Cape Breton's Magazine

children, his wife had four big boys and they were always trying to get at my oldest girl but she was strong and could fight them off. I made a swing for the two girls in an old barn near the house. One of the neighbour's boys was trying to get into the barn with the girls. My wife saw him. She went in the house and filled up a bucket of cold wa? ter and let him have it be? tween the two eyes. He went home crying to his mother. She came out to face my wife but she was no match for her and was told that if she didn't keep her boy home that she would get the bucket of water in the face. The wife and I went looking for a house to rent and we were lucky enough to find one. It wa's tough going, all I was getting was ten dollars a month. I kept one dollar for myself and gave her the nine dollars to live on but it was better than fighting with my stepbrother and his wife. My wife used to go down to the shore with a brine bag and an ax. cut driftwood up, fill up the bag and carry it home. We couldn't afford to buy coal. She did all this work when I was on the boat because we would come in at night and the boat would be loaded with coal and ready to sail next morning. It was nice to have one night with each other. We were young, full of life and love. My wife made a nice big garden and planted all different kinds of vegetables including Swiss chard. That garden was a life saver. We would fill ourselves up with beet tops and the Swiss chard. Besides the vegetables she raised white leghorn chickens. When they were big enough to lay eggs she would sell them to the richer class and get sev? enty-five cents a dozen. Once in awhile she would keep a few eggs for us to eat. My wife went with another woman picking blueberries at Low Point. Our oldest daughter kept house and looked after the rest of the children. She was ten years old. My wife would fill two galvanized i • Cape Breton • l' Boarding Kennels MODERN HEATED FACILITY FOR DOGS AND CATS • Open 12 Months • Indoor - Outdoor Dog Kennels • New Cattery Separate Building from the Dogs' • Certification of Vaccination Required 737-2281 "?? " • *'' GLACE BAY, N. S. • Pick Up and Delivery Service Available • Medical Hall EST. 1906 • COMPUTERIZED PRESCRIPTION SERVICE . FILMS • SUNTAN LOTIONS • FIRST AID SUPPLIES 66 Commercial St. . 1 Commercial St." DOMINION GLACE BAY 849-0200 ' 849-6552 (it busy) 849-1030 Cape Breton Auto Radiator co RADIATOR HOSES • REPAIRING • CLEANING • RECORING dor' . COMPLETE CYLINDER HEAD SERVICE _ . 518 Grand auto * truck * industrial Sydney La ke R oad Complete Une of Gas Tanks 564-6362 • NOW DOING AUTOMOBILE AIR CONDITIONING • PHARMASAVE The One Name You Need to Know: RAHEY'S VISIT IN SYDNEY MINES: J. R. RAHEY'S JEWELLERY STORE 158 Main street • 736-6150 • and...for Comfortable Home Furnishings • Reliable Appliances • and the Latest in Electronic Technology J. R. Rahey*s Furniture Stores 1095 King's Road Main Street Sydney River ' Sydney Mines 562-2500 W 736-9442 We've Built the Name People Trust!