Stephen was a kind father, and a good provider for his family. Often, on cold days in the winter, when they would be getting low on groceries, he would hitch up the horse and sleigh and go to Souris to shop. The journey was often very cold; so, he would get out of the sleigh and walk along the side, rubbing his hands together to keep warm. A gallon of molasses and a hundred-pound—bag of flour would always be two items on his list.

Stephen teased a lot. Alice and the children were terrified during a lightning storm. However, Stephen would sit in the open doorway, enjoying the phenomenon.

As on every farm, there are times when something goes wrong. Stephen’s farm was no exception to the rule. It so happened that Mary, the oldest girl, was out in the barn milking the cow. The cow wasn’t behaving very well; so Mary hit the cow with a stick. This gentle woman was astounded when the cow fell to the floor, dead. She had some explaining to do when she returned to the house without the milk, and having to announce that the cow was dead.

Norbert was the sixth child to arrive in the Hughes family, and he was the first boy. He didn’t make it very easy for his five older sisters either, some of whom were already dating. They would make cookies or squares for night lunches for their boyfriends. Norbert had an exceptional craving for sweets, which the girls would hide in high places. Still, he would use a ladder, reach through the pantry windows, and help himself. The sisters were embarrassed when they had no cookies for their boyfriends.

' In 1941 Stephen enlisted once again, during the second world war. He had to go to Charlottetown on the train and stay over—night to complete the paper-work. While he was away, Alice, who was expecting their twelfth child, went into labor. Their daughter Mary, had just returned from Montreal, and the family was enjoying her

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