindling just as he came into the wood- shed, and she heard the concluding words of his little song. He stood and looked at her for a moment, and then said — " I say, Bet, how would you like to dress up white kid gloves, and other things to match, and stand by the side of a friend of mine, while she gets married ? " 64 AMONG THE FOREST TREES. " You must be green, John, if you tliink that you can fool me by talking,' about kid {gloves and white dresses. What have they got to do witli tlie girl you were just now speaking about ?" she asked. " More than you think, little Sis. But never mind now; go in and get the supper, for I am luingry. I will tell you some other time," and the two went into the house together. After the supper was over, and they were sitting around the cheerful fire, old Mr, Bushman said — " John, I have traded off one of the spare horses for a yoke of cattle for you to take with you to the bush ; I might have given you a span of horses, but I know from my own experience, as well as from what others have told me, that, for the tirst few years in the new country, oxen are handier than horses. They are easier provided for, it costs less to keep them, there is less danger that they will stray off, and they are easier and more cheaply harnessed ; and, besides all this, when they wear out you can turn them into beef." " I am glad, father," said John, " that you are able to help me in this way, and I am grateful to you for being willing to do it. There are not many who go to the bush under as favorable circumstances as I shall be able to do through your generosity. I only hope that I may some day be able to make some return for all your kindness." " The best return that you can make to your mother and me is to live a sober, honest, Christian life," said the father, with some signs of emotion; and "that you can do with the help of the Lord." "And b the young " Vou m in compaii.'- yet since ; Tlioy had < Independeri country. ' doctrine is, acted upon find, and se: of unbroke: they could i the wild V mother's pe( which was t few articles pack-horses. "Where ( John. " We cros Rock is noM Indians to b " Were yo let you all ir " There wi way to get heavily, and " Father," about that n " Ves, qui AN OM)-TIMK VVEDDIXd. 65 "And by the Lord's assi.stunce I will, father," said the yonr)]!,' man. " Yuii may well say tliat. You are hii^hly favored in compaiison with others. It is not quite forty years yet since your grandparents came to this country. Tliey had good homes in Pennsylvania. The War of Independence came on : they sided with the mother countiy. The Americans were the victors. Their doctrine is, ' to the victors belong the spoils.' They acted upon it ; they took everything that they could tind, and sent the Loyalists through hundreds of miles of unbroken wilderness, to make their way as best they could to where the British flag still floated over the wild woods of Canada. My people and your mother's people came through the State of New York which was then mostly a wilderness. They brought a few articles with them, such as could be carried on pack-horses." "Where did you first touch this country?" asked John. " We crossed the river at the place where Black Rock is now. We swam the horses, and we got some Indians to brinji us over in their bark canoes." " Were you not afraid the canoes would tip over and let you all into the water?" asked Betsy. " There was no use being afraid — there was no other way to get over. We did not load the crafts too heavily, and we were good sailors," was the reply. " Father," said John, " do you remember anything about that revolutionary war ? " " Yes, quite distinctly. You know 1 was near 66 AMONG THE FOREST TREES. seventeen years old when we came to this place. My father belonffed to the 'Licfht Horse,' and he was away from home most of the time. I remember he caini home one day to see how we were getting aloni: Some of the Americans found it out in some way they resolved to take him prisoner. 1 remember my mother came into the house with a frightened look and said to father, ' The Yankees are after you.' " The floor was made of wade boards, and not nailed I down very securely ; mother took up a spade that stood in the corner and pried up one o the boards, saying, 'Here, Joe, get down under the lloor, it is your only chance.' " He did as she said, and she had only got the board replaced when the parties were at the door. "They came in without ceremony. Looking around the room, one of them said to mother, in a rough insulting way, " 'Where is your husband?' " ' He is not here,' she answered. "' Was he not here this morning?' said he sternly. " ' Yes; but he is not here now. Do you suppose that he would be such a fool as to stay here till you come after him ? He knew you were coming, and he dodged you. That is all that I can tell you about him.' " ' Look here, woman,' said he, lifting his gun in a menacing way and stepping toward her ; ' you know where he is ; now tell me, or, by the powers above, I will run the bayonet through you.' "I never will forget how mother looked just then, Her Teutonic blood was up. AN OLD-TIME WEDDING. 67 " She looked him fully in the face, as she said, ' You think to scare me. do you? I will never tell j^ou where he is. But you are a pretty man, are you not ? You are a brave soldier, too, are you not, to threaten to kill a woman, because .she refuses to betray Tier children's father into the hands of a band of cat-tliroats ? ' " That is the sort of stutl' the women were made of, who ffave to Canada and to Britain the ' United Empire Loyalists.' "One of his companions called to the man, saying, ' Come away, Bill ; don't touch her. But you are playing a losing game.' "At this, he struck the bayonet through the floor and fired off his mu.sket, with a terrible oath, saying, 'If I could only find the Tory, 1 would send an ounce of lead through his heart.' "They went away without further molesting any- thing about the place. " The bayonet and the contents of the gun passed throiigh the floor within six inches of the man's head.* " Another incident that I heard of," continued Mr. Bushman, " was like this : A number of women and children of the Loyalists were concealed in a cave away in the woods, while the men were all away in the war. One day a boy, about fifteen years of age, was sent out to try and get some news about how things were going on in the army. As he was return- ing, he was discovered by a company of the rebel scouts. They asked him where his people were con- *This incident occurred with the writer's paternal great-grand- parents. 68 AMONG THE FOKKST TRKES. cealed. He refused to tell them. They threatened to] shoot him if he did not do it, but he persistently refused to comply. They then took and tied him to a tree, six men were placed a dozen yards from him, and ordered to prepare to shoot him. They pointed their guns at him, and waited for the order to fire. The leader approached the boy and said, ' Will you tell us now where they are?' The boy answered, 'If I tell you, and you find them, you will kill them. It is better for one to die than for so many to die. / vjUI\ not tell y Oil ! You may shoot me if you will,' The leader turned to his men and said, 'Hold on, boys. Don't shoot. It is too bad that such a little hero should be shot like a dog. Untie him and let him go.' * Some ether time I will give .some more reminis- cences of the early times of our country," The engagement between young John Bushman and Mary Myrtle gave entire satisfaction to both families. This was only what might be expected under the cir- cumstances. The two families had been neighbors for a number of years. They had together battled with the hardships of pioneer life *' among the forest trees. They were both Protestants, and attended the same meetings. And although the Bushmans were of Ger- man descent, and the Myrtles of English, yet five gen- eration separated both families from their connection with either country. They were just the kind of people to commence to build up a distinct nationality — the * That boy came to Canada after the war. He married an aunt of the writer's mother, lived to be an old man, and died respected by everyone. AN OLD-TIME WEDDING. 69 riflit kind of seed from which to produce a national tree of vi:^orous fjrow^th — a tree that should strike its [root so deep and firm in the virgin soil of the northern British territory, that the most bitter enemies of the Empire could neither uproot nor break it down. The winter was rapidly passing away. February I was almost gone, and yet but little preparation for the fippi'oaching wedding had been made. The time fixed upon was the twenty-first of March, the time of the vernal equinox, when, as people used to say, " the sun crossed the line." John said that they selected that day because they thought it would be a good time to pass from the frigid, cloudy days of unmated winter, into the bright spring sunshine of matrimonial summer. Like thousands of others, he placed a higher value on the ideal future than on the actual present. One serious question was, who .should be got to per- form the ceremony. The clergy of the Church of England and the ministers of the old Kirk of Scotland were the only reverend gentlemen in the Province allowed to marry. It was some years after this before Dissenters could legally marry people. Magistrates did the marrying in many cases, and under certain conditions. These conditions existed in this case. Mary's father was a magistrate, and it was desired, after much consultation, that he would officiate. A notice was posted on the door of the only mill in the township, stating that " John Bushman and Mary Myrtle intended to enter the bonds of holy wedlock on the twenty-first of the ensuing month of March, in the house of William Myrtle, Esquire, at the hour of 70 AMONG THE FOREST TREES. eleven o'clock in the forenoon ;" and calling upon any persons who had legal objections to offer to present themselves at the time and place above-mentioned, or| to " hold their peace forever after." The approaching wedding became a thing of great! interest in the neighborhood. The time came around at last. Nearly everybody, old and young, for miled around, were invited, and most of them came. The house was full of people. John's sister Betsy, and her affianced, William Briars, " stood up," to use the phrase then in vogue. Squire Myrtle soon got through with his part, and Mary changed the name of Myrtle for that of Bushman, One of the most striking features of an old-time j wedding was its simplicity. There was no effort for mere display. There were no costly gifts by those who could ill afford it. No affected friendship where there was concealed aversion. But a genial atmosphere of friendship, and a healthy exercise of neighborly cour- tesies, along with a generous provision for the satisfy- incr of hunger and thirst, constituted the leading features of the old-time weddings, such as prevailed among the early settlers in the time of our grand- fathers. The congratulations were hearty and sincere. Mirth and merriment pervaded the large assemblage, and none seemed more joyous than the two elderly gentle- men, one of wdiom had gained a son and the other one a daughter, by the day's proceedings. The two mothers-in-law took chings very coolly, and kept themselves from an} thing like noisy demonstra- Itioii. But the fact th{ for a lif'e-lo an early ho hajtpiness a was offeree people disp( and Mary .\ AX 0IJ)-T1ME WEDDINO. 71 tion. But it was easy to see that neither regretted ! the fact that their chibh-en had been yol^ed together for a hfe-long work in the matrinionial harness. At I an early hour of the evening, a short prayer for the happiness and prosperity of the newly- wedded pair was offered up by the oldest man in company ; the people dispersed, and the nuptials of John Bushman and Mary Myrtle were things of the past. Chaf^tkr VI. TALK ABOUT WOLVES. WEEK or two after the wedding, as they were __-i^X sittinsx around the fire one eveninxe- handle, which had heen given him by a friend. Thi.sii, used for a club. When the wolves came near lie woujiil strike at them. Sometimes he hit tliem. Then thev would jump back, and stand and howl as if they were calling for reinforcements. In a short time they would come on again, full cha.se. And when they were about to jump on the sled a rap or two with the axe-handle would put them to tiight again. "The oxen, poor things, did not require any whip- ping when they found what was after them. Thf^y did their best to get out of danger. This chase continued for a mile or more. Then a neiijjhbor'.H clearinnf was reached, and the barking of a couple of dogs fright- ened the wolves, .so that they ran otl' into the woods, and were seen no more." " John," said his sister, " your story is about as ro- mantic as father s was." " I don't think there is much romance in being cha.sed by wolves, especially when there is a woman and a lot of children in the case," said John " Well, if it was not romantic, 1 don't know what would be," she replied. " I can't see where the romance comes in," was Johns reply. " Let me tell you where," said Betsy. " I fancy my- belf vsittiug down on a lot of straw in in rougii bo?; TALK AHOITT Wol-VES. 79 of nil old ox-slf'd. Around me, in the straw, three lovely hiihes lie slccpinif, all nnconscious of the dan