The Gopher

That winter passed without anything very exciting. We went over to Uncle Tom's a great deal and during the winter the community formed a literary society, meeting at each neighbors alternately. We edited a weekly paper, to be written only on brown wrapping paper, and called it the "Gopher." Each week, one of the members took turns writing it up and then when we met, someone was chosen to read the whole edition. It was lots of fun and very original.

One week it came George's turn to edit the Gopher. He argued me into doing it for him. I forgot to say, in this paper when we first started, I proposed we write a story, continued, each editor to follow up with a chapter or two and to be read by the one chosen to read the paper. Well, one day when I was all alone, George having gone for a load of wood, I proceeded to write George's continuance of the story. I do not remember what all I wrote but do remember quite an exciting episode I managed to work into it, about a couple of "tender feet" who were driving along Albert Street and going north to the Valley, driving in a sleigh, when a pack of prairie wolves appeared and followed them for miles." They lashed their horses to frenzy thinking the wolves would attack them and eat them alive, just as all greenhorns thought when first they met up with these prairie wolves. I forget how I finished the imagined tragedy, but to make it very impressive, stuck in a few mild exclamations enough to make it sound manlike and the story (my story) met with great applause. Everyone said it sounded just like George! That no one but George could tell such an exciting story and do so, so dramatically. I never squealed on George, but at the same time didn't think it very noble of him to keep quiet and take the credit.

Well, everything went along quite nicely, then when it was Tory Crispin's turn to edit the paper, she put in an item reading, "Bill and Sadie went to town to meet Auntie". Sadie got mad (Sadie Swartz). She said it was very rude to put her personal affairs in, in such a discourteous manner, so she quit the society. Her aunt was coming out from New York State and she and Bill Lambert went (drove) in to Regina to meet her. In the summer the aunt went back to New York State, taking Sadie with her. Bill Lambert followed shortly after and they were married there. This Sadie was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Swartz and the girl who made my wedding dresses.

Go to Contents, Next or Index