A Prairie as Wide as the Sea

by Sarah Ellis

  September 30

  The Reader

  First month of school and Gladys has already read everything in the primer. Miss Hutchinson says she can go on to the Canadian Reader Book One.

  October 1

  Thunder and Kindness

  Today was very hot, like being under a pile of blankets. At recess we were all playing anti-I-over across the school roof when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, there was a huge crash of thunder. The ground shivered. I looked over at the swings where Harry was waiting for his turn and he was crouched on the ground with his hands over his ears and his eyes squeezed shut. I started over to talk to him when Miss Hutchinson picked him up and took him inside. When we came in from recess Miss Hutchinson was cuddling Harry on her lap. His eyes were still shut. On the blackboard was written. “Go on with your work. Nobody is to tease Harry about this.”

  Miss Hutchinson is a very kind person.

  Harry likes to hear about bombs and such. He loves William’s stories about hiding in the cellar during the bombing raids in London. But he hates loud noises in real life. I think he had better give up his plan to be an anarchist. He’s not going to be very good at blowing things up.

  October 2

  Harvest

  Today I went over to Elizabeth’s to help take doughnuts to the harvesters.

  The harvesters have their breakfast (bacon, sausages, eggs, pancakes, toast, jam and apple pie) at five o’clock, so by nine o’clock they need more food. Mrs. Muller’s doughnuts are delicious. No, delicious isn’t the right word. It is too little. They are manna. Last Sunday in church, Mr. Quigley read the lesson about the children of Israel lost in the wilderness and how God sent them manna in the morning. Mr. Quigley said that the Bible said that manna was like wafers made with honey and we should think of the most delicious thing we could. I thought of Mrs. Muller’s doughnuts. She piles those doughnuts into big baskets lined with napkins and Elizabeth and I take them out to the fields. Then when we come back Mrs. Muller gives us little round doughnut holes.

  Then we went out to watch the threshing machine. It is a wonder. It looks like a hungry animal gobbling the sheaves of grain. You can watch it for hours without getting bored. Gears and wheels and belts and big knives and a big steam engine. Grain spilling into the granary and straw blowing out a pipe and making a big pile. Mr. Muller walks around oiling and greasing and adjusting bits of machinery. It is the first time I’ve seen him smile.

  P.S. One more thing about doughnuts and manna. The best part of the Bible story is how the children of Israel aren’t allowed to save any of their manna for the next day. If they try it the manna gets worms in it and goes all nasty. Mrs. Muller wouldn’t need to worry about that. There would be no chance of finding worms in the doughnuts the next day because the harvesters never leave ANY LEFTOVERS.

  October 3

  Harvest Done

  The harvest is over and I think there is going to be trouble at Elizabeth’s house. Today just as we were getting ready to take out the doughnuts all the men arrived home. Nine o’clock in the morning and the harvest was done! Mrs. Muller took a kitchen chair out to the yard and put a basin of water on it, and a towel over the back and the men took off their shirts. When they take off their shirts it is like they still have pale shirts on, with brown necks and arms and the rest white. They started washing and spraying drops of water over the yard and running water through their hair. All those drops of water just lay in the dust, not sinking in. The men ate doughnuts and drank coffee and larked about, whooping, and carrying on like it was the last day of school. One of the harvesters juggled doughnuts and another one walked on his hands. Mr. Muller didn’t fool about though. He didn’t eat doughnuts either. He’s like that thin man in Mother Goose: “Jack Spratt would eat no fat.”

  But then Gerhard threw his hat way up into the tree. All the men laughed and one said, “How are you going to get your hat down?” There was a long silence and then Gerhard said, “I don’t need to get it down. I don’t need that hat. That’s it. I got in this harvest and now I’m never going to farm one more minute in my entire life.” The words just sat there like drops of water in the dust. Gerhard didn’t sound angry, just very clear. I saw Hans and Elizabeth all sneak looks at their father. I did too. He looked like his face was made of rock. And he just turned and went into the house. Gerhard went back to his doughnut. I wonder what will happen. Elizabeth will tell me.

  October 4

  Harvesters Home

  Dad and William are home. Tonight at supper they told us all about threshing. Dad drove the rack and team. William was a spike pitcher. That is the person who loads bundles with the pitchfork. He said that after his first day he was so weary that he couldn’t even eat his supper. The farm family was so sorry for him that they let him sleep in their spare bedroom, rather than in the granary on a cot with the rest of the crew. But it wasn’t much of a favour because the bed had bedbugs and he didn’t sleep a wink! But after that things got easier and he loved the food.

  Later, when we were alone, William told me that a man on their crew got his hand caught in the machinery and lost two fingers. William is blinking a lot again.

  October 5

  A Package from Eaton’s

  My long underwear arrived. Two pairs. They are scratchy and they make me look lumpy. Mother says I have to wear them even though it is hardly cold at all. I’m sure that Renee Adoree never had to wear long underwear.

  October 6

  News from the Mullers

  Gerhard is gone. Elizabeth says he was very cheerful and helpful for a few days and this morning he was gone. He left a note saying he was going to Calgary and that they were not to worry. Elizabeth says her father read the note out loud and then he crumpled it up and threw it in the stove. Then he said they were not to mention Gerhard again. Elizabeth said that Gerhard didn’t even say goodbye to her.

  I feel sorry for Elizabeth with such a stern father. If William ran away from home (maybe you can’t call it running away when someone is sixteen, like Gerhard) Dad would never say he wouldn’t talk about him.

  Elizabeth was very quiet in school today. She’s biting her nails again. Herman was so naughty that Miss Hutchinson made him stand in a corner. And Hans didn’t come to school.

  I wonder if Gerhard said goodbye to Worm-Emily Piggott?

  October 9

  The Truth About Long Underwear

  It stretches. Every day the legs get longer and longer. After the third day you have to roll them up. By Friday – elephant legs!

  October 10

  Marrow Memories

  Harvest Festival at church today. The flowers and fruit made it look just like St. Edmund’s at home. I must have started thinking about home because there were big squashes on the altar steps and whilst the sermon was on I remembered the time Ethel and I wrote rude words with pins on her father’s baby vegetable marrows. The marrows grew and grew and the rude words grew and grew. Nobody knew who had done it. I almost started to laugh so I had to pretend I was coughing. Why does church make me get the giggles?

  October 12

  Worry

  Dot is sick. When I went to get her from the barn after school she was lying down and she wouldn’t get up. I didn’t know what to do but Miss Hutchinson said I should go to the livery stable and get Mr. Battrum. He said that it was likely colic and he came over to the school with some ginger and turpentine. But Dot still didn’t get up. Mr. Battrum said it would take a while and we should just walk home. He said he would keep an eye on Dot until tomorrow. It was a long sad walk home. Harry held my hand and tried to cheer me up by saying riddles. I wish I could have stayed with Dot. I love her.

  October 13

  Worry Over

  Dot is right as rain. She was very happy to see me. I gave her extra oats.

  October 15

  Horrible News

  Children are slaves. Children don’t have any say and they just get pushed around. It is NOT FAIR.

  At tea Dad announ
ced that we’re moving to town. Since one of the banks closed down there is an extra building and we’re going to rent it and live there and run it as a hotel. He also said that it will be much easier for us to get to school in winter and for William to get to the store. Also, Mr. Battrum has offered Dad work at the livery stables.

  This whole idea is silly. The argument about school is silly. It will be no problem getting to school from the farm. We don’t need to move into town for that. If we can’t ride Dot we can hitch her to a sleigh. I could drive a sleigh. Hans and Elizabeth do. Elizabeth told me all about it. They have hot hard-boiled eggs to keep their hands warm and then they eat the eggs for lunch. It is perfectly fine. I want to drive a sleigh. William could come in the sleigh to work.

  The VERY WORST THING is that we have to give Dot back to Mr. Burgess. Why don’t I get a say? Women have the vote, but not children. I told Mother and Dad that our family was not a democracy. And they laughed! I am cross as hops. I am going out to the barn to visit Dot and if they think I’m going to do any chores tonight they are wrong. Chores can go hang.

  October 16

  Barn Thoughts

  I’m in the barn. Dad and William have gone to town. Dad asked me if I wanted to come. But I said no thank you. I also said no thank you to breakfast. I am treating them with cold disdain.

  Mother is in the kitchen ordering things like sheets and celery dishes from the catalogue, for when we have the hotel. This is daft. Why don’t they just take the money they’re going to spend on that stuff and use it so we can stay on the farm?

  My days with Dot are numbered so I’m just going to go for a ride. Maybe I won’t come back. If Mother needs me to mind the twins or anything I just won’t be here. She hasn’t said anything about me not doing the chickens.

  What about the egg money? We won’t have that when we’re in town. That’s what I should have said.

  Later

  It didn’t work. I took Dot out for a ride and she wouldn’t go any direction except toward school. When I tried to make her go the other way she just stood there, completely still. So much for escaping.

  Tonight is bath night. Mother is heating the water right now. I would like to refuse with cold disdain. I would like to say, “I don’t want to share water with traitors.” But I don’t think I’ll be able to manage it. I like bath night too much.

  October 17

  Visit to the Prison

  Today we went to see the bank-hotel-house. Mother was full of plans. She went on and on about how lovely the floor is. Who cares about floors when you have to give your horse away? The bank part is going to be the parlour and sitting room for the guests. In the back and upstairs is like a normal house. The kitchen has a trapdoor that leads down into the cellar by a ladder. This is the only thing that is one bit interesting.

  Daisy will go back to the Mullers. How can Mother do this?

  October 18

  Dull Day

  Packing, cleaning, sorting, packing, cleaning, sorting.

  Dull to do. Dull to write about.

  It’s Halley Road all over again. Today the chickens went. Some farmer came and took them. I did collect the eggs this morning because I knew it would be the last time. Lhicken pecked me as usual.

  I’m trying to remember every step of riding Dot to school.

  Today we had a grammar bee. I did not excel. Grammar is just as confusing in Canada as it was in England. I know when to say me and I and all that. Mother is very stern about that kind of grammar. But I just can’t do parsing. I can’t remember what parts of the sentence are called. What does it matter if something is an adverb clause? I guess it matters to Klaus Berg. He won, and his family doesn’t even speak English at home.

  The only good thing about today was that I wore the new frock that Mother made me out of one of her old ones. But then even that was spoiled. Nyla looked at it, looking down her nose the way she does, and said, “That’s an interesting style. Did it come from the Eaton’s catalogue?” I said no, that Mother made it and she said, “Oh,” (little pause), “homemade.” She makes me cross enough to spit. Of course she knew it was homemade. I fell for it. I should have just said, “No, Nyla,” and left her hanging.

  October 19

  Black Tuesday

  Dot has gone. I’m too sad to write.

  October 21

  I don’t know what to do. I’m in the farmhouse alone with the twins. Today is moving day and Mother and Dad and William have gone to town with the first load of furniture. They borrowed a team of horses and a hay rack to move us. But they haven’t come back and it is snowing hard.

  At first it was fun being in the house alone. We played hide and seek and yelled a lot. We ate bread and molasses for lunch and didn’t use table manners. Then we played cross-channel ferry which is where you put a twin in the wash tub and push it around the floor.

  But after lunch it got very dark and we looked out and it was snowing. So we all ran outside. Our first snow! We ran around and tried to catch it on our tongues. I remember snow once at home but the twins don’t remember it at all. Harry wanted to build an igloo right away but there wasn’t enough snow and it wasn’t sticky. Then we were all cold and the snow had turned into needles. So we came in. And the fire was nearly out. I put more coal in and we ate more bread and molasses. Then we told stories. I told them The Three Pigs and The Three Bears and a made-up story about chickens. Then Harry told a story about the bogeyman and the bogeywife and the bogeyhouse and the bogeybaby who went around in a bogeypram. It was very silly but Gladys loved it. They seem happy enough. But now it is getting dark and Mother and Dad are not back. Where are they?

  Later

  I just put the last piece of coal in the stove. The fire is eating it up very fast. I found some candles. You can’t see anything out the windows except snow blowing in the darkness. The little ones are hungry but they don’t want more bread and molasses which is the only thing we have. I want Mother and Dad to come right now. Before I finish writing this extra-long-waiting-to-hear-them sentence I want to hear them in the yard. Before I finish writing this long sentence I want to hear the horses. Can horses walk in snow? What if they all got caught in the snow? They are not here. What would Louis and Hector and Catharine do? I’m trying to remember the book.

  Even Later

  Why doesn’t somebody come? I don’t know what time it is. I found some rugs and wrapped up the twins in front of the stove. There isn’t any more coal. I’m burning the meadow muffins that I collected last summer. But there aren’t many more. If only I could go to town and get help. But how? When they left Dad said, “Take care of the little ones.” I’m trying. I don’t want to have to be the grown-up.

  I’m looking at the kitchen chairs and I don’t see chairs. I see wood. There used to be a hatchet propped just outside the door, unless they took it.

  October 22

  The Story of Yesterday

  Yesterday was the most frightening day of my life. After I finished writing that about the chairs I decided I did have to chop them up for the stove. I could feel the cold creeping down the walls and Harry was crying. But I couldn’t open the door to look for the hatchet because snow was drifted against it. So I broke the kitchen window and crawled out and felt around in the snow and I did find the hatchet. I tried to wedge the washtub into the broken window with some rags but it didn’t work very well.

  It is harder to chop up chairs than it looks. And all the time I was wondering if I was going to get into the biggest trouble ever. But I did it. First the six kitchen chairs and then, when they were burnt up, Mother’s rocking chair that she brought from England. The twins just stared at me. Then I think I must have gone to sleep because I woke up to Dad and Mr. Burgess coming in the door. The snow had stopped. They came in a sleigh. Dad hugged us all together and cried. He said he got trapped in town in the blizzard. He said that chopping up the chairs was a very sensible thing to do and that he was proud of me and that I was becoming very Canadian. Then they wrapped us all
in rugs and took us to town and Mother hugged us and cried too. Even William got wet eyes.

  I’m very tired.

  October 23

  First Day in the Hotel

  Everything is higgledy piggledy but Mother let me lie in anyway. She brought me tea and porridge in bed just like I was sick. The sun has come out and there is a sound of dripping outside the windows. The twins are roaring around in some room or other. I need to get up and explore the Weatherall Hotel.

  Evening

  Dad brought home the Milorie Messenger to show us the advertisement for the hotel. It says:

  First-Class Rooms and Board

  Mrs. S. Weatherall

  Bank Building

  Milorie, Sask.

  Harry asked what does “first-class” mean and Dad said it means celery dishes. And then Mother rapped him on the head with her knuckles.

  October 24

  The blizzard is like a bad dream.

  October 25

  Coming Event

  Hallowe’en! Today Miss Hutchinson said that our seatwork was cutting ghosts out of white paper for Hallowe’en. But I didn’t know what Hallowe’en (I like the way that word looks, with the little apostrophe between the e’s) was, so Miss H. said who will tell Ivy about Hallowe’en. And everyone started in, like the Tower of Babel. They told me about dressing up and jack-o’-lanterns, stealing pumpkins, bobbing for apples, hiding in the chicken coop, saying “apples or tricks.” It is the best Canadian thing. (No, I take it back. Not as good as Dot and doughnuts but almost as good.) Abel was just starting to tell me about what tricks to play on people when Miss H. made us all be quiet.