It was always a humiliating feeling to our proud minds, that hirelings should witness our dreadful struggle with poverty, and the strange shifts we were forced to make in order to obtain even food.  But John E—–­ had known and experienced all that we had suffered, in his own person, and was willing to share our home with all its privations.  Warm-hearted, sincere, and truly affectionate—­a gentleman in word, thought, and deed—­we found his society and cheerful help a great comfort.  Our odd meals became a subject of merriment, and the peppermint and sage tea drank with a better flavour when we had one who sympathised in all our trials, and shared all our toils, to partake of it with us.

The whole family soon became attached to our young friend; and after the work of the day was over, greatly we enjoyed an hour’s fishing on the lake.  John E—–­ said that we had no right to murmur, as long as we had health, a happy home, and plenty of fresh fish, milk, and potatoes.  Early in May, we received an old Irishwoman into our service, who for four years proved a most faithful and industrious creature.  And what with John E—–­ to assist my husband on the farm, and old Jenny to help me to nurse the children, and manage the house, our affairs, if they were no better in a pecuniary point of view, at least presented a more pleasing aspect at home.  We were always cheerful, and sometimes contented and even happy.

How great was the contrast between the character of our new inmate and that of Mr. Malcolm!  The sufferings of the past year had been greatly increased by the intolerable nuisance of his company, while many additional debts had been contracted in order to obtain luxuries for him which we never dreamed of purchasing for ourselves.  Instead of increasing my domestic toils, John did all in his power to lessen them; and it always grieved him to see me iron a shirt, or wash the least article of clothing for him.  “You have too much to do already; I cannot bear to give you the least additional work,” he would say.  And he generally expressed the greatest satisfaction at my method of managing the house, and preparing our simple fare.  The little ones he treated with the most affectionate kindness, and gathered the whole flock about his knees the moment he came in to his meals.

On a wet day, when no work could be done abroad, Moodie took up his flute, or read aloud to us, while John and I sat down to work.  The young emigrant, early cast upon the world and his own resources, was an excellent hand at the needle.  He would make or mend a shirt with the greatest precision and neatness, and cut out and manufacture his canvas trousers and loose summer-coats with as much adroitness as the most experienced tailor; darn his socks, and mend his boots and shoes, and often volunteered to assist me in knitting the coarse yarn of the country into socks for the children, while he made them moccasins from the dressed deer-skins that we obtained from the Indians.