IIU

was fashioned from a wooden orange crate. The child was placed near the stove to avoid the all-too-often drafts of cold air that most of the houses experienced. Commercial milk formula and Pampers had not become the norm. Rather, the mother nursed the child for the first year or two and gradually weaned the baby onto whole, unpasteurized cow’s milk.

Diapers were fashioned from yards of flannelette purchased at Dunn’s Store in Gaspereaux or from Clark’s or MacGregor’s in Montague. The new mother had to launder the diapers every day. Soothers were not yet available. In spite of what would be considered primitive conditions today, most children grew to be strong and healthy.