Introduction This book began as a Millennium project, but as my hus¬ band wrote of each of the Little Sands ' neighbours, it began to take on a life of its own. Almost every one of these neighbours has gone from this earth, and perhaps my husband is the only person who knew them all, for they were the householders of 1912-1932. Their farms were small by today's standards, and farming was labour intensive, using horse-drawn ma¬ chinery. Yet, they prospered, and the district was a thriv¬ ing farming community. This book is a salute to their neighbourliness, their hard work, their courage, and their fortitude. In the words of Thomas Gray , "Let not ambition / Mock their useful toil." Hesta MacDonald Vlll