wear, dresses and aprons, so a web of cotton or flannelette and an old Raymond sewing machine were usually around somewhere. As for knitting and some underclothing. we sheared the sheep. washed the wool. took it to a mill to be carded into rolls which we spun on the old spinning wheel into yarn. This yarn was knitted into socks and mitts and stockings for over our knees or sent to some neighbor who had a loom to be woven into cloth and blankets. Cotton warp of different colors was used to improve the appear- ance of the cloth. We made our own soap with cans of lye and the fat from the insides of the slaughtered pigs and cattle. The meat from these animals was used for food. The soap was made in a large iron pot and boiled on the stove.

We also made our own butter. The cream was put into a wooden or earthen dash churn and churned into butter, the by-product being butter- milk. After draining off the buttermilk and washing the butter curds in cold water until all milk had been washed away. we added salt and made the butter into prints or packed it into crocks. In winter it was necessary to use coloring to get the butter the right shade.

In the kitchens of some of the old houses a primitive hand mill for grinding grains called querns could be found. Fastened to the heavy beams of the ceiling was a wooden pin which was used to turn the quern in which the family ground their wheat for bread. This bread they cooked in a big iron pot covered with hot ashes. Afterwards grist mills were set up.

I remember starting to school at the age of seven. I had already learned to read from the Bible with help from my Grandmother Cotton. My first teacher was James MacNeil, a brother of John and Alex MacNeil, who were doctors in Summerside. Some of my other teachers were Laura Rayner. Grace Marchbank. and William MacMillan. who later was a doctor in Charlottetown for many years. In those days many doctors and lawyers taught school for a while to get money to further their education.

Among my schoolmates were Byron, Frank and Ethel Bowness, Grace, Emeline. James and Jennie Marchbank.

The school was rather crowded. The older pupils who were not taking regular classes but supplementary subjects, sat around the stove on chairs. Other school mates I remember were: Harold Rayner, Major, Fred and Hubert MacDonald. Jean Waite, Maude. Margaret and Wesley Rayner. Alfred Green. Emily. Charlie and James Rayner.

We used slates and pencils, but pens and ink in bottles for exam- inations. On Fridays we had spelling matches or recrtation of poetry. There were no grades but six readers. As soon as we finished one reader satisfactorily, we went into the next one. Arithmetic was handled in the same manner. We had copy books to learn how to write and we used our pen and ink. As we got further along, there was Grammar, Latin and French. Each pupil advanced by himself personally.

If we deserved punishment for talking or minor offences. we would have to write out 100 words on our slates or stand up for a while with our back to the class. In cases where severe punishment was needed, there was a hand to hold out and there would be so many strokes applied with a stick, which was kept in the teacher's desk.

We stood up in class and counted the mistakes in reading or spelling. We had to learn to spell every word in the lesson. Whoever had least mis- takes took the head of the class.

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