laughs about this today. In winter, there were no fancy winter boots, but they were happy to be outfitted with unlined lumbermen's rubbers. Home-made woollen socks helped to keep their feet warm. The girls didn't wear slacks; instead, heavy underwear and long skirts helped them fight the cold chill of winter. Old coats would be turned and made into new ones by a neighbour, Ellen Campbell , who was a seamstress. One day Ellen remarked, "I wish we were all born with feathers." Virginia does remember her First Communion quite vividly. On that day, she was the "Bell of the Ball." It seems that her Aunt Gertie who was away in Boston, knew that Virginia had no white dress. Her mother, Alice, was very worried as First Communion time came closer. Her concern disappeared when Virginia received a white dress, veil, and other items from Aunt Gertie in Boston. Virginia would always be grateful to Gertie for her thoughtfulness. The Hughes family had no car. So in summer, Virginia and some other family members, would hitch the horse and wagon and go to Souris . However, "Prince," the horse, was not very co-operative. Spotting some luscious green grass on the side of the road, he would stop, put his head down, and begin to munch. It took a lot of coaxing before he would move. One Saturday evening, they went to Souris and they usually tied the horse in Percy Clinton 's yard. As they neared the Clinton's driveway, the horse stopped to eat grass. Embarrassed, they got out of the wagon and pulled and tugged, trying to persuade the horse to move. Finally, after much coaxing, the horse went into the yard. The girls, with red faces, hoped that the young males were not watching them. Stephen was still in the second world war when he suffered a heart attack while in St. John, New Brunswick . He returned home, and was in failing health, for the rest of his life. Stephen died in July, 1956 76