Innessa Eryns

In the autumn of 1882, my mother, my two sisters and I finally made it to our new home on the bank of Lake Ontario. My father had gone a year ahead of us to build a house before we arrived. It was a beautiful log cabin with three rooms and an attic. My sisters and I were going to have our own room!
The rhythm of small town life was easy to settle into, even after the crowded streets of York. There was a school which I attended along with Liesa, my seven year old sister. Little Beatris was only two and had to stay home with Mother. I was in the senior class for ages ten to thirteen. We had so much fun sliding down the huge snow drifts on our bums in the winter. Mother always scolded me when I got home because I was soaked to the skin.
We had the strangest teacher that year, Mr. Gerard. He loved strawberries. So in June, before school was let out for the summer months, the whole class went and picked a large pail-full for him. As a treat we didn't have to do arithmetic that day.
The day I returned to school in the fall I was actually excited. For the entire break I had helped mother around the house and on the small farm we had started up. Upon arriving at the school house I joined Anwen, Leila, Nesrine and Tess in a discussion predicting the new teacher. No one local was a candidate so it was mainly guess work. There was an addition to the pupil roster this year as well, a girl who had moved with her family from farther down the lake.
A lady named Miss Daryl revealed herself to be our new schoolmistress. She informed us she was from the outskirts of the English settlements, closer to those of the French.
Miss Daryl was teaching her second year unaccompanied and therefore was still brimming with bright ideas and enthusiasm. She paired us with the junior class on the days we helped the townsfolk with big projects, which was usually once a month.
Through one of her many connections Miss Daryl arranged for the entire senior class to journey up to a French fort in the springtime for a whole month on the condition we pay for some of the expenses. Considering none of our mothers or fathers had much extra to spare, we organized a country dance. Some of us youngsters were allowed to play the fiddle and other instruments for the crowd. Everyone had a grand time.
The voyage to the fort was most exciting. Across the lake and up the great river we sailed on a trading vessel. One of my schoolmates became sick on a blustery day, otherwise it was a rather uneventful, if fascinating, trip.
Miss Daryl had taught us useful words in the French language that were amusing to utilize in conversation. We also sampled their food and culture. A dish I originally thought repulsive turned out being enjoyable: poutine.
We learned much of the area's history, the first explorers, settlements and encounters with the Indians. The boys were shown how to load a musket and one brave lad even held one. We of a supposedly more delicate nature were permitted to try on a tall wig of the early 1800s. The heavy hairpiece looked ridiculous and I can't imagine anyone with sense wearing it. The experience was fun nonetheless.
Nearing our departure, everyone was of the opinion history was a bore, for we had received an overdose. As thrilling as this adventure was, I was eager to return to my loving family. I missed them.
As a whole, my friends and I were a talented group of lasses. This showed through during presentations or in class recitals. Once we even created our own square dance.
Birthdays were the highlights of the winter months. Leila organized a group of us to attend the church's Christmas play for her celebration while Anwen turned chores like churning milk and our lessons into a competition. My debut as a young lady was a needle point party finished off deliciously with creamy cakes.
In the remaining weeks before school finished, my parents organized a place for me at the school for older children further down the lake. I wasn't needed at home and neither were many of my friends because our town was thriving well. It was an hour long wagon ride, so school from now on would occupy all day.
As a farewell present to Miss Daryl, each pupil leaving sewed a square for a quit which Mother attached together. It was a fine quilt and Miss Daryl was overjoyed.
Scholars from up to eighty miles away traveled daily to attend my higher education school. There were ninety-four pupils in total and I even had three instructors daily, for history, arithmetic and language. I was exceedingly fortunate to have the privilege of attending such a fine establishment myself.
To my dismay, I didn't have lessons with all of my former acquaintances. Thankfully, an extended lunch break provided time for socializing. A group formed with all of my closet friends where we politely gossiped and amused ourselves in a ladylike fashion.
For two and a half years now I've traveled to school and back. I'm enjoying my education and am starting to consider future options. Mother and Father are very supportive of my decision of continued schooling and Liesa is considering joining me, seeing as she will be thirteen this coming year.
I have hopes of seeing more of the world with my own eyes, on a future adventure. My friend Anwen has a similar desire, so a trip may yet be possible. Other than that I don't know what the future could hold. But there is that handsome lad that works in the general store . . .