Our New Home

George had bought a big ten room house in Lumsden. It had been a rooming house and was run by a family by the name of McClain. It was in deplorable condition, but we had the front room papered and did have a beautiful Axminster rug for the floor. The dining room walls were painted an ugly brown. We afterwards painted them a cream. There was linoleum on the dining room floor that we did with for a few years and afterwards replaced with real pretty linoleum. The kitchen was about 16 or 18 by 20, or maybe 22 feet. That floor was bare. In a few years we also covered it with linoleum.

Before putting the new linoleum down in the dining room, George laid a new floor there. The old floor was breaking through in several places.

Then we papered some of the rooms upstairs as well, and I afterwards gave the floors upstairs four coats of paint; mised the paint myself, then waxed them and they were really nice.

Aunt Maggie, Mable Gemmel, Irma, George and I stayed at the Maple Leaf Hotel for several days, intending to stay there until the rug was laid, and the stoves were up. George bought a big hard-coal heater for the front part of the house and a big cook stove for the kitchen. He also went to Regina and bought some furniture such as a couch, platform rocker, occasional chair, dining room set, table, chairs and sideboard. I had a table that had belonged to mother. It was solid walnut, black walnut that was grown on my father’s farm near Collingwood. This table lasted for several years. Uncle Peter had made me a lovely cabinet while we were living on the farm. This, we kept and brought with us to Lumsden. Then we had a big cupboard made for the kitchen. We never got the outside of the house painted, but I did try to have the inside cheery and bright and think I succeeded in doing just that.

We stayed in this Maple Leaf Hotel in Lumsden only a few days, when Aunt Lizzie came in and insisted on us going to her place, which we did for a time. Then, in a day or two, George took Mable Gemmel home and Aunt Maggie home to her place down below Craven.

Dr. Kerns neglected my hand, or arm, and as a consequence trouble developed. He bound it so tight the blood couldn’t circulate, and forced an opening up by my elbow.

We finally moved into our house and got settled; though as I was suffering so with my arm, I couldn’t do very much.

The children got started to school, or in school. Irma was five years old and I think did not attend school for a while. Tom and Hunt went to school, at first, in the Council Chambers, just a few doors from our house.

Well, my arm still kept quite sore, but the doctor took the splints off at the end of six weeks and I was supposed to start using it, which I did. The work was too much for it, or me, and it began to pain pretty badly. Then Dr. Kerns wanted me to go to Dr. Seymour in Regina, which I did. Old Doc Seymore put me in a tent at the old Victoria Hospital in Regina, where I roasted by day and was drowned out by night. I refused to stay there, and they moved me into the hospital. Dr. Seymour operated on the wrist, and then left me for over a week without leaving another doctor to care for me. When he came back, I lit into him and told him I was going home. He then, or rather George, called Dr. Ball to attend me. After three weeks stay there, I went home and we got a tent set up over on a little knoll and I stayed there until the snow came. Dr. Kerns tried to persuade me to have my hand amputated; said I wouldn’t live if I didn’t. He had even persuaded George to urge me to have it amputated and George tried to persuade me to have it done. I flatly refused. I told Dr. Kerns if I was going to die, it would be with my hand on. Well, I kept it on and I am still alive. Dr. Kerns moved away from Lumsden, but some years after came back for a visit and, when he saw me, he said, "My God! Are you still living?" Well, I guess if it hadn’t been for Dr. Ball, I might have died, but I was under his care for some months.

In the meantime, Eddie developed pneumonia and we nearly lost him. I always will have a warm spot in my heart for Dr. Kerns, for, though he neglected me shamefully, he did save Eddie’s life. I don’t believe any other doctor would have done what he did for Eddie. He used the cold treatment; ice water. We kept Eddie wrapped in blankets wrung out of a tub of ice water for hours at a stretch. We got Lucy Kidd to come and nurse him and she stayed days and then we took care of him at night. Aunt Lizzie came a couple of nights and was there the night he passed the crisis.

They were days and nights of terror for us all. The doctor had warned us to be prepared for the worst, but the night of the ninth day, Eddie passed the crisis and steadily grew better. I often wonder why he was allowed to recover from that illness, only to die in France, so far away, and go through the tortures of war. He recovered rapidly and grew strong and healthy.

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